Punchestown Friday Tips: So Scottish to prove himself well handicapped

• State Man should take all the beating

• Probably just a lap of honour for Impaire

• So Scottish fancied exiting red-hot handicap

The penultimate day of the Punchestown Festival brings us another pair of quality Grade 1 contests, along with an excellent supporting Grade 2 event and there are plenty of stars on show in those three contests.

The highlight of the day is the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle (17:25), where the likes of State Man, Vauban, Zanahiyr et al will no doubt be pleased that they don't have to see the backside of Constitution Hill as at Cheltenham!

State Man chased home Nicky Henderson's superstar at the Festival and this race affords him the perfect opportunity to go one better, particularly as he already holds quite a significant form edge on the other contenders.

Zanahiyr and Vauban finished third and fourth in the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle but I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if Vauban reversed that form this time as he paid the price for being the first one to give chase to Constitution Hill in that contest.

However, it's hard to see him stepping up enough to beat State Man, who has already had the measure of him several times this season.

Pied Piper and Sharjah are also worth honourable mentions, though this looks State Man's race to lose and I had no real desire to take him on.

He'll more than likely win, albeit without any financial investment from this end.

Mullins novice one of the best around

Speaking of horses that should, Impaire Et Passe also fits into the category in the other Grade 1 on the card, the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle at 18:00.

Willie Mullins' 5-y-o had all the dogs barking for him before lining up in the Ballymore at Cheltenham and he didn't disappoint there, coming home clear of stablemate Gaelic Warrior, who enhanced that form with a Grade 1 win of his own earlier this week.

The most impressive attribute Impaire Et Passe has is his ability to tank through a race - which he's done in his three hurdles win to date - and it's hard to see how he loses his unbeaten record here.

There are a couple of potential improvers in the field, but they've all got take a big leap forward to land a blow on one of the best novice hurdlers we've seen this season and it will take some effort to lower his colours.

Another race just to watch, rather than bet in.

Mares chase looks a belter

The earlier Grade 2 Mares Chase looks at 16:50 an absolute corker, where we get to see Impervious and Allegorie De Vassy renew their rivalry from the Cheltenham equivalent last month.

Impervious proved too strong there but there's a chance the form could be reversed this time and is Allegorie De Vassy is almost certainly better going right handed (has tended to jump that way quite often).

However, this isn't just a two-horse race as Riviere D'etel may have been at least placed if not for coming to grief three out at Cheltenham, though it's something of a stretch to think she'd have beaten either of the front pair.

That was her first run since November and she's entitled to strip fitter for it, though whether she can move forward enough to beat either Impervious or Allegorie De Vassy is open to debate.

At the risk of coming over all Kevin Pullein, this is another no-bet contest for me.

So Scottish the bet of the day

One race I will be having a bet in is the EMS Copiers Novice Handicap Chase at 16:15, where I'm confident So Scottish can prove himself still a really well handicapped horse off a mark of 143.

You don't need me to tell you how good Emmet Mullins is as a trainer and his skills have been excellently highlighted already several times this week.

So Scottish is coming off a seventh-place finish in the Magners Plate at Cheltenham, a race that's looking like one of the hottest handicaps run this season, with also-rans Midnight River, Two For Gold and Datsalrightgino having already won subsequently.

Throw in Gevry's excellent second in the Irish Grand National and you have all the ingredients of a poker-hot contest.

It's also worth noting that So Scottish was returning from four months off in the Magners, and for all his shrewd trainer will have laid him out for that race, there was very much an element of a lack of peak fitness telling on him late in the day.

With that run under his belt, I'm expecting him to step forward here and prove the Magners form even stronger than it currently looks.

I'm going to make So Scottish my only bet of the day, and a confident one at that.