FAUGHEEN LANDS OPENING DAY NAP: No awards for napping ‘Faugheen The Machine’ returned at 1-2 but he couldn’t have been more impressive. Now for day two….
Napping Faugheen turned out to be the only thing I got right on a tough opening day.
Faugheen was embarrassingly good, as was the well-backed Dermot Weld trained debutant Forgotten Rules who romped home by 13 lengths in the finale.
The latest going tweet from Punchestown:
Going: good to yielding hurdle & chase.Good to firm x country. 10mm water applied overnight to hurdle and chase course. Showers possible.
3:40 Martinstown Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle (95-123) (4yo+, 2m 4f, 28 runners)
Winners at 12-1 (twice), 20-1 and 25-1 (twice) since 2005 tell you what sort of result to expect. They’ll go pretty fast, so the horses of 10 and 11 years of age won’t not have the lungs for it. Foot Soldier might: he’s always a good win-and-place bet on a sound surface, when his form figures read 323401 over hurdles for Charlie Swan. At 35 on the win market and 7 on the place market we can have a little bit of fun at juicy BETDAQ prices.
4:20 Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle (4yo+, 2m 4f, 10 runners)
Le Vent D’Antan, second in a Grade 2 on the last day, after being runner-up to Sea Beat in the Cheltenham Trial at Naas, sets the home standard here under Davy Russell, while Cheltenian leads the away team after being in the frame in Grade 3s at Newbury and Aintree and a winner from good to heavy. I’ll stick with Le Vent D’Antan who still ‘owes me’ after disappointing in the 2013 Cheltenham Bumper (I’ve got a long memory!).
4:55 Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo+, Class 1, 3m, 9 runners)
If the ratings are to be believed, this is a close-run thing: officially, it’s 153 Don Poli, 151 Beat That, then 150 Very Wood, the Albert Bartlett winner at Cheltenham. But he seems to be further than that behind Beat That, on a line through Champagne West. And Don Poli is a Grade 3 winner to Beat That’s Grade 1. So beat that, if you can!
5:30 Bibby Financial Services Ireland Punchestown Gold Cup (Grade 1) (5yo+, Class 1, 3m 1f, 9 runners)
Paul Townend did the business on Boston Bob in the Melling Chase at Aintree, while Ruby Walsh landed the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse with On His Own. But it’s musical saddles today as Ruby prefers Boston Bob though, last time they were together, they finished only sixth in the Cheltenham Ryanair behind Dynaste. I’m sticking with On His own who was desperately unlucky not to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup both in the race and in the stewards room.
6:05 attheraces.com Champion I.N.H. Flat Race (Grade 1) (4-7yo, Class 1, 2m, 13 runners)
The early gamble this year has deveoped on Aniknam but I see no reason not to stay faithful to Cheltenham bumper winner Silver Concorde and quite happy with the 2.9 price tag.
6:40 Guinness Handicap Chase (Grade A) (5yo+, 2m 4f, 15 runners)
Sometime or other the forecast mist will have cleared and the sun will have shone on this Gold Cup day, I’m sure. But it hasn’t shone on the gambles for this race, with all beaten favourites for seven years now including two painful losers for Arthur Moore. Hopefully, we won’t have to Pass The Hat for Arthur again after today’s race!
7:15 O’Reilly Recruitment Flat Race (5-7yo, 2m 2f, 18 runners)
Totally Dominant is favourite by default of being trained by Willie Mullins but on the basis of his two seconds at Naas and Sligo is would be surprsing if there wasn’t a ‘dark horse’ lurking capable of beating him today. A lay in the final race.
SHAMROCK’S BETS
WIN AND PLACE: Foot Soldier (3.40 Punchestown)
WIN: Le Vent D’Antan (4.20 Punchestown)
WIN: Beat That (4.55 Punchestown)
WIN: On His Own (5.30 Punchestown)
NAP: Silver Concorde (6.05 Punchestown)
WIN AND PLACE: Pass The Hat (6.40 Punchestown)
LAY: Totally Dominant (7.15 Punchestown)
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