The Irish horse racing broadcaster has two selections on offer for Tuesday's card at the Punchestown Festival.
This year’s Punchestown Festival gets under way on what should be just about perfect jumping ground and there is a mouth-watering clash between Fact To File and Marine Nationale to look forward to in the featured William Hill Champion Chase.
It seems almost disrespectful to the latter that he is the market underdog here despite winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase by eighteen lengths last time out, and if pushed for a selection I would probably have to side with Barry Connell’s stable star at the prices. However Fact To File, himself a brilliant winner at Cheltenham in the Ryanair Chase, is such a talented individual that it’s an easy race to sit out from a betting perspective.
The most attractive wager on the opening day is SERIENMOND / in the Listed Kilashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle at 15:40. Gavin Cromwell’s five year-old makes a quick reappearance after taking third behind the remarkable veteran Lord Erskine in a €100,000 contest at Fairyhouse last week, and though 3lb out of the handicap here he nevertheless makes significant appeal. Conor Stone-Walsh’s mount finished best of all on that occasion and can certainly be fancied to reverse form with runner-up Helvic Dream on ground that is likely to prove much more suitable.
Cromwell also holds solid claims in the final of the Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series at 15:05 courtesy of LONDONOFFICECALLIN / , who is taken to repel a strong British raiding party. This prolific dual-purpose performer has been kept fresh for today’s assignment since landing a qualifier at today’s venue in January and is another who will appreciate what is sure to be better ground here.
The other two Grade 1 events don’t really look worth getting involved in. Kopek Des Bordes is difficult to oppose in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle but both Salvator Mundi and Irancy left their Cheltenham efforts well behind when scoring at Aintree and Fairyhouse respectively afterwards and could easily offer much sterner resistance this time.
A more positive ride may see Ballyburn reverse Brown Advisory form with stable-companion Lecky Watson in the Dooley Insurance Champion Novice Chase but at 6/4 he is easy enough to resist.
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