Paul Townend: I am really looking forward to getting back on State Man

Kilcruit is a hugely talented horse and his schooling has gone really well. This race looks like it is between himself and Journey With Me. A small field around Punchestown is a nice place to start him off. I hope we can get him off to the best start and I think he will be hard beat.

Allibaba – 1.38 Punchestown

Allibaba is a first reserve in a maiden hurdle. He ran well in two bumpers but was a bit disappointing the last day at Galway. He is race fit from running through October. I hope he gets a run. He has schooled well and jumps should bring about a little bit of improvement.

Uncle Phil – 2.48 Punchestown

Uncle Phil is getting weight off the whole field here. He won well with Bryan Cooper at Killarney, but then went to Listowel and boiled over. He will have to do things a lot more professionally here. He is a horse with huge ability, but things have to fall right for him.

Sunday

State Man – 2.05 Punchestown

I am really looking forward to getting back on State Man in the Morgiana Hurdle. He finished out the season really well last year. His only blip was a fall at Christmas time. I think he is an improving horse and we will find out more about the level he is at here.

Sharja sets the standard without Honeysuckle in the two-mile division in Ireland so he will be a brilliant yardstick and we will see where we are going. He is entitled to improve for his first run but I will be hoping he can get off to a winning start and pursue a route to the Champion Hurdle after that.

Seabank Bistro – 2.40 Punchestown

He is a nice bumper horse who ran very well at Cheltenham in the bumper. He disappointed at Punchestown a bit but he wasn’t beaten all that far by Facile Vega. That is a high level of form. I think he will make a lovely jumper. I am really looking forward to getting him started and he will take a lot of beating.

Shewearsitwell – 3.15 Punchestown

Shewearsitwell is interesting stepping up to three miles for the first time. She won well over two-and-a-half-miles at Killarney earlier in the summer. Her season sort of fell apart after that. She was very disappointing at Tipperary, was pulled up in the Galway Hurdle, and was disappointing back at Galway to be honest.

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