Day one of the Punchestown Festival is a real cracker with three grade ones and the reappearance of the prohibitively priced Sprinter Sacre not to mention an excellent looking bumper and some valuable, competitive handicaps. 4.20 Champagne Fever 13/8 It looks like the bookies are out to get Champagne Fever in the novices 2m hurdle as he's currently 13/8 joint fav with Jezki, a horse he beat at Cheltenham, with Rule The World third favourite at 9/2. Champagne Fever is a real battler who will handle the ground without too many problems and has won at this Festival last year. I don't see Jezki as a bet at the same price as Champagne Fever so it only leaves Rule The World to look at. An excellent 2nd in the Neptune behind The New One at Cheltenham, this is a top class chasing prospect. He's run and won over the trip on his debut for Mouse but all his other runs have been over further. I know Mouse has said he's happier over 2 miles on this ground but for me that is a big question mark. I'll be backing Champagne Fever to confirm Cheltenham superiority over Jezki and to prove that the Supreme was the strongest Novices hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival this year. 6.05 Goods Land Rover Bumper Classic Move (forecast 10/1) In the Goffs Land Rover bumper Moyle Park makes his debut for Willie Mullins and will be popular. He beat Blackmail on debut and that horse was well fancied for Cheltenham. He's going to be a short price and for me i'm looking for something to beat him because i'm just not sure how good the Blackmail form is actually going to work out. The one I want to take him on with is the Don Cantillon trained Classic Move. Some of you may remember that Don brought one over last year to win a valuable bumper and this looks like a similar plot to me with the services of Sprinter Sacre's work rider, Nico De Boinville, retained. Like all races of this ilk you've got to reassess when the markets are formed but if he's a double figure price i'll be on him. 6.40 Champion Novice Chase Boston Bob e/w if he hits 5/1 otherwise no bet I've looked at this race over and over in the hope of making my mind up that there is something priced up wrong but i genuinely don't know if there is. Harry Topper is very interesting but I think that may just be because he swerved facing off against the best of the English so far in his fencing career. What we saw at Cheltenham is that the Irish are a stronger group that the English middle distancers this season. He'd have to be the best of the English 3milers to figure here. Boston Bob is a horse I loved as a hurdler but something seemed to happen to him during the Cheltenham hurdle race 13 months ago and he didn't appear to be the same animal until a rejuvenated horse ran a highly promising race at Cheltenham only to fall at the last when yet to be asked whether he fancied a fight or not. His most impressive runs have been in the mud in Ireland over hurdles so I strongly think we will see a hell of a run from him tomorrow. However, the Mullins team seem to think their other runner, Back in Focus, is the more likely victor as Ruby rides that one. Back In Focus is a Grand National horse in my view and I think he'll struggle to cope with the speed of the others tomorrow. In a nutshell I think all things being equal he should be riding Boston Bob and as he isn't maybe they know something about Bob's well being that they've not told the racing world about yet. I don't think the other horses are going to be able to beat these three so i'm not going into any depth about them.
the forum will definitely remember the Don horse last year. Think it was called something like grand jesture. 25/1 en all.
Jezki for me tomorrow, wasn't suited by Cheltenham and will love the underfoot conditions. Goes well for Bazza too Anyone finding the bumper winners deserves a medal.
Im just looking at some of the races Punchestown tom and ive seen that the going will be soft, heavy in some places... Punchestown general manager Richie Galway admits parts of the track are likely to be heavy when the Festival gets under way on Tuesday. A harsh winter means conditions will be more testing than is often the case in late April, but the wide expanses of Punchestown means fresh ground can be provided each day. Galway said: "If the forecast is correct, I think we'll get under way on soft, heavy in places on all our tracks - chase, hurdle, bumper and cross-country. "Not having a spring and having such a tough winter means we're way behind where we normally would be, but, that being said, we are lucky to have five separate hurdle tracks for each of the five days. Is this a track that when they say soft, heavy they really mean its a bloody bog...!!!
I put up Moyle Park on his debut where he made my day at the Stephens Day races and was on him at big prices for Cheltenham but he didn't make the trip. Very excited for his debut for Willie Mullins tomorrow and I think he looks an absolutely superb prospect. I'll probably leave him unbacked given the size of the field but I'll be a little disappointed if he doesn't win.
MOYLE PARK does look an exciting prospect but interesting to see Don Cantillon and Nico de Boinville teaming up with one in that contest!
LOL I hadnt read it honest, great minds huh. He took one over before that won for me, he doesnt tend to waste money! I think he used a local jockey the last time.
Looking forward to seeing Sprinter Sacre up close tomorrow, special talent of a horse isn't he.. I also like Jezki to turn the supreme form around but not certain if it's a betting prop yet, i'll wait until impulse right near the off and see what happens. Very good card and Hopefully it shall be an enjoyable day. Goodluck to all having a go as ever.
going on my crutches to after dirty leg break too see sprinter sacre up close,should be a great tomo at punchy,hope u enjoy it too sth
Oddy I would tread carefully as Harrington always maintained he would be better on good ground. Think he got outstayed on the Cheltenham hill. Rule The World will be the best horse to come out of this race but whether he is a 2 miler is a huge question mark. I'd be happy to avoid and wave Barneys no bet banner. In the bumper the market speaks but I do like the son of Poliglote Roi Des Francs 25/1, as I think that sire is a very interesting one with his offspring on soft ground (Chatterbox being most notable in the NH scene, and the heavy ground Arc winner Solemia). The 3m novice chase for me looks a great opportunity for Boston Bob. I think any horse who won over 4m last time out would have a tough task following up. If Boston Bob is non the worse for the fall, I see him winning this. He travelled a lot better LTO at Cheltenham and seemed much more like himself, jumping well before taking a wrong step late on. I do actually wonder if Paul Townend will make more use of him and just take it up- he stays for sure. Aside from the error at the Cheltenham last, he has jumped very well (if not always quickly). He is the one horse who could take it up a notch and as Bob has already said above, if he touches 5/1 he really would be the value. 7/2 is a real fair price though in this lineup.
One bet for me today Champagne Fever Back In focus Double (may chuck the black aeroplane in for fun! lol)
He’ll be turning pro very, very shortly by the way. And if Mr Henderson continues to support him the old boy should go far. A rider to follow, most deffo. Morning, troops. Cor blimey, what about Mr Henderson’s Lieutenant Miller beaten in the bally last stride across the county line at Newbury on Friday! How unfortunate, say I. Twice at Newbury over the weekend that Queally boy went far too soon (the other time was on Noble Mission in the John Porter) and I hope that both Mr Henderson and Sir Henry had a word with him. To make matters worse Lieutenant Miller was beaten by a horse owned by the bally British Queen so not only did I have a losing bet but I also had to pay the training fees of the winner! Meanwhile, Ireland will always trump the UK when it comes to the gee-gees and further proof is proved at Punchestown today. When the latter venue run their Champion Chase they don’t infect it by having THAT woman’s name on the title deeds! In that race Mr Henderson should once again excel people as the Black Aeroplane does what he does best. Good luck all.
Oddy, I’m guessing the old boy will be raised 3-5 pounds following Newbury which almost certainly won’t be enough to get in the Ascot Stakes. Another run will therefore be needed to get a sufficient weight rise to guarantee Lieutenant Miller gets a run. He’s been entered at Doncaster on Friday. The trouble is though if he bounds in next time the weight rise could be too excessive as he'll rise (should he perform creditably) by that run plus the Newbury one! Mr Henderson certainly has a fine balancing act on his hands and although the old boy would never deviate to underhand methods Lieutenant Miller may be best served, next time out, by placing again and getting just a tiny weight rise.
