PUNCHESTOWN NAPS HAT-TRICK: Yes, Hurricane Fly made it. So did Shamrock. Fly’s Punchestown Champion Hurdle glory gave Shamrock his third consecutive nap (one non-runner) at the meeting, following Tofino Bay (WON 5-2) and Sizing Europe (WON 8-13). Here’s his verdict on the final day of the festival.
2.40 Punchestown: Enda Bolger has completely dominated this cross-country with Garde Champetre and Freneys Well (three wins), and the winning jockey on all four occasions, Nina Carberry, is aboard his Arabella Boy today.
Arabella Boy was making good headway in Thursday’s La Touche and was closing down the leaders with four or five obstacles left when he was brought down two out.
It’s a tough race with the likes of Cooldine and Sizing Australia in the field, but Enda saddles another fine jumper in On the Fringe (J T McNamara). I’ll back both the Bolgers.
3.15 Punchestown Gold Cup: Favourites had won seven out of eight in the decade (until the 14-1 and 20-1 shocks of the last two years), taking this consecutively with subsequent Gold Cup winners, Kicking King and War Of Attrition, followed by back-to-back success for Neptune Collonges, the nose winner of the Liverpool Grand National.
Yet another grey, Quel Esprit, has had a break since completing his hat-trick in the Hennessy Gold Cup, with last year’s winner of this, Follow The Plan, boosting the form at Aintree.
Since the start of last year, Rubi Light’s form on soft or deeper is 21311. Good ground was against him at Leopardstown (when he showed he got 3m and only Synchronised was in the way in the Lexus) and at Cheltenham.
3.50 Punchestown (Guinness Chase): Raptor would give Willie Mullins a hat-trick in this race: he’s back at his winning distance, if he has recovered from the Irish Grand National, in which he pulled up on a sounder surface.
Tranquil Sea has his conditions and will be hard to beat, having won two Grade 1s and four Grade2s, but that means he has to give lumps of weight away.
4.30 Punchestown (Champion 4-y-o Trophy): The home team has found it difficult to hang on to this four-year-old trophy, with only three wins in 10 years.
The secret seems to be to back one placed at Cheltenham: so check out Fred Winter second Edeymi (20.0 on BETDAQ as I write) and Triumph runner-up Hisaabaat (5.1) but don’t forget that Balder Success (2.93) fell when strongly fancied in the Triumph and could redeem himself here.
SHAMROCK’S BETS
NAP: Rubi Light (3.15 Punchestown)
NEXT BEST: Raptor (3.50 Punchestown)
DUTCH: On the Fringe and Arabella Boy (both 2.40 Punchestown)
EACH WAY: Edeymi (4.30 Punchestown)
DAQ TRIO: 5 doubles and 2 trebles Rubi Light (3.15 Punchestown) and Raptor (3.50 Punchestown) with both Balder Success and Hisaabaat (4.30 Punchestown)
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