held up in rear, disputed 3rd from 6th, dropped off leaders before 6 out, slight mistake 5 out, ridden and mistake 4 out, no extra and weakened, completely tailed off
held up in 3rd, disputed 3rd from 6th, dropped off leaders before 6 out, ridden and no impression 4 out, weakened and completely tailed off
made all, ridden and strongly pressed before 3 out, asserted before 2 out, kept on well
chased leader in 2nd, challenged before 3 out, slight mistake 3 out, soon ridden, no impression in 2nd before 2 out, kept on same pace
Val De Ferbet has switched stables having been with Willie Mullins previously. He's been alternating between hurdles and fences and landed a Grade 2 over the bigger obstacles at Limerick a year ago and finished runner-up at that level over hurdles at Auteuil in May. He'll be tough to beat at his best but the lack of a recent run hands the initiative to TENNIS CAP. The champion trainer will know how he stands with his old charge and the selection, whose best run over timber came three years ago when runner-up in the County Hurdle, has been going well enough over fences to be handed the vote. Massini's Trap finished runner-up in a Grade 3 at Naas in January but ran moderately next time at Leopardstown and has a poor strike-rate while Prussian Eagle, who finished just in front of him in that latter event, has only won once over hurdles and that was in 2014. Velocity Boy is penalised after dead-heating at Limerick last March and hasn't been seen since well beaten by Douvan in a Grade 1 at Punchestown the following month.
Prussian Eagle (IRE) 8-1 (11-4) Held up in rear, progress into 6th 2 out, soon ridden, moderate 5th at last, no extra, 4th of 9, 12 1/2l behind Great Field (11-9) at Leopardstown 2m 2f sft in Feb.
Massini's Trap (IRE) 9-2 (11-0) Tracked leaders, 3rd 3 out, ridden in 2nd from next, dropped to 4th at last, no extra, 5th of 9, 13l behind Great Field (11-9) at Leopardstown 2m 2f sft in Feb.
Tennis Cap (FR) Evensfav (11-0) Tracked leaders, 3rd halfway, ridden to challenge approaching last, no impression on winner run-in, 2nd of 4, 1 1/2l behind Lord Scoundrel (11-4) at Thurles 2m 2f sft in Feb.
Val De Ferbet (FR) 14-1 (10-10) at Auteuil 3m 1f hvy in Jun.
Velocity Boy (IRE) 33-1 (11-12) Led, clear early, slight mistake 5th, pressed and mistake 2 out, headed and 3rd approaching straight, soon 4th and no extra, dropped to last from before last, 5th of 6, dist behind Douvan (11-12) at Punchestown 2m (1) Good - Yielding in Apr.
