Thank God excellent jumping racing is back on the menu. My second favourite card of the year. We'll see some quality horses. Prime amongst them is the mighty Faugheen. He runs over 2 miles tomorrow and will have to be on his game to win with Sgt Reckless and a number of Mullins other 2milers challenging him. This looks like a genuine grade one race. I took 4/5 Faugheen earlier today for a proper bet. I'm confident if he handles the drop in trip he'll have too much quality.
No prizes for originality but the way Faugheen simply obliterated them in the Neptune was stunning. The best winner of that race I've seen since the mighty Istabraq. The drop down to 2 miles is somewhat baffling and I suppose any chinks there may be in the jumping department maybe more exposed. Can't help though thinking back to the way he came back on the steel at the top of the hill at Cheltenham after his howlers in a championship race, was something I'd not seen before to be honest. Understand people not backing odds-on, that's fair enough, but from what I've seen of this machine the 4/5 looks an absolute gift. In the Champion Chase, a trappy looking affair, I'd give marginal edge to the English raiders with Somersby at 5/1 the tentative preference. The grade 1 novice chase looks very tasty. Djakadam looks a real improver and was going nicely in the JLT before tipping up. My old friend Ballycasey is back on a retrieval mission but I much prefer his stablemate in this. The RSA horses often fail to replicate their best after that race and that's another reason I'm leaning towards the younger horse in receipt of his allowances. Somewhat kicking myself I didn't take the 4/1 on Saturday on him now as he's much shorter now! All about FAUGHEEN tomorrow. A real star is on show.
I don't understand the Ballycasey entry either Beefy. He doesn't stay 3 miles at Cheltenham because if he did stay he would absolutely hammer the field that day. He jumped beautifully and has the biggest engine but doesn't have the best stamina. Proper shame. I know 3 miles 1f here isn't 3 miles at Cheltenham but it will take some getting tomorrow at Championship pace. The fact Ruby deserts him for Djakadam is another negative. Particularly because Djakadam, albeit clearly very classy and an improver, has a question mark or two about him. Does he stay 3 miles plus? He might do but you couldn't be sure. Will be shrug off his fall LTO? I've no idea. Ruby passed over him in the JLT in favour of Felix Yonger who himself had loads of question marks going into Cheltenham. The more I look at this race the more I fancy Morning Assembly. He'll stay. He'll battle. He's a hell of a talented horse who should be able to reproduce his Cheltenham run. Having said that, I would love it if Ballycasey clicked tomorrow. If he can somehow find a way to stay he will hammer any group of novice chasers in England or Ireland. Probably a no bet race though.
Some brilliant racing this week at Punchestown . Took some of the 4/5 on offer for FAUGHEEEN very impressive at Cheltenham along with Vautour Djakadam with Ruby on board . Was going well before falling in the JLT . Expect a big run tomorrow Singles and a double . Best of luck
Really don't understand why Mullins is turning out Ballycasey so soon either, but I suppose the fact he is, tells you he'd hardly came out of a canter the last day if he's fresh and ready to go again! Tricky race, but I do think Djakadam is the one to side with. I expected him, not Ballycasey, to show up in the Paddy Power Gold Cup last week. He'll stay alright Bob, I've little doubts about that. MA's big question mark (like most of them) is has he recovered from the RSA, the usual answer to that is NO and that's my main reservation about him. The fact that Djakadam is the only fancied runner to not have been in the RSA is a huge advantage. I wonder if Faugheen wins 4 or 5 lengths tomorrow what the plan will be? Mixed vibes (for a change!) about where these novices go. Regards VAUTOUR I might have to change my signature to Champion Hurdle based on rumblings last week! Put simply I think he wins wherever he runs next year at Cheltenham. Be that the Arkle or the Champion, absolutely nothing overly worries me to be honest.
Agree re Vautour. Only bad jumping can stop him winning either in my eyes. Faugheen is a chaser for next year surely? With Briar Hill breaking his cheek I imagine he runs in the RSA. BH now must have question marks.
Never can say never but Vautour's jumping looks fantastic thus far so that'd be no concern of mine. Paddy Mullins didn't sound hugely worried about Briar Hill's injury though so more than happy to assume he'll come back as good as ever next year. I really have no clue what the plans for Faugheen are. The immediate thought was he's a chaser but I kind of thought him Champion Hurdlesque in the Neptune! I guess if they school them over fences they'll know where who goes where. For a laugh, I'll have a guessing game! VAUTOUR: Arkle FAUGHEEN: JLT BRIAR HILL: RSA ANNIE POWER: Arkle / JLT UN DE SCEAUX: Champion Hurdle I'm sure WP Mullins reads Not606 on a regular basis, so Willie, you can direct message me regards my 'race planning fee'
Module, Morning Assembly and Cool Macavity for me tomorrow. Really looking forward to seeing Faugheen down in trip. I know there are obstacles to be overcome tomorrow but he looked ok in a bumper here over 2 miles last May when destroying Josses Hill. The 3rd that day is highly rated by McCain too. Not only did Faugheen trounce his rivals in the Neptune he also overcame the welter burden of winning having secured best turned out. My mate who first introduced me to the Festival many years back was adamant that particular double was impossible. Good luck all having a go tomorrow.
Being a sucker for pedigrees, one that I really like tomorrow is Equitable 3.05 Yarmouth. By Dansili out of Honest Quality, by Elusive Quality out of Honest Lady who is by Seattle Slew out of an El Gran Senor mare. Looks pretty tasty to me. Add in unraced as a 2yo, won its début last month, hands and heels. On a strict line on their Lingfield form last month there is little to choose between the selection and top weight Crowdmania. Equitable turned in a good time under 9.5 but Crowdmania returned a faster time (0.86secs) in the immediately following race carrying 1lb more. Equitable gets 7lb from Crowdmania tomorrow and whilst that race was Equitable's début, Crowdmania had the benefit of 9 previous races (2 in January) and it's difficult to see from where any improvement can come. The only negatives for Equitable are, unraced on turf and winning jockey Doyle not in the saddle. However on his opening handicap he seems to have been given an excellent chance.
Punchestown: If 8 stay in the 4.20 then e/w The Liquidator at 16s- Took the Bumper here last year in tremendous fashion and this race lacks strength in depth. 4.55 Lucky Bridle will either win or come 14th 5.30 Sizing Europe a MASSIVE price
Reported QUEVEGA has been covered by Beat Hollow. Still runs on Thursday, wonder will she still be the daddy
You can be sure that at least one piece of Cheltenham form will get turned over this week, it always does. Champagne Fever on the opening day last year. I will have a stab at the flat races EXXARO 6.05 and ALAMEIN 7.15. Monster gamble shaping up at Lingfield in the 4;30 Yard know the time of day but coming off a 573 day break......who do they think they are? Barney Curley??? Hope to see SOMERSBY win tomorrow, only ever beaten by the very best!
Betfair are doing an amazing promotion this week. If you stake at least £100 on racing at the Punchestown festival they will DOUBLE your net profit.
I see we are about to have all change on the All Weather, with Great Leighs (or whatever its called these days) returning to the fold, under a syndicate headed by Fred Done of BetFred fame. We also have Newcastle digging up the turf and replacing it with polytrack, with the first straight mile artificial surface in the world, I wonder if they are going to use the line "The golden mile". However it is the news from Wolverhampton which intrigues me the most, where they are removing polytrack and replacing it with Tapeta. After the Meydan surface was criticised this year, I am surprised that ARC (or as I call them - clueless idiots) are going to replace the tried and tested polytrack with a surface which hasn't been looked on favourably in Dubai. It will be interesting to see how this all goes, but I fear it might be the start of the end for Wolverhampton, and Newcastle will just become the sunny Southwell of the North.
Yeah, they ran on the fibresand over hurdles but that got stopped on safety grounds. Think they are to trial it again on the polytrack.
