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Punchestown Festival Day 1 Previews
PUNCHESTOWN KICKS OFF ON TUESDAY! We have covered all 8 races in detail so check out what we’re backing. Monkfish vs Envoi Allen the highlight on Day 1!
Make sure you scroll right down to the bottom to see any multiples we are placing. These can be added direct to your bet365 bet slip.
SkySports Racing Schedule
3.40 Punchestown Have The Conversation Say Yes To Organ Donation Novice Handicap Hurdle 2m1/2f
4.15 Punchestown eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m1/2f
4.50 Punchestown Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) 2m1/2f
5.25 Punchestown William Hill Champion Chase (Grade 1) 2m
5.55 Punchestown Goffs Land Rover Bumper 2m1/2f
6.30 Punchestown Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase (Grade 1) 3m1/2f
7.00 Punchestown Kildare Hunt Club Fr Sean Green Memorial Chase For The Ladies Perpetual Cup 3m1f
7.35 Punchestown Irish Field We Are All About The Horse Flat Race 2m1/2f
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Punchestown 3.40 Have The Conversation Say Yes To Organ Donation Novice Handicap Hurdle 2m1/2f
We’re all set for a cracking week over in Ireland so can’t wait for the tape to drop at 3.40 on Tuesday. We kick off with a tricky handicap hurdle and we’ve decided to take a chance on one at a price in DJASEK for Tony Martin. This son of Rip Van Winkle has it in him to run a big race on the pick of his form. He was last seen running on the Flat at Navan where he was far from disgraced in third beaten four lengths. Back over hurdles on better ground we should see an improved display and he looks good value at around 14/1 at the time of writing.
Plenty in with a chance here and it’s no surprise to see Ya Ya Baby heading the betting. He is probably the most likely winner having opened his account at Cork last time. He goes handicapping now and can do better. Hallowed Star has been knocking on the door and should also have a big run in him. Scholastic needs to settle but can’t be dismissed and Great Bear completes the shortlist.
Punchestown 4.15 eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m1/2f
Willie Mullins has dominated this race over the years and he has great chance of adding another win to his incredible record. There really isn’t much between the two from his stable with Blue Lord coming out the best on ratings and is the choice of stable jockey Paul Townend. But ECHOES IN RAIN showed she can compete at this top level after her romp in a decent Grade 2 last time and form before that when beating Belfast Banter couldn’t have worked out any better. The deciding factor between the two had to be the 7lb mares allowance she gets which is often the difference at this level.
Blue Lord should follow her home if not feeling the effects of the fall at Cheltenham last month. It’s 20’s bar the front pair and it’s hard to envisage an upset.
Punchestown 4.50 Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) 2m1/2f
Another fiercely competitive handicap and our Longshot runs in here in the shape of CHAMPAGNE GOLD for Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore. This son of Presenting is lightly raced over hurdles and while things clearly didn’t go to plan in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham last month he is a lot better than that and his previous form had looked progressive. If he bounces back here he should run a big race at a decent price. The handicapper has dropped him 5lb and with the yard going well I can see him going close.
Jazzaway is definitely a danger. She ran a cracker when beaten just half a length by subsequent Pertemps winner Mrs Milner. We haven’t seen her since but if she is in similar form she has a lively shout at a good price. Jesse Evans is the other one I had in my notes but she will need to improve on handicap hurdle debut. Might be worth a saver in an open race.
Punchestown 5.25 William Hill Champion Chase (Grade 1) 2m
What a race! Chacun Pour Soi cost us dearly at Cheltenham last month. So much so that I’m finding it hard to forgive him here. Of course he is still a top-class horse but for me it was more than just the Cheltenham hill that beat him given the way he folded up late. He comes up against a horse at the top of his game in ALLAHO and the latter is a bigger price. He demolished them in the Ryanair and with the second Fakir D’Oudairies winning impressively at Aintree the form has been strongly franked already. It was visually impressive and the clock backed it up too. He drops back to 2 miles but he doesn’t lack pace and if he gets dictating again here I’m not sure Chacun Pour So is in good enough form to peg him back.
This is not just a two-horse race either. Nube Negra ran huge in the Champion Chase, finishing a spot in front of Chacun Pour Soi. A lot like the Ryanair form the Champion Chase has been boosted too with Greaneteen winning the Celebration Chase at Sandown and lowering the colours of Altior. I think Nube Negra is a live danger to the front pair and I expect him to give the selection a fright but perhaps not quite have enough to get past.
Punchestown 5.55 Goffs Land Rover Bumper 2m1/2f
Nonbinding is expected to be a warm order for this given how well Cullentra House do in this race (won 3 of the last 5 renewals) but I think there’s a bit of value in backing HEMLOCK against. He is by Walk In The Park and has that vital racecourse experience on side against the favourite. He could only finish fifth at Clonmel but was notably strong in the market and did shape as though he’d come on a ton for the outing. He made some nice headway in the straight and should know a lot more now. He looks a decent each way play in a race with plenty of unknowns.
Huntingtown has also had an outing finishing fourth at Fairyhouse on debut. He is by Presenting and should improve so looks one of the dangers. Bar the fav Adamantly Chosen is probably the most intriguing newcomer as he is well related so ticks a lot of boxes in a race of this nature.
Punchestown 6.30 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase (Grade 1) 3m1/2f
Like the other two Grade 1s on the card this is setup to be a cracker with MONKFISH taking on Envoi Allen. Envoi Allen is the top rated horse in here but is only 1lb ahead of the selection and I think Monkfish has the superior form. Monkfish won the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham in fairly comfortable fashion despite an error at the last to make it 7 wins in-a-row. He has 4 Grade 1s to his name with the form of most of his wins working out very well and I give him the edge in this.
He and Envoi Allen will be fighting it out for the next few years including Gold Cups but Envoi comes here after a fall at Cheltenham which was his only career defeat. He is one of the best horses in training but you have to hope that his confidence hasn’t been knocked by the fall. Going up against Monkfish off the back of that run is his hardest task to date and he will need to be at his best to lay it down to the selection.
Punchestown 7.00 Kildare Hunt Club Fr Sean Green Memorial Chase For The Ladies Perpetual Cup 3m1f
The banks legend that is Enda Bolger saddles the front two in the betting for this and that’s how I think they’ll finish. Ready preference is for YOUCANNOTBESERIOUS with Derek O’Connor in the saddle. This horse ran a cracker on his first taste over these fences when second in this race in 2019 and while he hasn’t been seen since he is sure to be fit and ready for this and that’s very much reflected in the market. He has a bit of class about him and I’ll be surprised if he’s beaten despite me not normally taking too strong a view in a race like this.
Saint Benedict has finished second three times in hunters this year bumping into some good horses and while he unseated at Downpatrick last time if he bounces back he should put up some resistance before hopefully filling second spot. Fiston Du Mou just about best of the rest following some consistent efforts with the blinkers on for the first time.
Punchestown 7.35 Irish Field We Are All About The Horse Flat Race 2m1/2f
A tricky bumper to conclude at Punchestown on Day 1 and we’ve gone for another big price in DONNRUA DREAM. It’s another race with plenty of unknowns and while Hara Kiri could be plenty talented and the best of these going forward I wasn’t in love with what I saw at Gowran Park on Thyestes Chase day when he ran too freely and had no more to give late on. A similar scenario could easily pan out here and 2/1 is just too short for me to be tempted. Whatcoloristhewind and Glowing Account both have claims but the latter is a reserve and the former is on debut so not a lot to go on.
The selection is from the family of Brewin’upastorm and made a positive start when runner-up on debut at Clonmel. The winner Shantreusse looks a nice type so I think he has a lively chance in a tough race to call.
Punchestown Day 1 Win Treble
With 8 races on Day 1 of the Punchestown Festival we have a Win Treble for you to get stuck into. Hopefully we can kick off with a big winner!
Punchestown Day 1 Win Treble
Punchestown 4.15 Echoes In Rain NAP
Punchestown 6.30 Monkfish
Punchestown 7.00 Youcannotbeserious
Pays 11/2!
Punchestown Day 1 Each Way Double
We’ve also included an Each Way Double just for the Punchestown Festival on Tuesday. Hopefully both of these go close at big prices.
