THREE Grade 1 races graced the opening day of the Punchestown Festival which began on ground described as Good to Yielding. The times reflected that there was some cut in the ground but that it was drying all day.

Mystical Power has featured regularly in this column ever since his Supreme Novices’ Hurdle defeat at Cheltenham and it is with his success in the Champion Novice Hurdle where we begin.

This horse should have won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. He was too far back in a steadily run race surging from ninth to second with three quick sectionals before tiring in the final furlong and being outstayed by Slade Steel.

He made amends in the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree, where in a stronger run contest he was never farther back than fourth and, as in the Supreme, the sectionals told us he was fastest through the final four furlongs.

At Punchestown he was again ridden patiently by Mark Walsh in what was a strongly run race. His Finishing Speed Percentage of 102.10% is indicative that his final four furlongs were 2.10% quicker than the previous 14, suggesting that this race was strongly run, and horses were finishing evenly having not been able to save much energy for a fast finish.

He was the only horse to finish relatively strongly as evidenced by the FSP’s for the first three.

Mystical Power:102.10%

Firefox: 100.71%

Slade Steel: 99.94%

The patience that Mark Walsh showed on Mystical Power was the key to success, harnessing his horse’s speed to finish the race stronger than his rivals.

There is no doubt that he was helped by Slade Steel (third) and Firefox (second) taking each other on from two out under aggressive rides.

That aggression caused them to tire and slow down markedly in the final two furlongs. A comparison is below.

Final two furlongs:

Mystical Power: 28.93secs

Firefox: 29.77secs

Slade Steel: 30.73secs

Mystical Power once again displayed that he has plenty of speed. He was the only horse through the penultimate furlong to dip under 14.00secs as he went in pursuit of his tiring rivals, and although he slowed in the final furlong, he was much stronger than his rivals, recording a final furlong that was 0.87secs quicker through that final furlong than Firefox and 1.31secs quicker than a very tired Slade Steel.

The Race IQ jumping data suggests that he is an efficient and accurate jumper. Below are his lengths gained jumping (LGJ) in his last three starts. Note that he was the best jumper in the field in all three.

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle: + 3.69 lengths

Top Novices’ Hurdle: +2.32 lengths

Champion Novice Hurdle: +3.4 lengths

This was a triumph for Mark Walsh, the sort of ride that goes unheralded but one that the sectionals suggest was perfectly judged.

To have rushed up to chase his duelling rivals after the second last could have cost him the race, his determination to make up his ground steadily an important factor on this very talented novice. A strongly-run Champion Hurdle would suit, the second and third surely destined for a step up in trip.

Stamina wins the day for Banbridge

THE Grade 1 William Hill Champion Chase was another evenly run contest with Banbridge finishing strongly to just prevail. The drying ground was in his favour.

His superior stamina was key as he recorded an FSP of 102.97%. his nearest pursuers also finished well but this was a race of fine margins. The FSP’s for the first three are below.

Banbridge 102.97%

Captain Guinness 102.35%

Dinoblue 102.82%

Banbridge stays further than this and the Race IQ data identifies that point, recording his final furlong as being 14.11secs which was well over a second faster than Captain Guiness (second) at 15.18secs and Dinoblue (third) at 15.21secs.

The first three all jumped well, the fine margin of success for Banbridge not a function of gaining more lengths at his fences. In fact, Captain Guinness was two lengths better than Banbridge over his obstacles.

The difference between the first two who were only separated by a neck lies in the amount of speed lost over the final fence and the data identifies that Banbridge was much quicker into stride landing over the last than his nearest pursuers. The speed lost for the first three is detailed below.

Speed lost at 11th fence.

Banbridge: -3.75 mph

Captain Guinness: -4.5 mph

Dinoblue: - 4.79mph

This data is corroborated by jockey J.J. Slevin who post-race stated that: “I thought I had a life coming down to the last. I knew I had to get a good jump and he was good at it. When he landed, he was motoring and when you are motoring you’ve got a squeak”

High hopes for Spillane’s Tower

THE Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase was a strong race with Spillane’s Tower beating the Brown Advisory runner-up Monty’s Star showing much more speed than his rivals.

In contrast to the Champion Chase, this race was steadily run with all six finishers producing an FSP above 100%. Spillane’s Tower produced a fast finish with an FSP of 112.59% suggesting that the steady pace had allowed him to save energy for a strong finish.

He achieved a top speed greater than that recorded by Banbridge and a comparison with that horse gives us an indication of just how talented Spillane’s Tower is.

Spillane’s Tower: 33.38mph

Banbridge: 32.99 mph

That speed meant that he was 1.56secs faster than Banbridge through the final four furlongs which is a remarkable piece of data indicating that he is a horse with a tremendous amount of ability.

He was certainly in a different class to his rivals here, winning with plenty in hand. His final four furlongs were recorded by the Race IQ data as being 57.17secs compared to the runner-up Monty’s Star who clocked 57.91secs.

That he has plenty of speed is something he had shown when winning in January at Punchestown (FSP: 107.25%) and at Fairyhouse in March (109.12%) but here he was able to show that speed over a three miles and one furlong trip as opposed to two and a half miles.

Speed potent

His future will surely lie over this sort of trip where his speed will always be a potent weapon. That said, he would have no problem competing in open Grade 1s over two and a half miles.

He jumps well. He gained 3.05 lengths on Monty’s Star through the race. He was equally as good on his previous start at Fairyhouse where he gained 7.75 lengths on his rivals through the race.

Strongly-run

It is exciting to think that Spillane’s Tower may well be even better in a strongly-run race over three miles plus, there will not be many horses that stay three miles who will have the raw speed that he can boast.

To suggest that this horse could win a Cheltenham Gold Cup for Jimmy Mangan is far from fanciful.