THE feature race at Punchestown today is the Mares’ Champion Hurdle and it’s not really a betting race. I see this as more of a coronation of Wodhooh as champion in this division.
She’s only ever been beaten once over hurdles, she has chalked up 10 wins from 11 runs and the one time she has been beaten is when she went down fighting against Lossiemouth — a winner last night — at Aintree last year.
Wodhooh was good but far from impressive in beating Jade De Grugy at Cheltenham but I think the way the race was run didn’t exactly suit her. This smaller field should make Jack Kennedy’s task an awful lot easier and, in turn, should secure him the title of champion jockey. Darragh O’Keeffe has got close but Wodhooh in the 4.15 will put Jack over the line.
Wodhooh has only ever been beaten once over hurdles
Willie Mullins saddles a mammoth nine of the 13 declared runners for the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle, today’s other Grade One event at 4.55.
And I’m actually going to go against him with the winner of the Fred Winter Hurdle at Cheltenham, Saratoga, who is trained by Padraig Roche for JP McManus.
He was very impressive at Cheltenham in winning that handicap and given a rating of 140 since then he’s been raised 10 pounds by the handicapper, which puts him on par with Proactif and just behind Apolon De Charnie (146), the Triumph Hurdle winner.
He is the choice of Mark Walsh, who stays loyal against Proactif, who he would have had the choice to ride. Saratoga has got experience from earlier on in the season and he also has the Flat class that he showed when he won for Ballydoyle last year. I think the Fred Winter winner is going to beat the Triumph winner and fend off the Mullins battalion.
In the DAR Golf Handicap Chase (3.05) over just shy of four miles, I fancy the chances of Better Times Ahead, who ran with no enthusiasm at all in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse back at Easter, but I am willing to put a line through that because it is such an unusual test of a horse.
I don’t think you can take it too literally and, with that in mind, I’m going to revert to his Thyestes form, where he was just beaten a head by Now Is The Hour.
The going is a question mark, he probably has his best form on soft or heavy, but being a son of Walk In The Park, I think this ground should be okay for him. A mark of 136 is definitely very workable, he’s got proven stamina and I think for Robert Tyner and Mark Walsh, if he can put his Irish Grand National form behind him, he’s going to run a big race at a big price.
At 3.45 it’s the Palmerstown House Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase. I am going to go for a British contender, in Montregard, who we haven’t seen since he won at Ascot back in February. He subsequently got a six-pound rise for that win but I think his form stacks up with this race in mind.
He’s got winning form on good ground, he’s been proven over this trip and, still only a seven-year-old, I think he could be well treated as is typical of the British handicap chasers when they come over to Punchestown.
Bar the one blip at Kempton over Christmas, this guy is very consistent and I think he’s the one for me.
The other race I’ll offer some advice for is the 5.30, the Lawlor’s of Naas Handicap Hurdle. It’s very hard to get away from Jump Allen here, given how unlucky in running he looked to be in the Martin Pipe Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Anna McGuinness found herself a little bit further back than would have been ideal and met plenty of traffic in running before ending up a very strong-finishing third behind Air of Entitlement.
A number of these horses are reopposing from the same race but with Paul Townend now booked, Jump Allen off a two-pound higher mark, is thrown in here.
Sport gives us the escape we need from negative news
THERE is so much negativity in the world at the moment in terms of news and the serious nature of what’s being discussed when you turn on your TV or radio so this has been a real refreshing week here at Punchestown.
Whether you’re into GAA, football, racing or whatever your chosen pursuit, it’s wonderful to have sport to help us escape the realities of the world for a short while, with nobody worrying about the price of energy or the fuel crisis or any of the really heavy topics that are absolutely so important – sometimes we just need a break, and we got that this week.
Yes, the weather has been kind but we must give Punchestown due credit, they’ve got it just right here in terms of what it is to be a festival.
There’s a fine line between having enough people on course to create an atmosphere and too many for comfort but they’ve nailed the balance here this week.
On track, while Jack Kennedy will be crowned champion jockey today, Paul Townend is king of the world.
I don’t think any jockey has ever won both the Cheltenham and Punchestown Gold Cups, both Cheltenham and Punchestown Champion Chases, both Cheltenham and Punchestown Champion Hurdles and the Aintree Grand National in the same season – it’s quite remarkable.
It’s akin to the Grand Slam in tennis – winning the Australian, French and US Opens and Wimbledon all in one year.
The best horses are in training in Ireland so you get to see them here, and while it’s been wonderful to have British competition, the best chasers and hurdlers are here, you can see them at Leopardstown in February and Punchestown in May.
We got some amazing results all week, especially Bob Olinger retiring on a huge win. There’s been a nice variety of key protagonists as well – Gordon Elliott had a treble of Grade One winners, Harry Derham has had one, Barry Connell too, so there has been a nice spread.
As a broadcaster it’s much easier to sell stories that have diverse characters in them so that’s been a big help to us. And hopefully we finish off on a high today.
