IT’S been a great week here so far at Punchestown, with lovely weather and big crowds enjoying some super racing, as well as plenty of entertainment around the course.
But there’s no let-up in the action on-track and the feature race on Day Three is the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers’ Hurdle.
The reigning champion is back but Teahupoo, now equipped with blinkers, is a worry to me. He disappointed at Cheltenham when he really should have got the job done so I’m going to oppose him – despite the first-time headgear and his course form – with his old adversary, Bob Olinger.
Bob Olinger was a winner at last year’s Cheltenham Festival
Bob beat him when third to Home By The Lee at Cheltenham, he followed him home at Leopardstown, but last year’s Cheltenham festival winner is still relatively light in terms of mileage on the clock. With the ground being as quick as it is, I think a small field will suit Darragh O’Keeffe, that he can wait and pounce late on Bob Olinger. He might be 11, but I think the horse is still relatively lightly raced for his age.
Bob Olinger has only ever finished outside the first three twice in his 21-run career and I think he’ll be back to winning ways for Henry de Bromhead in the Stayers’ Hurdle.
The Barberstown Castle Novice Chase over two miles is the other Grade One event today. As a broadcaster, you always ask yourself how you build a race, how you should present it to the audience and I’m going to present this as if Kopek Des Bordes is the future Champion Chaser.
He’s a machine – to run as well as he did at Cheltenham given the mistakes he made, particularly the one at the last, I thought he came out with serious credit despite not winning the race.
Kopek Des Bordes is the fastest here and potentially a superstar of the future, and I hope he proves it here because it’s been a difficult season since he won his beginners’ chase back in November.
I think this is his race – he could just make all because I’m not sure anything will be able to live with him here.
Eddie Cawley’s Come Walk With Me was seriously impressive at Fairyhouse over Easter, and the handicapper was suitably impressed as well because he gave him 11 pounds of a hike. But I don’t think that will be enough to stop him from landing the Frontline Security Handicap Chase (4.50).
We know he can handle the better ground, he’s a horse that has plenty of experience from earlier in the season. Owner, trainer and breeder Eddie Cawley could have a smart horse on his hands with Come Walk With Me.
There are some high-profile horses in opposition that he has to give weight away to, but I was very impressed with him at Fairyhouse and I think he can follow it up here.
The Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle over three miles is at 4.15 and for this one I like a horse called Karl Des Tourelles, who was beaten just under five lengths by Air Of Entitlement in the Martin Pipe Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival.
This is a step up in trip but I don’t see that as being a huge issue for him, because he was placed in this race last year – he finished fourth off the very same mark as a five-year-old.
I think his form this year stacks up as better and he comes in here after what was a career-best effort at Cheltenham, so Karl Des Tourelles to land this for Philip Fenton and Brian Hayes.
The La Touche Cup is a great and exciting spectacle every year – it’s the longest race run in this country at four miles and a furlong, over 35 obstacles on a route that visits all corners of the course.
Vanillier has been around and about for a while now. From finishing second in the Aintree Grand National back in 2023, he has adapted well to the cross-country discipline and finished third at the Cheltenham festival on his latest start – the second year in a row to finish third in that event.
He’s a horse that had a lot of class in the past – he won the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle back in 2021 but now at 11 years of age, things are happening that bit more slowly for him.
On the plus side, he has blinkers on and Keith Donoghue in the saddle; the negative is that he has top weight to concede. But given how much he likes the track – he has won the PP Hogan Cross Country Chase here for the last two seasons – I think Vanillier is a solid option in the La Touche.
At 3.05 it’s the Close Brothers Mares Novice Hurdle and I really like the prospects of Diamond Du Berlais. I think this is a weak enough race, and Willie Mullins definitely holds the key with three of the six runners.
Diamond Du Berlais ran with credit in the equivalent race at the Cheltenham Festival having come from France with good experience – she actually contested a Grade One there.
Paul Townend is riding Future Prospect but Patrick Mullins retains the ride on Diamond Du Berlais and I think he’s on the right one here.
The opening race is a novice hurdle over two miles and there are some horses coming in very lightly raced, but Leader D’allier has had three runs since Christmas.
He has disappointed given the reputation he had going into the Cheltenham festival. He was a late withdrawal out of the Supreme when lame and he was a no-show at Fairyhouse for some reason, when he was a well-beaten even-money favourite.
But I’m hoping this better ground – his form in France was on good – will ignite the fire at the team at Closutton are seeing at home.
Leader D’allier had a string of ones next to his name from France, and I hope Willie Mullins can find the key to him today.
