PUNCHESTOWN AND NEWMARKET: Top class action on both codes on both sides of the Irish Sea this afternoon. SHAMROCK looks at the three feature races.
The closing day of Punchestown and two Grade 1’s on the card:
3:50 Irish Stallion Farms E.B.F. Mares Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo+, Class 1, 2m 2f, 7 runners)
Limini was an impressive winner at the Cheltenham Festival – winning the ‘new’ race the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in fine style. She was subsequently beaten at Aintree but can bounce back to form here and give Willie Mullins a fourth successive win in the race (Annie Power has won it for the last two seasons). Biggest danger is likely to come from the Aidan O’Brien trained Slowmotion who fully deserves to take the step up in class having romped home in a Grade 2 at Fairyhouse last time out.
4:25 AES Champion Four Year Old Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo, Class 1, 2m, 5 runners)
Willie Mullins has three of the remaining five runners here and the pick is very much Apple’s Jade who couldn’t have been more impressive when winning at Aintree last time out by a staggering 41 lengths. It was a Grade 1 as well, so goodness knows how good she could be.
Meanwhile, on the flat at Newmarket:
3:45 Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes (British Champions Series) (Group 1)
Aidan O’Brien has such a good record here and Air Force Blue is held in such high regard that he’s impossible to get away from. He achieved the most as a two-year-old and the vibes couldn’t be stronger as to his current well being suggesting the lack of a prior start this season will not be a negative. He was impressive when landing the odds to win the prestigious Dewhurst Stakes here last October and that’s been such a pivotal trial over the years. He has Air Vice Marshall as a pacemaker and the others will need to sprout wings to get close, on all known evidence, to what might turn out to be an exceptional racehorse.
All three selections are short today but they combine quite nicely as a 6.15 TREBLE (at the time of writing) on BETDAQ MULTIPLES.
SHAMROCK’S BETS:
NAP: Air Force Blue (3.45 Newmarket)
NEXT BEST: Apple’s Jade (4.25 Punchestown)
DAQ MULTIPLES: ABOVE TWO with Limini (3.50 Punchestown) BACK THE TREBLE
£25 IN FREE BETS
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