Home advantage should stand to classy Klassical in Stayers clash
THE Punchestown Festival is always the better for the presence of highcalibre visitors from England and it’s a plus to see Paisley Park here for the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle (5.25).
He has been one of the very best horses in the last couple of years in this division, famously winning the ‘Stayers’ at the Cheltenham Festival in 2019, and placed again in 2021 and this year.
At ten, he’s not getting any better but he doesn’t have Flooring Porter to beat here today. Instead, he has Klassical Dream to worry about.
My selection didn’t quite stay at Cheltenham but this is a home game on better ground and it’s
“At 10, Paisley
Park is not getting better”
very hard to look past him. Paul Townend is quite upbeat about his prospects in a race he won last year.
Likely to be second best is Sire Du Berlais who’s been busy of late and won well at Aintree but he doesn’t have the class of Klassical Dream.
Concertista is getting seven pounds as she switches back to hurdles. It’s an interesting route to go chasing at this time of the year but I don’t see her eclipsing her stablemate, Klassical Dream.
Who might spoil the party? It could be Gentlemansgame who was second here last year to Galopin Des Champs in novice company.
He won snugly at Thurles last time, so his confidence should be up. He needs nice ground and I think he’ll run well at a decent price for Mouse Morris.
Willie Mullins has won the last six runnings of the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase (6.35) with the likes of Energumene, Chacun, Footpad and Douvan.
His first choice today is Gentleman De Mee but this is no onehorse race, not by a long shot and I’m going to go with Gabynako.
Gentleman De Mee is very good but I think his front-running style, which accounted for Edwardstone
at Aintree, will suit Gabynako who came off a strong pace to finish second to Edwardstone in the Arkle Chase at Cheltenham.
I think it also helps that Gabynako has had a wee break since Cheltenham, having skipped Aintree.
Earlier this season, Gavin Cromwell was trying to find the right trip for Gabynako who won a Beginner’s Chase in November over two and a half miles.
He ran in the ‘Drinmore’ at Fairyhouse
against Beacon Edge and Fury Road and was clouting fences, but he still finished second.
They then dropped him back to two miles, supplementing him for the ‘Arkle’, which paid off.
Blue Lord is a good horse, who was third in the ‘Arkle’, but has much to make up on his stable companion as well as Gabynako.
For many, the La Touche Cup (4.50) is one of the highlights of the Festival.
I walked out to Ruby’s Double for the cross-country on Tuesday and was quite happy to watch the action from the safety of ground level.
It’s the longest race in Ireland and it’s in the very fibre of Punchestown.
I think it’s great that Christian Williams is here with Potters Corner. We send plenty of horses to the cross-country races at Cheltenham but it’s not often you get a British runner in the La Touche.
Potters Corner is a former winner of the Welsh Grand National — his last win — and was also successful in the 2020 ‘virtual’ Grand National at Aintree. Even so, I don’t think this race is going for export.
I’d suggest sticking with the characters that do well over the banks, such as Shady Operator for Enda Bolger and Singing Banjo for Philip Rothwell.
They’re one and two on the card and could be one and two in the finish.
Ballyboker Bridge is 15 but only runs in these types of races.
In the Mares’ Handicap Chase, I like the profile of Paul Nolan’s horse, Western Zara. She’s won at Clonmel and at Fairyhouse. She’s a good jumper and could have the measure of her opponents here.
James’s Gate looks a certainty in the closing Bumper.
Having won on his debut here in February, he was third in the Cheltenham Bumper having tackled the worst of the ground and should be a class above his rivals here.
I expect plenty of punters to raise a glass to the Willie MullinsPatrick Mullins team.