'This looked a really nice opportunity for him' - Abacadabras out to end drought

Tuesday: 2.55 Punchestown
Paddy Power Feel Like A Favourite Hurdle | 2m2f | 4yo+ | RTV

This really ought to be a straightforward assignment for Abacadabras. Only it isn't.

The 2020 Supreme runner-up, who got within a head of Shishkin, won the 2021 Aintree Hurdle and retains a rating of 152. Darver Star is two years older than him, rated 3lb inferior to him and must give him 10lb due to the conditions of the race, so he certainly won't get many better chances to register the seventh win of his career.

The problem for punters is that Abacadabras hasn't won since landing the Aintree Hurdle in April of last year and has only been seen four times since.

It is hard to know exactly how much ability he actually retains and, while he travelled well for a long way in a Grade 3 contest over 2m at Tipperary last time, he was still well beaten by Jesse Evans who was rated 11lb below him. That said, he was giving that rival 11lb.

An on-song Abacadabras would win this, given the weight he is in receipt of, but it all depends on what sort of tune Davy Russell can get out of him this time.

Darver Star was rated 158 in his prime and was third to Epatante in the 2020 Champion Hurdle. He lost his way last season but looked as good as ever last time at Galway when winning easily and posting a Racing Post Rating of 157 – the second highest of his career.

That was over 2m5½f, though, so this sharper test will be a different sort of challenge. Keith Donoghue will probably try to take the sting out of Abacadabras, so don't expect him to hang about. Indeed, the presence of Dollar Value will ensure plenty of pace too.

It looks a straightforward shootout between the two big guns and it is hard to oppose Abacadabras with that 10lb pull in the weights likely to prove the difference.

What they say

Gavin Cromwell, trainer of Darver Star
It won't be easy against Abacadabras. He has a fair pull at the weights and is rated higher than us, but I have to say I was delighted with Darver Star the last day at Punchestown. He went through the line well and even surprised me a little bit. He really seems to be coming back to himself and he's in great form at home.

Tom McCourt, trainer of Dollar Value
He's the sort of horse that if things are going right for him he's very, very good, but if he makes a mistake like he did at Gowran last time he has the tendency to throw in the towel. He was probably out of his depth a little bit against those good chasers that day, and it might be a similar story here, but he's in great form so we said we'd let him run. We'll probably give him a little break after this.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Abacadabras
We will probably go chasing with him, but this looked a really nice opportunity with the way the conditions of the race are. We couldn't really pass it up. He never travelled at all in the early part of his races last year so I was delighted with the way he went through the race at Tipperary. He just got tired but he travelled lovely into the home straight.

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