Punchestown Festival Day 1 Preview and Tips – Tuesday 26th April

3.40

The 5 day curtain closer to the jumps season kicks off with a 2m Mares novice hurdle containing all the main Irish players in this division, bar Brandy Love, whose season has reached a climax. 

Paul Townend opts for Grangee, and although she won at this festival last year, she has had a hard season and I am happy to take her on with her stablemate. DINOBLUE (15/8) has failed to fire on her last 2 starts but based on trainer comments and market support, she clearly has a lot of ability. She has been keen but I think she will be helped by the strong pace that Brides Hill will be sure to set. This will also suit the strong travelling Party Central, although she doesn’t always go through with her effort.

 

4.15

The cream of the Irish 2m Novice hurdling crop meet in this Grade 1 contest. Of the 5 runners, the 2 outsiders have 20 pounds to find and I can’t get past Mighty Potter’s run at Cheltenham when he was pulled up at halfway after failing to live with the Pace set by Dysart Dynamo. Impressive Course and distance winner on his last start here in the Moscow Flyer, Dysart Dynamo is sure to set a strong pace but I am not sure how well he was going when he came down in the Supreme. He may well be the Arkle winner in waiting but on this occasion, he may have to be happy to follow home stablemate SIR GERHARD (5/6), who has the speed to track his rival and the stamina to outlast him. 

 

4.50

This 2m Handicap Hurdle sees 7 of the 18 runners reoppose from last week’s RYBO handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse. Glan was the winner on that occasion and she is capable of defying a 7-pound rise. Farout was well fancied on that occasion and Eskylane is a classy course and distance winner who was outpaced in the Fairyhouse race before staying on well for 5th (the position he came in the champion bumper). However this race may go the way of one who didn’t run in Fairyhouse in ARDLA (5/1) who has form tied in with classy sorts such as Grand Jury and Banbridge and runs here off 125. 

 

5.25

The fact that Andy Dufresne (who ran a creditable race off top weight in what I believe was a substandard Grand Annual) is a shorter price than Envoi Allen for the 2m William Hill Champion Chase shows you exactly how far the latter’s reputation has fallen in the last 18 months. This is the proverbial 2 horse race for me. Chacun Pour Soi meets Energumene for the first time on Irish soil with both having put in spectacular performances in their respective races at this festival last year. Chacun may be a stone better horse on this side of the Irish sea but that may not be enough to beat ENERGUMENE (4/5) who David Mullins describes as a “freak” and “the best horse in Willie’s Yard”. While there is stiff competition for that particular accolade, I think that the tactically versatile younger horse will lay down a marker by winning this race. 

 

6.00

A 16 runner bumper in which only 5 competitors have been seen in action on the race course. Caldwell Potter is a €200,000 full brother to Mighty Potter and will be ridden by Jamie Codd. Rocco Bay is seemingly the stable first choice, with Patrick opting to ride and is bred by Peter Molony. Market support will be very interesting for either runner as indeed would any support for Kaite Tay (Emmet Mullins/Paul Byrne). A tentative for CALDWELL POTTER (4/1) for me here.

 

6.35

This time last Year, Bob Ollinger was due to arrive in Punchestown as the next Irish Star with the world at his feet. However such was the manner of his defeat by Gold Cup Winner in waiting Galopin Des Champs, that he comes here with serious questions to answer. There were excuses that day but I question whether there has been sufficient time to get over his issues and I am not willing to take the short price on offer to find out. BEACON EDGE (14/1) is overpriced for me here. Joint 2nd top rated, he has won over 2½ Miles and if he can get into a rhythm, he may cause an upset here. 

 

7.10 

An interesting race where the majority of the field have had their last last run in the point to point sphere. There is a Mullins Hot pot in the shape of Good Bye Sam who has form behind Billaway. However, that horse was behind Michaels Pick on his penultimate start and with the claim of the latter’s rider taken into account, races here without any swing in the weights, Michael’s Pick disappointed at Aintree though so why not just keep it simple. Enda Bolger + JP McManus + Cross Country = (7/2) Winner DE NORDENER.

 

7.45

How can you make a 5 day festival at Cheltenham? Punchestown have found the secret…. Have 2 bumpers every day. Then cleverly label one as a Flat Race to avoid accusations of mononity. So in this hugely exciting and innovative flat race, the favourite is Willie Mullins and Patrick’s Lisnagar Fortune who is a half brother to Lisnagar Oscar, which suggests that he may need slightly further and possibly softer ground. ROYAL TALE (11/1) is interesting here for the same connections as O’Toole, who beat home Sir Gerhard in last year’s Grade 1 Bumper here. He cost almost 100,000 as a 3 Yo and is out of a unraced half sister to the great Master Minded.  

 

Punchestown Festival Free Bets

Relevant news