Punchestown Festival 2014 - Best of the rest of day 2

While yesterday at Punchestown may not have been the best from a betting point of view for us – on that point, thank you very much Real Madrid – the loses were incomparable with the wonderful sight of seeing Sizing Europe bound away for a truly special Champion Chase win was one of the highlights of the sporting year and the kind of magic that many will say can only be offered by the National Hunt game. For me, the beauty of the sport is that we can have today’s fantastic flat card at Ascot alongside today’s racing at Punchestown, but the betting chances are over the Irish Sea for me.

Cheltenian, seen leading, getting chinned on his return from 700 days off.
He holds a big chance in the conditions hurdle at Punchestown

Phillip Hobbs’ has had a truly rich spring festival season, with Balthazar King’s second cross country win on the bounce followed up by a Grand National second, while Fingal Bay was also bought back to his best to land the Pertemps final. Since Aintree he has also had 5 wins in the last fortnight, and his Cheltenian, a past Champion Bumper winner, has a fine chance in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle (4.20). Off for over 700 days after winning at Cheltenham, he landed his first maiden hurdle in December and then ran a wonderful race in the Betfair Hurdle when fourth; Obviously fancied for the County Hurdle, he was a massive disappointment when all around from his stable were running out of their skins but an inability to settle cost him badly there. His latest Aintree run, when fourth in a strong handicap hurdle, sets a high standard and he is capable of giving Hobbs yet more success at a meeting he is fond of targeting.

In a strong race, Le Vent D’Antan is respected, while it’s tempting to give Carraig Mor another chance after the health issues at Alan King’s yard stopped his potential earlier in the season, and Nicky Henderson’s Medieval Charter is interesting dropped back from 3 miles and given some better ground; The former is a tempting each/way option while the latter needs serious respect for a yard that bought Cool McCavity to win following disappointment yesterday in a competitive handicap hurdle.

Speaking of connections that won yesterday, Henry De Bromhead and Andre Lynch, fresh from their Champion Chase success yesterday, have a fine chance of landing another big prize with Auphcarlie in the Guinness Handicap Chase. A promsing novice chaser for Willie Mullins, his jumping let him down when in the running for two novice chases at the backend of last season but it’s worth remembering how close he finished to Back In Focus at Leopardstown over Christmas and his reappearance win was a promising one. Once rated 153, it’s likely that he can be at least as good as 148 and he is worth chancing in a fiercely competitive race.

Advice

1 pt win Cheltenian, 3,40 Punchestown (11/4 general)

1 pt each/way Carraig Mor, 3.40 Punchestown (7/1 Ladbrokes)

1 pt each/way Aupcharlie, 7.40 Punchestown (8/1 general)