Tag: Punchestown

Punchestown Festival – Friday Preview

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There are two Grade 1 races on Friday at Punchestown and Willie Mullins looks set to win them both. He saddles the Cheltenham first and second in the Champion Hurdle and has four entries in the Champion Novice event.

Mullins has dominated the Grade 1 races all week and opposition to his star hurdlers has dried up here. There are only two rivals to Faugheen and Arctic Fire and both look well out of the depth. Faugheen only had a length and a half to spare over his stable companion at Cheltenham but had the race won a long way from the finish.

Ruby Walsh is one of the finest judges of pace in the jockeys’ room and he made sure that the Champion Hurdle did not turn into a crawl. Arctic Fire was held up in the rear and ran on past beaten horses to finish second. That was a fine effort and he looked set to go one better at Aintree when taking a crashing fall at the last flight. Fortunately, both he and Walsh escaped relatively unscathed. Walsh will once again look to dictate matters here with Paul Townend presumably trying to keep closer tabs on the favourite. The outcome will probably be the same as at the festival.

Mullins and Walsh then team up for Nichols Canyon in a much more competitive Champion Novice Hurdle. The former John Gosden inmate is one of four Mullins-trained runners here, although he looks much the best on form.

He was classy enough to finish second in a Group 3 on the flat and his only defeats over hurdles can be excused. He unseated his rider at Leopardstown in December and refused to settle when finishing third at Cheltenham. He was always cantering over his rivals at Aintree before easing to a four and a half length win over Parlour Games. That shows that his Cheltenham form was all wrong and he is the one to beat on Friday.

The pick of his stable companions may be Outlander who was well beaten when runner-up to Shaneshill at Fairyhouse. He had previously finished sixth at Cheltenham and has ground to make up on Nichols Canyon on that evidence. Sempre Medici was a creditable sixth in the County Hurdle before winning Grade 2 at Fairyhouse over two miles. He is unproven over this trip while Alpha Des Obeaux could emerge as the biggest danger.

The Mouse Morris-trained gelding was second to Supreme Hurdle winner Douvan here in January and looked booked for the runner-up spot at Aintree when falling at the last. Thistlecrack went on to win the race and finished a close second here earlier in the week.

Nichols Canyon @10-11 Skybet

Punchestown Festival – Thursday Preview

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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

Punchestown Festival – Wednesday Preview

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The National Hunt festival at Punchestown continues on Wednesday with three Grade 1 events on another top quality card.

The 4.55 race is a novice hurdle over three miles with the Willie Mullins-trained Shaneshill stepping up in trip from two and a half. He had enough speed to chase home the impressive Douvan in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival and that horse underlined the form with a dominant display here on Tuesday.

Shaneshill was barely out of a hack canter to win at Fairyhouse last time out and he races as though the trip will suit him. The Albert Bartlett looked like a real slog at Prestbury Park and third home No More Heroes represents the form here. I just wonder if that hard race may have taken its toll while Mullins also saddles festival winner Killultagh Vic under Paul Townend. Thistlecrack is over from the UK after winning gamely at Aintree but Shaneshill may have too much class for him.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup form comes under scrutiny in the Punchestown equivalent at 5.30. I tipped Djakadam at 16-1 for Cheltenham and he ran a mighty race in second, not quite having enough to peg back all-the-way winner Coneygree. He had previously sluiced through the mud to win at Gowran Park and any further rain will help his prospects here.

Road To Riches was not far behind him at Cheltenham and is entitled to respect, as is easy Liverpool winner Don Cossack. He won by an impressive 26 lengths at Aintree but the race was marred by the fatal fall of Balder Succes. Ballynagour stuck to his guns when closing to within a head of Silviniaco Conti at Aintree but this is a more testing track and his best form is at two and a half miles.

The third and final Grade 1 of the day is the Champion Bumper at 6.05. Several of these ran in the Cheltenham bumper with Modus faring best in second. That was a tremendous run but I am convinced that Supasundae will be better if he can be restrained in the early stages. He eventually finished sixth after being up with the pace for a long way and could be a decent bet in a tricky contest. As usual, Willie Mullins is mob-handed with five runners with Bellshill probably his best chance.

Shaneshill 4.55 @@7-4 William Hill

Djakadam 5.30 @11-4 William Hill

Supasundae 6.05 @12-1 Ladbrokes

Punchestown Festival – Tuesday Preview

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The Punchestown festival gets under way on Tuesday with a number of Cheltenham winners in action on the opening day.

Douvan got Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh off to a flyer at Cheltenham when living up to expectations in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. He reappears in the Champion Novice Hurdle at 4.20 and is impossible to oppose. Sizing John was seven lengths adrift at the festival and looks clear second-best here.

Punters are unlikely to get rich by supporting RSA Chase winner Don Poli at 6.40 either. He was one of the most impressive winners of the meeting in the RSA Chase and is now one of the market leaders for next season’s Gold Cup. It remains to be seen just how good a race it was this year but there will be some long faces in the unsaddling enclosure if he fails to win on Tuesday.

Just as in Douvan’s race, the biggest threat looks likely to come from a horse that was behind at Cheltenham. Wounded Warrior was an honourable third, eight lengths behind Don Poli.

If those two races look like a cakewalk for Mullins, the same cannot be said for the Champion Chase at 5.30. He runs three here, led by Champagne Fever. The grey came within inches of completing a third successive victory at the festival when beaten on the nod in the Arkle Chase last season. His chasing career has spluttered along since, seemingly with no clear indication of what his best trip is. Mullins seemed convinced that it was two and a half miles after he failed to stay in the King George but is now reverting to two miles. My guess is that Ruby Walsh will try to reproduce the front running display that so nearly won the Arkle.

He is joined in the field by Felix Yonger and Twinlight. I much prefer Felix Yonger of the pair, a winner over Argocat at Navan last month. John Hanlon is trying blinkers on Hidden Cyclone for the first time after a disappointing run behind Uxizandre at the festival. He has some top class form in the past and will be an obvious threat if the blinds have the desired effect.

A Mullins treble on the opening day would not hit the bookmakers too hard at the prohibitive prices on offer but 3-1 looks fair for Champagne Fever.

Douvan 4.20 @1-4 William Hill

Champagne Fever 5.30 @3-1 Paddy Power

Don Poli 6.40 @4-9 Betfred

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

Punchestown Thursday Preview

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Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh did us proud on Wednesday with a thrilling Punchestown Gold Cup victory for Boston Bob. They look set to star again on Thursday with the great mare Quevega and the talented grey Champagne Fever in action.

Quevega needs no introduction having won the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle for the last six seasons. That record is surely going to stand for a very long time but she is also the winner of the past four World Series Hurdles at Punchestown. She goes for a fifth consecutive victory tomorrow and it is difficult to justify opposing her.

At Fishers Cross has not won this season, although he has run some good races. Last time out at Aintree he was unable to get past Coral Cup winner Whisper but may have had a valid excuse. Apparently he trod on a shoe at some point in the race and that cannot have helped. He was well beaten in the World Hurdle but the ground was not really soft enough for him and nor will it be tomorrow.

I’ve also got plenty of respect for Fingal Bay who lumped 11st 11lb to victory in the Pertemps Final. That is always the sign of a classy hurdler and he is entitled to take his chance at this level. Hobbs and Johnson have enjoyed a great run in recent weeks and it would be no surprise to see this one give the favourite most to do.

Alan King’s Balder Succes has helped this column out on a couple of occasions this season but I think he may meet his match tomorrow in Champagne Fever. I haven’t been a great supporter of Champagne Fever in the past but I thought he was desperately unlucky to catch Western Warhorse on a good day at the festival. Ruby Walsh must have been sickened to get done on the run-in like that but he can gain handsome compensation on Thursday.

For the treble I am going to side with AP McCoy on Ned Buntline in the handicap at 4.15. This one ran particularly well to finish second at the festival, coming from well off the pace. It’s a big field so he will need a bit of luck in running but must have a favourite’s chance. The bet of the day at Redcar is Zaawia in the maiden at 2.55. The daughter of Elnadim finished sixth in a hot Newbury maiden first time out and should make no mistake here for Ed Dunlop.

Ned Buntline 4.15 Punchestown at 5-1 Coral

Quevega 5.30 Punchestown at 10-11 Bet365

Champagne Fever 6.40 Punchestown at 13-8 BetVictor

Zaawia 2.55 Redcar