Cheltenham Festival winner takes on some speedy types at Punchestown

Tuesday: 3.10 Punchestown
Punchestown Race | 1m1f | 3yo+ | RTV

It's not very often, if ever, you see a Cheltenham Festival-winning chaser running over 1m1f on the Flat but that is the move Emmet Mullins has decided to make with The Shunter.

The 2021 Paddy Power Plate winner, who has finished fourth and eighth in the last two Galway Plates, is facing a rare test of speed.

Only once has he tried a trip less than two miles and that was when winning a 1m5f Sligo maiden in May. This is half a mile shorter and he could be tapped for toe, despite bringing plenty of class to the table.

In stark contrast to The Shunter, Monaasib is stepping up in trip and goes beyond a mile for only the second time. According to Racing Post Ratings, his best effort since finishing third to subsequent 2,000 Guineas winner Poetic Flare in April 2021 came last time in the Irish Cambridgeshire, where he finished strongly to take fifth.

That display earned him an RPR of 101 and a reproduction of that level of form would make him very hard to beat here.

Chris Hayes, who added a seventh Group 1 win to his CV when the exciting Tahiyra won the Moyglare on Sunday, is back in the saddle for the first time in a while too.

Goodie Two Shoes could be anything. She scooted away with a fillies' maiden at Killarney on her debut, posting an RPR of 89 in the process, and is open to any amount of improvement. She was taken out of a Listed race at Galway last week because of soft ground but conditions should be better this time.

Once Upon A River is also unexposed but he was last of four on his return to action at Roscommon last month having been keen throughout. He probably needed that given it was his first outing in almost a year and you can expect to see a different gelding this time.

What they say

Emmet Mullins, trainer of The Shunter
We're dropping him in trip but he did win over a mile and five furlongs at Sligo. It was very unusual for him at Galway as he didn't finish out his race. We're just going to put a line through that run, as it wasn't like him, and hopefully he can recapture a bit of form here.

Kevin Prendergast, trainer of Monaasib
He ran well in the Cambridgeshire, where things didn't really pan out well for him and a few others. He's in good shape and if he gets the trip I think he'll take a bit of beating.

Jessica Harrington, trainer of Confident Star
I'm very interested to see how he gets on over a mile and a furlong as I really do think it will suit him. He will certainly appreciate the ease in the ground too.

Paddy Twomey, trainer of Once Upon A River
We were very happy with his stable debut at Roscommon. He ran a nice race there and just got tired. This looks a competitive race but hopefully he can be involved in the shake-up.

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Goodie Two Shoes
She's come out of her debut run well and this is a suitable stepping stone for her. It's a slight drop in distance but we're hoping for a good run.

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