Andy Dufresne has a big reputation, so can justify it and favouritism by capturing the 2m Grade 2 Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle for trainer Gordon Elliott and owner JP McManus at Punchestown on Sunday (14:40).
This six-year-old Doyen gelding is an Irish point and bumper winner who also landed his bow over the smaller obstacles in style on reappearance.
That came at Navan over 2m 4f where Andy Dufresne made most of the running and jumped well. He was in such command there that jockey Mark Walsh eased him down close home.
Andy Dufresne was thus value for more than the 11-length winning margin and had those in-behind strung out like washing.
Both the runner-up, Cobbler’s Way, and third horse home (Alpine Cobra) came out and won their next start.
That gives the form a solid look, but Andy Dufresne did not oblige when stepped up into this grade last month.
After being sent off a hot 1/3 favourite, he again went from the front. Andy Dufresne didn’t respond well to pressure when making a mistake three out and was then joined after the second last.
When headed at the final flight, he found no extra and went down by 2 1/4 lengths to Latest Exhibition.
Elliott’s response to that defeat is to drop Andy Dufresne back in trip for the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle.
His prominent racing style means going down in distance should be no problem. Andy Dufresne is 5/6 favourite with Ladbrokes to resume winning ways here.
The biggest danger may be dual course and distance scorer Anything Will Do, who has won four of his five career starts.
He only has to give 1lb to Andy Dufresne, so rates a solid each-way bet at 7/1 with Betfair for Joseph O’Brien.
City Island suited by step up in trip
The other feature race on the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle card is the 2m 4f Grade 3 Killiney Novice Chase (13:05), which should be more to the liking of Cheltenham Festival winner City Island than the trip of his bow over fences.
Trained by Martin Brassil, this seven-year-old Court Cave gelding was ultra-progressive last season.
After passing the post first but later being disqualified in a 2m 5f maiden hurdle at the Galway Festival, City Island landed a similar contest at Leopardstown last Christmas.
He then followed-up in another minor event at Naas, before scalping Champ in the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
City Island led approaching two out and stayed on well up the famous hill to score by two lengths, but he was well in command at the line.
That big victory may have left its mark as he was only sixth to Reserve Tank in a Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival.
Given his fine form over trips of around two-and-a-half miles, it was very strange to see City Island go in a beginners chase at a shorter distance.
He never got into any sort of rhythm in the 2m 1f event at Leopardstown this Christmas and, following a bad mistake two out, was wisely pulled up.
This race at a longer trip is much more like what he needs. It is no easier, but City Island will have learned plenty from his abortive chase debut.
The stamina laden pedigree of main market rival Carefully Selected raises questions about the distance for Willie Mullins’ runner.
On the pick of his hurdles form, the race looks ideal for City Island. It would be no surprise, then, to see him resume winning ways and he is 11/4 with 888Sport to do just that.
Blackbow can gain compensation on Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle day
Blackbow is a class act if bumper form is any indicator, so looks well worth forgiving a final flight fall last time out in the 2m maiden hurdle that closes proceedings (15:45).
Trained by Mullins, this seven-year-old son of Stowaway scored in an Irish point and on his first two starts under Rules at Leopardstown.
He was also far from disgraced when fifth in the Cheltenham Champion Bumper. Blackbow then chased home Tornado Flyer – reversing form with Carefully Selected in the Punchestown Festival equivalent.
That graded form in bumpers is head and shoulders above what anything else in this 22-runner field has achieved. Setbacks then meant Blackbow spent 563 days on the sidelines.
He was entitled to need the run when making a belated hurdles bow on return to action at Navan in November when held just half-a-length by Embittered.
It was unfortunate that Blackbow got headed close home and then appeared to have another maiden hurdle at his mercy when coming to grief at the last. He was over two lengths clear and had made all until that point.
Connections are hoping to make it third time lucky, and Blackbow is a short-price favourite with bookmakers to gain compensation. It would be a deserved big race success en route to bigger and better things.
The danger here is Dermot McLauglin trained mare Santa Rossa, who won a Grade 2 bumper against her own sex at the Dublin Rcing Festival last season.
The six-year-old was then third in the Aintree equivalent. Santa Rossa rounded off her campaign with a fine fifth to Colreevy in the Grade 1 Punchestown Festival bumper.
All four horses home in front of her, including Abacadabras, have come out and won over hurdles this season.
