PUNCHESTOWN GREEN LIGHT: Punchestown is good to go following an inspection ahead of their John Durkan card.
It’s hard to be impartial when you are involved but the Sandown stewards had a tough call to make yesterday. If you go by the crowd reaction, Special Tiara (my nap) should have been awarded the Tingle Creek in the stewards room. Seldom have boos been heard so loudly on the racecourse. My only view on the interference was that it cost Special Tiara more than what he was eventually beaten by.
On Sunday it’s heavy ground but we do race at Punchestown.
Feature race on the card is the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase at 1.50.
It looks quite a competitive renewal and I wouldn’t completely rule out 2012 winner Flemenstar who made all to beat Sir Des Champs in a three runner renewal three years ago. Crucially, that also came on bottomless ground, like today.
As expected, Willie Mullins has a strong hold on the race with his pair of Djakadam and Valseur Lido. Djakadam is well proven on testing ground and finished a highly creditable second here to Don Cossack in the Punchestown Gold Cup and to Coneygree in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. It’s hard to pick any holes in him apart from the angle of his 221 day break and he could only finish eighth in the Hennessy after a similar lengthy break last season.
But you could knit-pick with his rivals too and he does look the safest wager.
SHAMROCK’S BETS:
NAP: Djakadam (1.50 Punchestown)
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