THE defining race of Punchestown 2024 was Kennedy versus Townend, a contest that felt like two ultra-marathoners in need of the line, but for the horses themselves, it had to be the Punchestown Gold Cup, Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow in episode six of their rivalry.

It was a race that confirmed the preferences of each horse at this stage of their career; Fastorslow is a sharper type that likes decent ground and may be better going right-handed, whereas Galopin Des Champs, unlike the trailblazer of his novice days, has become a strong stayer that enjoys some ease.

This Gold Cup, run on going given officially as good to yielding, was more suitable to Fastorslow.

While it was by no means a dawdling pace, conditions were speed-emphasising with Fastorslow producing an ahead of par finishing speed of 108.8%, while a few doubtful stayers in the field like Appreciate It and Journey With Me were able to hang in for a long way, less than 12 lengths covering the first seven home.

Fastorslow got a fine ride from J.J. Slevin as he went to the lead three out and Galopin Des Champs could never get the ground back, for all he acquitted himself very well at the end of a hard season.

The runner-up still seems the one with the higher ceiling for all that Fastorslow may have a bigger performance in him, though the belief that one is best suited by Cheltenham, the other by Punchestown, means that they may never be at their best on the same day.

Must-see TV

Leopardstown next Christmas on reasonable ground could provide a meeting in the middle, this year’s DRF race not showing Fastorslow to best effect, but either way this Star Wars length series is becoming must-see TV.

Of the beaten horses, the fourth Gentlemansgame ran one of his best races and looks one of those unusual horses that is both hard to train and thrives on racing when he does make the track, while Conflated shaped better than his sixth, a tendency to go right catching up with him in the closing stages.

He may not have won a Grade 1 this season, but he added plenty to the seven such races he ran in during the campaign, not least when making Jonbon work at Aintree, and this was a much better use of his abilities than the previously mooted cross-country route.

ANOTHER cracking race on the Wednesday of Punchestown was the Champion Bumper, the form of the Cheltenham equivalent turned on its head – indeed, the four horses from the first five in the race to run last week finished with form figures: 8540.

Best of those from the Cheltenham race was the runner-up The Yellow Clay, a horse many (i.e. me) had given a big chance in March, and he got back on track here on better ground and different tactics, ridden with more restraint this time.

That going preference will be something to monitor next winter, his trainer commenting earlier this season that ‘we brought him to Tipperary for a schooling race and he hated the slow ground.’

He had to give best to a back-to-form Redemption Day, however, that horse one of a number that Willie Mullins brought back from a mid-season lull, Impaire Et Passe, Minella Cocooner and Sharjah having a similar profile.

His turn-of-foot to win from rear against another rival that was quickening was impressive, Jody Townend keeping him wide to avoid the congested inner, though I have to admit the decision to keep him to bumpers after his time off surprised me as it is hard to recall Mullins doing this with any other horses.

Suited by races

Certainly, there was no lack of depth in his bumper team – Mullins won 56 of the 172 run in Ireland this past National Hunt season – though some of his early winners like Mystical Power and Readin Tommy Wrong were quickly sent hurdling, but rather it seems a case of a horse that was particularly suited by these races. A career on the flat could be considered at some point.

The third home, William Munny, is also worth mention. Barry Connell did not have the season he would have hoped for in 2023/’24, Good Land not making the track and Marine Nationale having his campaign end early, but his three runners last week acquitted themselves well.

William Munny had a messy trip here and should have finished closer to the runner-up. He got buffeted about mid-race and was going down the inner before the straight when meeting trouble, needing to be taken wide for a clear run. He remains a fine prospect for novice hurdles next winter.

Knocks

If the Champion Bumper form got a few knocks last week, so did the Martin Pipe. Often one of the stronger handicaps of Cheltenham, it looked that way this year with four Irish-trained novices pulling clear of the fifth.

The third, Quai De Bourbon, won an ordinary novice hurdle at Ayr afterwards to give the form a boost of sorts but it didn’t work out at all in the better races at Punchestown, the three other placed horses were beaten at 9/2, 11/4 and 2/1 last week. Maybe all three will be suited by slower ground, but at present there is a question mark over that form.

A COUPLE of interesting potential punting angles worth noting from last week, one short-term, the other around longer.

The first is the strength of the current group of juvenile hurdlers who seem well up to mixing it with their older rivals in open company. A total of 13 four-year-old hurdlers ran against older opponents in handicaps or novice hurdles at Punchestown with three winning, three more in the first six.

This year’s top juvenile hurdlers didn’t look the strongest group for all the likes of Majborough and Sir Gino have potential but there is depth under them and at very least they could have been let in light on their initial marks.

Those winners were unexpected by the market – Harsh at 15/2, Pigeon House at 16/1 and Eagle Fang at 22/1 – so it is something to monitor in the near future, with Lark In The Mornin another test case in Saturday’s Swinton Hurdle.

Gavin Cromwell wrapped up a fine season with five winners at Punchestown, one of those a recent switcher to his yard, Backtonormal taking the Connolly’s Red Mills Final just 59 days on from his last run with Mags Mullins.

Plenty of trainers will improve horses that move to their yards from other handlers, but Cromwell turns these types around quickly, commenting afterwards that ‘we had just enough time to transition from Mags’ to here.’

In 2023/’24, he won good races with the likes of Only By Night, Encanto Bruno, Hartur D’Arc and Bottler’secret despite them only being in his hands for a short time, and his record with horses joining him in recent years stands up to scrutiny. Since 2021, National Hunt horses having their first start for him having been in another yard are 12 winners from 49 runners for a strike rate of 24.5% and a level-stakes profit of 21.51 points. Visionarian was set to be another qualifier before taken out of Saturday’s feature handicap hurdle due to the ground and he is one to note in the coming weeks.