That's A Wrap

27th-Dec-2016

I am backing That’s A Wrap and Veinard in this, a good each-way race.

This is a race in which low weights and young horses dominate.  Nine of the last 10 winners carried 10st 12lb or less, while seven carried 10st 7lb or less, and nine of the last 10 winners were aged four, five or six.

That’s A Wrap fits both of those criteria, a five-year-old who is set to carry just 10st 2lb.  More than that, however, he has a really nice progressive profile, he has the potential to go a fair way beyond the mark of 120 off which he races today.

Winner of an ordinary handicap hurdle at Punchestown last February, Tom Mullins’ horse has left last season’s form well behind this term.  He started off by winning a handicap hurdle at Galway at the end of October off a mark of 100, then progressed from that to win a better race last time at Navan off a mark of 112.

The handicapper has raised him another 8lb for that win, but he won nicely that day, and it is probable that he is going to be better than a 120-rated horse.  Also, the race is working out well through the third horse, Charlie Stout, who ran a cracker to finish second in Veinard’s race at Fairyhouse next time, then won at Thurles last Sunday off a 4lb higher mark, and the fifth horse, Artesone, who was only just beaten in a novices’ hurdle at Limerick three weeks ago.

That’s A Wrap fits the profile for this race ideally.  Tom Mullins’ horses continue to go well, especially his handicap hurdlers, and That’s A Wrap should run a big race.

Veinard should also run a big race.  He is a little older than ideal at seven but, like Dawerann yesterday, he only joined Gordon Elliott before the start of this season, so he has potential to progress now for his new trainer.

The Shaanmer gelding has progressed already, his last two runs have been the best of his life.  On his penultimate run, he stayed on well to win a handicap hurdle at Clonmel off a mark of 105, and he was a little unlucky not to follow up at Fairyhouse’s Hatton’s Grace Hurdle meeting off a mark of 113.

He travelled well to the second last flight and was just being delivered with his run at the last when he made a significant mistake, which effectively ended any chance he had of winning the race.  If he had jumped the last well, he probably would have won.

The handicapper raised him 4lb for that, which is less than he would have raised him if he had won – he raised the winner Maighnealta by 8lb – and which was fair.  It leaves him on a mark of 117 for today, which is a mark that should be well within range.  This will just be his fourth run for Gordon Elliott, so he has the potential to progress again.  He is at the right end of the weights, he has just 9st 13lb to carry, and the excellent Jack Kennedy takes the ride.

THAT'S A WRAP WON (ADV 11/2, SP 3/1)

VEINARD 2ND (ADV 11/1, SP 11/2)