The Irish horse racing broadcaster has two selections on offer for Thursday's card at the Punchestown Festival.
With no Bob Olinger to worry about this time, Teahupoo is a short-priced favourite to retain his crown in the featured Champion Stayers Hurdle as the Punchestown Festival moves into its third day. As plenty of water continues to be applied, conditions should be fine for Gordon Elliott’s gelding but he is hardly bombproof and it might be worth taking him on again.
Liverpool Hurdle hero Hiddenvalley Lake is the obvious alternative, but at a much bigger price I like the look of COLONEL MUSTARD / (18:00) here. It’s hard to believe, but this will be the 10-year-old’s first attempt over three miles and, based on his last two starts, the step up in distance could actually be the making of him. He ran a fine race when fifth under a big weight in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham, and if anything his run at Fairyhouse last week was even more eye-catching.
Held up towards the rear on that occasion, he was just beginning to creep into contention when clouting the third last flight and ended up having to come around the whole field as a result. A less than fluent leap at the next ultimately left him with too much to do but it was really encouraging to see him finish off so powerfully to be beaten just 2 3/4 lengths into fourth. Keith Donoghue takes over in the saddle today and it is far from impossible that Lorna Fowler’s charge could bridge a gap of three and a half years since his last win by landing this Grade 1.
Provided inexperience doesn’t catch him out, MIRAZUR WEST / (15:05) has the potential to be a handicap blot in the two mile handicap chase at 3.05. A Grade 2 winning novice hurdler last year, he took advantage of a good opportunity when making all to break his duck over fences at Cork eleven days ago. It’s interesting to see that Jody McGarvey, who was in the saddle there, retains the ride (Mark Walsh has no mount in the race) and if getting into a good rhythm on the front end the seven-year-old could be hard to catch.
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