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12.05 Paddy Power I Have No Idea What Day It Is 3-Y-O

Maiden Hurdle 2m

It was a rock-solid first start over hurdles from the Gordon Elliott-trained Wendrock when third at the Navan Racing Festival in a maiden hurdle that has been working out a treat. The winner, Total Look, was only beaten a neck when third in a Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham earlier this month, while the second, Beyond Your Dreams, won a Fairyhouse maiden hurdle on her next outing. Wendrock couldn’t reel in the promising winner then but showed a sharp turn of foot from three furlongs out to the furlong pole, quicker than anything else in the race through this stage, and the 82,000gns purchase out of Lucinda Russell’s yard is entitled to be sharper now.

Galileo Dame, rated 96 on the flat and second in listed company the last twice, is a fascinating recruit to hurdles for Joseph O’Brien, who often excels with juvenile hurdlers and won this race last year. Willie Mullins and J.P. McManus’ French recruit Last Kingdom won an AQPS bumper in August and commands obvious respect.

SELECTION: WENDROCK

Next best: Galileo Dame

12.35 Paddy Power From The Horses Mouth Podcast

Beginners Chase 2m 1f

There was more than enough encouragement to be taken from Birdie Or Bust’s first start over fences at Navan last month to suggest she can make a useful chaser, finishing fourth behind Down Memory Lane (and a length and a quarter off today’s rival Nurburgring). The Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle third should be fine in these conditions and is lightly enough raced to suggest she has scope to progress.

It’s For Me beat Caldwell Potter in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown 407 days ago before missing the rest of last season with injury. He received a positive mention from Willie Mullins in his recent stable tours, while stablemate Lisnagar Fortune was useful over hurdles too. Nurburgring has been gathering valuable chasing experience lately, while What’s Up Darling adds another layer to proceedings, capable of improving from his fourth in a beginners’ chase last time.

SELECTION: BIRDIE OR BUST

Next best: It’s For Me

2.20 Spinal Injuries Ireland Handicap Hurdle 2m

A wide-open affair in which a chance is taken on Diamond Nora proving ahead of the handicapper off 6lb higher than her win at Limerick a month ago when beating the well-handicapped Jeaniemacaroney, who won well at Thurles last weekend. The fifth from the same race, Unklipped, also went on to win readily since, while the third, Mayos Vendangeur, finished second next time out. With the race working out so well, and with only 9st 11lb on her back when factoring in Philip Donovan’s claim, she makes each-way appeal in a tough heat.

Fitting a hood ought to be a help to Ethical Diamond and he has every chance of being well handicapped off 132. Jacovec Cavern needs to improve from finishing eighth in the Greatwood Hurdle but the experience gained there will stand him in good stead for this, and he’s at the right end of the weights. A 7lb rise for Clarens for his win at the Navan Racing Festival may not stop his progress.

SELECTION: DIAMOND NORA

Next best: Jacovec Cavern

3.00 Paddy Power Chase

(Extended Handicap Chase) (Listed) 3m 100yds

A fiendishly difficult handicap to crack each year and Panda Boy’s turn might come at the third attempt in this race, having been third in 2022 and second here 12 months ago. There was plenty to take from that effort behind a very well-handicapped Meetingofthewaters last year and he meets the same rival on 16lb better terms now (beaten four and a half lengths when they clashed in the 2023 Paddy Power). Martin Brassil’s stayer should have his ideal ground, he never runs a bad race at this venue and improvement can be expected from his comeback seventh in the Munster National when easy to back at 11/1.

Another who has been threatening to land a valuable handicap chase like this without quite managing to do so is Perceval Legallois. He might have been set for a big day when coming down at the final fence here at the Dublin Racing Festival last season, though, and he’s also plundered a big pot over hurdles at this track. Leopardstown clearly suits him. Hgranca De Thaix could still be on the up but needs to prove his stamina, while Three Card Brag and Will Do (both in blinkers for the first time) are worthy of shortlist inclusion for Gordon Elliott.

SELECTION: PANDA BOY

Next best: Perceval Legallois

3.30 Paddy Power The Flat One INH Flat Race 2m 4f

Willie Mullins has won six of the last eight runnings of this prize, so with Patrick Mullins opting to ride Eclipse Chaser, he’s probably the way to play the finale. This half-brother to blacktype mare Westerner Lady fell at the second last on his sole start in a point-to-point last March - he was a length and a half in front at the time and looked as though he would have been tough to beat.

The same stable’s Leaky Cauldron is another point-to-point recruit, having joined this team from Colin Bowe after winning on debut at Ballycrystal in October 2023. American Jukebox needs to show more than he did on his bumper bow for Gordon Elliott when fourth last month, God Help Me is worth a second look for the Crawford team, while Karate Kid is upped in class from finishing a good second in a Fairyhouse auction bumper in October.

SELECTION: ECLIPSE CHASER

Next best: Leaky Cauldron