The Grade 1 entries for the Punchestown Festival were unveiled this week with the five days boasting record prize money of over €2.9 million.
No less than 12 of the 15 Grade 1 and 2 winners from the Cheltenham Festival have been given entries for Punchestown with many of the big-race heroes from Aintree also engaged. Dave Keena got the latest on some running plans.
HENRY DE BROMHEAD
PETIT MOUCHOIR
(1/113482-23F113)
Betdaq Champion Hurdle
He ran very well at Cheltenham and he has come out that race in very good form. It’s hard to know how much that race took out of him, but he seems in to be in good form and I am very keen to let him take his chance at Punchestown. It looks a very good race, but it was good to see the Cheltenham form hold up very well at Aintree last week.
MONALEE
(12-21212)
Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle/ Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle
I was delighted with him at Cheltenham where he just found one too good. He had a hard race that day, but he seems to have come out of it well, he has two options at Punchestown and, at the moment, I am leaning more towards the three-mile race. He handled the nice ground well at Cheltenham and he has won on soft as well, so I am not too worried about what ground he gets. They always do a very good job on the ground at Punchestown.
CHAMPAGNE WEST
(14/112F/2PFP-3119)
Coral Punchestown Gold Cup
He seems to be in very good form and it just didn’t work out for him at Cheltenham in the Gold Cup. It may be that he would like softer ground, but he is in the Gold Cup at Punchestown and that is the plan for him.
NICO DE BONVILLE
CONEYGREE
(18/1113/1111/1-2)
Coral Punchestown Gold Cup
The plan is that he will go to Punchestown for the Gold Cup and he went very well in a workout at Ffos Las last Sunday. I am really looking forward to a clash with Sizing John. He gave me a great feel when he won the Gold Cup at Cheltenham - he was foot perfect and he travelled so well that day. He would need some rain as well, but I am really looking forward to it. I have schooled him a bit/sat on him this year and worked him as well, and the old zip and spark seems to be there. The news from the Bradstocks is all good. I was injured when he ran in the Betfair Chase at Haydock and on that form, he would need to improve, but I have always wanted to come to Ireland on a good horse. I was at Punchestown when ‘Sprinter’ ran and won the Champion Chase a few years ago and he got a great reception from the racegoers that day.
NEIL KING
LIL ROCKERFELLER
(/3312317-32242)
Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle
We were thrilled with him at Cheltenham. We gave him a little bit of time off after that race and he is now back in and he looks great and in very good order. We felt that the added bit of time from Cheltenham to Punchestown would help him (recover) and I think the track at Punchestown will suit him much better than Aintree and that is why we have decided to travel over with him.
Looking back to Cheltenham, it looked for a few strides after the last that we’d got it, but Ruby’s horse pulled away from us close home. Trevor gave him a smashing ride and he just found one too good on the day. I have always felt that he needed soft ground, but I have never seen him travel as well as he did at Cheltenham on that nice spring ground, and that might be what he wants now. I’d imagine he’ll get that at Punchestown. He stays well and he just been a terrific horse for us. We had runners over there a few years back, but they were social ones - he is the first real one.
JOSEPH O’BRIEN
OUTSPOKEN
(2-2122)
Herald Champion Novice Hurdle
Tattersalls Ireland Champion Novice Hurdle
He is a nice horse and he has a couple of options at Punchestown and I’d say he’ll go there - I have to speak with Frank and JP first, but I’d imagine that he’ll go there. He hasn’t run over two and a half miles yet and that might bring about some improvement in him. I have to have a look at the races yet, but he is a horse that we’ve always liked and he ran very well the last day behind a good horse of Willie’s. He’s a Galileo and he has handled that soft ground over the winter, but you’d imagine that he would prefer some nice ground.
SPIN A YARN
Goffs Land Rover Bumper
There is a chance that he’ll run. We had hoped to get a run into him before now, but it just didn’t work out. He is a nice type of horse and you’d be hoping that he’ll run, but it is big ask to win a race like that first time out. We like him and he goes well, but whatever he does next week, you’d imagine that he will improve for the experience.
EARLY DOORS
(1)
Goffs Land Rover Bumper
He won nicely at Punchestown and he seems to have done well since that run. You’d like to think that he has come on for the run and we have always liked him. You have to put a in a graded performance to win this race, but it is a big help that he has that bit of experience around Punchestown under his belt. I think he’ll handle better ground as well - he is a Soldier Of Fortune out of a Desert Prince mare - he is a good moving horse. I’d imagine this will be his last run of the season and he could be a nice horse to go jumping with next season. He has a bit of size and scope and he is horse with a future I hope.
LANDOFHOPEANDGLORY
(111235)
AES Champion 4YO Hurdle
He is likely to run. We were happy with his run in the Triumph and Robbie [Power] was happy with him at Cheltenham. He felt that if he had ridden him handier that he might have finished a few lengths closer at Cheltenham - it didn’t make any huge difference to the result, but he liked him. That form has worked out well - the winner won well there last week at Aintree. He is in the two and a half mile race as well so we’ll see what Frank and JP want to do and he is a good moving horse and I have always felt that he is better on better ground. He has come out of Cheltenham well - we haven’t done much with him, we have just kept him ticking over.
SWORD FIGHTER
(585)
AES Champion 4YO Hurdle
He seems to be in good form and he’ll run as well, but I am not sure what race he’ll go for yet. He has been a little bit disappointing over hurdles and maybe nicer ground will be a help to him. So far he has just run over two miles, but he did stay well on the flat so in time, you’d hope that he might get a bit further than two miles over hurdles.
ANDY LYNCH
ZABANA
(015/0312/314U-1417)
Coral Punchestown Gold Cup
He scoped dirty the weekend before Cheltenham and he seemed fine beforehand, but it was just a case of bad timing and we couldn’t send him, which was a shame, but it might be for luck as he’ll head onto Punchestown a fresh horse. He won there last year and the ground is all important to him - he must have good ground. He is back in great form again and he worked last weekend and it went great. This will be his last run of the season and hopefully now, he’ll get a bit of nice ground and end the season well. It looks a very good race, but he has earned a crack at a race like this. He comes into the race a fresh horse and he is loves this time of the year and I couldn’t be happier with him.
BEN DUNDEE
(5-15724)
He likes a bit of decent ground and I’d say he’ll go there for one of the handicaps. He is not a bad horse and he jumps very well. Like Zabana, he is a spring horse.
WILLIE MULLINS
The champion trainer has a predictably big team set for action as the trainers’ title comes to a climax. He gave an update on his plans this week.
ANNIE POWER
(/1112/1F/1111-)
Ladbrokes Champion Stayers
BETDAQ Punchestown Champion Hurdle
Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Champion Hurdle
Annie Power is in good order and she is working well in preparation for Punchestown. We’re very happy to have her back, obviously, and looking forward to seeing her out again. She’s very adaptable and has top-class form over a variety of trips.
DJAKADAM
(/812/21F23-2134)
Coral Punchestown Gold Cup
I was disappointed with Djakadam’s run in Cheltenham as I thought he was in great form going into the race but hopefully he’ll return to form in the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup as he likes this track. From only four starts over Punchestown’s fences, he has won two John Durkans and finished second in the Gold Cup twice. With two of the last three Cheltenham Gold Cup winners likely to run in this year’s race, Coneygree and Sizing John, it looks like it will be an exceptionally strong renewal, which is as it should be.
UN DE SCEAUX
(/F111/1F122-16111)
BALLYCASEY
(/4935U6-F3151311)
BoyleSports Champion Chase
I’m very happy with Un De Sceaux. He was brilliant when winning his third consecutive Grade 1 chase at Cheltenham last month and given he’s unbeaten in three starts at Punchestown, I’m very much looking forward to seeing him.
Ballycasey has had a great season thus far, recording four wins - three in Grade 2 company - and he will come back in trip to contest the two-mile Grade 1 Boylesports Champion Chase. He’s well after his Fairyhouse win.
ARCTIC FIRE
(/123322F/21142-1)
NICHOLS CANYON
(131/111333-312F1)
Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle
BETDAQ Punchestown Champion Hurdle
Nichols Canyon is fine and he will go for the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle.
Arctic Fire has come out of his County Hurdle win at Cheltenham very well and he is on course for Punchestown. He’ll probably go for the BETDAQ Champion Hurdle at this stage but he has won over two-and-a-half miles so the three-mile Ladbrokes Stayers Hurdle could be an alternative for him as well. We’ll keep all options open until closer to the day but he is in great form.
LET’S DANCE
(2/234-211111)
Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Champion Hurdle
Tattersalls Ireland Champion Novice Hurdle
Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle
She has kept on improving all season. She was second in the Grade 1 AES Four Year Old Hurdle at Punchestown last year and has won all five of her starts since.
I was very pleased with her win at Cheltenham and she’s come out of it in good form. While she’s in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Champion Hurdle, it probably makes sense to stick to novice company with her this season and so the Tattersalls Ireland Champion Novice Hurdle over 2m 4f or the Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle over three miles are the more likely options for her.
VROUM VROUM MAG
(/1111-12112)
Coral Punchestown Gold Cup /BoyleSports Champion Chase
BETDAQ Champion Hurdle/Ladbrokes Stayers Hurdle
Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Champion Hurdle
Vroum Vroum Mag is so versatile she could go anywhere. She holds an entry in both the BoyleSports Champion Chase and the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup over fences but at this stage we’ll probably stick to hurdles with her for Punchestown so we’ll pick between the Mares Champion Hurdle. But last year’s winner Whiteout will definitely attempt to retain her title in the Mares Champion Hurdle
GREAT FIELD
(2/11/1P-111)
Ryanair Novice Chase
Great Field is unbeaten in three starts for us over fences and he just keeps on improving. He’ll go for the Ryanair Novice Chase over two miles where better ground should be to his liking.
BAPAUME
(61-2123)
AES Champion 4YO Hurdle
Bapaume came out of Cheltenham well and is being aimed at the Champion 4YO Hurdle on the final day, where he might be joined by Dandy Mag, Meri Devie and possibly a new recruit from France in Orion D’Aubrelle.
NOVICE HURDLERS
Melon is in great form after Cheltenham and will go for the Herald Champion Novice Hurdle (Tuesday) where he could be joined by a few of his stablemates.
With three consecutive wins over two miles under his belt, Bleu Berry looks an exciting young horse. He is in the Herald Champion Novice over two but at the moment it looks like we might step him up in trip to contest the Tattersalls Ireland Champion Novice Hurdle (Friday) over two and a half miles. He’s in good form.
Penhill has various entries but he is being aimed at the three-mile Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle (Wednesday), that’s the race for him. He’s in good nick too.