Tag: Hurricane Fly

Punchestown Festival – Thursday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Willie Mullins has dominated the Grade 1 races at the Punchestown Festival this week and he will be hoping to continue the trend on Thursday.

He has three runners in the World Series Hurdle at 5.30 led by former Champion hurdler Hurricane Fly. The gelding has been a phenomenon over two miles and has won 26 of his 40 races. At the age of eleven, he battled on to finish third to his stable companion Faugheen at Cheltenham and his appetite for racing seems as strong as ever.

It is a bold move by Mullins to try the eleven-year-old at this three-mile trip for the first time. He has won over two and a half miles but that was way back in 2010 so this really is a step into the unknown.

Last year’s Champion hurdler Jezki relinquished his crown this season but bounced back to win at Aintree. That was over two and a half miles, although he may well have finished second but for the last flight tumble of Arctic Fire. Mark Walsh takes over in the saddle to replace the retired Tony McCoy and the gelding has not always been the easiest horse to settle.

With the market leaders not guaranteed to stay, the value bet could be Tony Martin’s Dedigout. He has won his last three races at Gowran Park, Navan and Fairyhouse and will not be found wanting for stamina. He would certainly appreciate a shower of rain but is worth supporting at the early 7-1 on offer with Paddy Power.

The star of the show on Thursday is undoubtedly Un De Sceaux who was a most impressive winner of the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham. He would still be unbeaten but for a fall at Thurles and he has hardly put a foot wrong since. He had six lengths to spare over God’s Own at Prestbury Park and is already a hot favourite for next season’s Champion Chase.

Official ratings give him upwards of 18lbs in hand of his rivals on Thursday and, given a clear round, he should chalk up another Grade 1 success. The best bet on the card at Redcar has to be Godolphin’s Bow And Arrow who won by a staggering 13 lengths at Thirsk last week. He turns out quickly under a 6lbs penalty and is certain to go up considerably more once he has been re-assessed.

Dedigout 5.30 Punchestown @7-1 Paddy Power

Bow And Arrow 3.25 Redcar @4-5 Betfair

Champion Hurdle Ante-Post Preview

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The Champion Hurdle is the feature race of the opening day of the Cheltenham festival and the betting market suggests that a new champion will be crowned on March 10th.

Faugheen has been at the head of the market all season and remains unbeaten in eight races for Willie Mullins. The gelding won the Neptune Novices’ Hurdle last year over two and a half miles and has won his trials at Ascot and Kempton this season. The form of both races is open to question, particularly the Christmas Hurdle where Irving and Sign Of A Victory both ran way below expectations.

When we think of the greatest hurdlers such as Sea Pigeon, See You Then and Istabraq, we think of their brilliant hurdling technique as well as their speed. Faugheen has not been entirely convincing at his hurdles this season and this will be his first real test at two-mile championship pace. Odds of around 5-4 look decidedly skinny.

Plenty of people will be hoping to see the old warrior Hurricane Fly win the race for a third time having been successful in 2011 and 2013. It would be truly remarkable to reclaim his title for a second time but it is by no means impossible. He has beaten the reigning champion Jezki three times this season and yet is still available at 8-1 with most firms. Hatton’s Grace (1951) and Sea Pigeon (1981) are the only horses to have previously won this race at the age of eleven and there is no doubt that he is in their class.

Jezki has had a similar campaign to last season when everything fell right for him on Champion Hurdle day. He looked held when being brought almost to a standstill at the final flight at Leopardstown and may be better suited by being held up at the back of the field. He was passed on the run-in by another Mullins runner in Arctic Fire and he could easily be good enough to sneak into the frame.

He was just beaten in the County Hurdle last year but has gone up nearly a stone in the official ratings since. He tracked Hurricane Fly’s run through last time and similar tactics could see him finish in the money at Cheltenham. The New One has won all five races since his unlucky run here last year when hampered by the fall of the ill-fated Our Conor. Like Faugheen, he won the two and a half mile novice at this meeting and is arguably a better horse over that distance.

Arctic Fire @16-1 Stan James

Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3 (Non-runner – no bet)

Punchestown Friday Preview

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The bookies had a field day at Punchestown on Thursday with winners returned at 25-1 (twice), 20-1 (twice), 14-1, 10-1, 8-1 and 5-1. I don’t think even Mystic Meg will have had Jetson doubled up with God’s Own in the two Group 1 races!

Nothing if not game, we battle on into Friday’s card with Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh looking to hold a strong hand once again. The feature race is the Champion Hurdle which sadly has attracted just three runners. You do sometimes wonder what goes through trainer’s minds. There must be a hundred horses that ran at Cheltenham or Aintree that could have been guaranteed third place here at the very least.

The race sees a re-match between Cheltenham winner Jezki and the beaten favourite Hurricane Fly. He was only fourth at the festival with most pundits happy to assume that age is catching up with the horse. Now aged ten, he was bidding to become the oldest winning Champion Hurdler since Sea Pigeon but found disappointingly little in the straight.

Ruby Walsh was reluctant to accept the form on face value and it is worth remembering that he had beaten Jezki twice prior to Cheltenham. This has surely got to come down to a tactical battle and Hurricane Fly has proved time and again that he can win off any pace.

You won’t get rich by backing Vautour in the Champion Novices’ Hurdle but he looks impossible to oppose. He has a very similar profile to Faugheen who romped home earlier in the week and should see off his rivals tomorrow. It is curious that Mullins elected to drop Faugheen back to two miles and step Vautour up to two and a half, the exact opposite to their Cheltenham victories. Lac Fontana looked as tough as old boots when winning at Aintree but will need Vautour to have an off day to get near him.

Arctic Fire can complete the Mullins-Walsh treble in the following novice hurdle. He looked set to win the County Hurdle at the festival but was just run out of it by Lac Fontana. He was well backed that day and looked to have done everything right. The only doubt must be whether he will have recovered from such a hard race but he stands out on form.

If the bookies were partying on Thursday night, they could be crying into their beer by the time Warne lines up against On The Fringe in the last. I was impressed with Warne at Aintree and the win was never in doubt from half-way.

Hurricane Fly 5.30 at 11-10 Paddy Power

Vautour 6.05 at 2-5 William Hill

Arctic Fire 6.40 at 4-5 Bet365

Warne 7.45 at 9-4 Bet365