The opening day of the Punchestown Festival did not disappoint, and today’s action looks equally as exciting, with several of Willie Mullins’ string hoping to round off their respective seasons in style.
We kicked off the week in good fashion, with Irish Panther (9/1) running on into third and Marine Nationale (2/1) winning the Champion Chase, although Kopek Des Bordes ran no sort of race in the Champion Novice Hurdle. Our other selection Impaire Et Passe was brought down early by a faller. Let’s dive into today’s action…
15.40 – Kaid D’Authie 4/1
You can pick holes in each of the 10 runners going to post and ultimately, this is quite a weak race, so Kaid D’Authie is worth a second chance after his disappointing performance in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle. He bounced back from a debut fall to beat Koktail Divin at Leopardstown in a maiden hurdle, and if he can brush up on his jumping then a performance of that level could see him land the spoils.
16.15 – Jasmin De Vaux 7/4
It’s a battle between the top two in the market for me: Jasmin De Vaux and Honesty Policy, and I’ll side with the former. The longer trip worked a charm at Cheltenham when he won the Albert Bartlett and he never looked in trouble after hitting the front, despite some shaky jumps.
Honesty Policy should relish this step up in trip after he came flying home down the outside to win the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle, but that wasn’t the deepest of races.
16.50 – Kalypso’chance 13/2
Bambino Fever was mightily impressive in the Champion Bumper and is progressing with every run, but several of her rivals ran no sort of race that day so it remains to be seen just how good she is. Copacabana’s debut form has been franked and Colcannon is strong in the market, but Kalypso’chance looked like a machine before heading to Cheltenham and could make amends.
The gelding travelled nicely into contention before being bumped around on the turn for home and becoming quickly outpaced. He found plenty for pressure in his previous two runs and could bounce back.
17.30 – Galopin Des Champs 6/5
The big race of the day, the Punchestown Gold Cup. Although his prior runs at this meeting suggest it could be a lapse of judgment, I’m siding with the superstar Galopin Des Champs. His run at Cheltenham was still a superb effort behind Inothewayurthinkin and he pulled well clear of the reopposing Monty’s Star and Banbridge, though the latter struggled that day throughout. Spillane’s Tower comes here very fresh after missing Cheltenham and Punchestown, but this drying ground won’t help his chances.
Galopin Des Champs is the class horse in the race and although his last three visits to Punchestown have seen him beaten, he could just be far too superior to his rivals today.
