Punchestown Festival tips: Six key horses to follow

The first British Classics of the season may be on the horizon at Newmarket this weekend but first up is the little matter of five brilliant days of National Hunt racing at Punchestown.

The likes of Honeysuckle, Clan Des Obeaux, Allaho, Sir Gerhard, Energumene, Chacun Pour Soi, Epatante and Facile Vega are all set to light up the festival - for which you can still buy a ticket for any of the five days for just €30. Make sure you visit Punchestown’s website for more information.

If you cannot make the trip to the track, you’ll be in safe hands with every race live on Racing TV.

Trainer: Gordon Elliott.

Race:Howden Insurance Brokers Mares’ Novice Hurdle (3.40pm, Tuesday).

Willie Mullins has enjoyed a stranglehold on this race in recent years with wins in three of the past four runnings, but his leading contenders this time - Dinoblue and Grangee – both face quick turnarounds having finished fourth and sixth in Grade One company at Fairyhouse over Easter.

Party Central by contrast has enjoyed a one-month break since finishing seventh in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, where she tanked into the race looking the most likely winner entering the home straight – only for the petrol gauge to empty in worrying fashion after the final flight as she eventually trailed home in seventh.

Nothing seems to have come light since, but that effort remains strange given she also boasts winning form over two and a half miles. Yet the manner in which she travelled into the race lingers in the memory and, if back to her best, looks the one to beat.

Trainer: Henry De Bromhead Race:Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase (6.35pm, Tuesday)

Bob Olinger makes the shortlist simply because his inclusion here is fascinating with a view to next season and beyond.

Racing TV's Harry Allwood has already tipped Henry De Bromhead’s charge for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup and this looks the perfect starting point to dip his toe in the water over three miles.

Found to have torn a muscle in his near hind quarter when a fortunate winner of the Turners Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, he's been given a clean bill of health by his trainer ahead of this assignment and connections have always maintained that Bob Olinger is a Gold Cup horse in the making.

While the pre-Cheltenham concerns surrounding the lack of fluency in his jumping will become pertinent this week, Bob Olinger is the class act here being 4lb clear on official ratings.

Capodanno is respected having shaped well behind L’Homme Presse in the Marsh Novices’ Chase and could give him the most to think about. However, if Bob Olinger is going to lay down a marker for next year’s Gold Cup, he has to be winning this.

Trainer: Henry De Bromhead.

Race:Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle (5.20pm, Wednesday)

Unbeaten in his first three starts under Rules, Journey With Me gave the impression when scoring at Naas in February that a step up to three miles would be ideal. However, given his lack of experience, connections decided to stick to the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and he was in the process of running a fine race behind Sir Gerhard when falling at the last. That performance also came after incessant rain had hit the track which made that event a real stamina test.

It will be interesting to see whether connections decide to ride Journey With Me from the front or instead take a lead here but, whatever their choice, the decision to step up to three miles looks a sensible one - and the son of Mahler can serve it up to Albert Bartlett 1-2 The Nice Guy and Minella Cocooner.

Trainer: Noel Meade.

Race:Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle (5.25pm, Thursday)

Klassical Dream was brilliant in this event 12 months ago, but 11-10 is far too skinny following his fifth-placed effort in the Stayers’ Hurdle.

Thedevilscoachman has not been seen since smoothly landing the Boyne Hurdle under a brilliant Mark Walsh ride back in February but he looks a serious player here. He steps up to three miles for the first time now and the manner in which he saw things out at Navan suggests this trip is within his compass.

The six-year-old would prefer cut in the ground given most of his winning has come with give underfoot, but he remains lightly raced over hurdles and he is of interest at 5-1.

Trainer: Noel Meade Race:Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle (6.00pm, Thursday)

I made a strong case for Bugs Moran before he cruised to victory at 10-1 under Jack Kennedy at Fairyhouse earlier this month, and I think he can do this column a favour again on Thursday.

The five-year-old travelled sweetly throughout and put the race to bed in a matter of strides. Moreover, he seemed to have plenty left in the tank at the line which augurs well for this quick turnaround. The son of Pour Moi is improving with racing and a 7lb rise for that victory might not be enough to stop him here. Meade’s charge relishes good ground and he looks to have all the credentials if ready to go again after Fairyhouse.

Trainer: Henry De Bromhead.

Race: Coolmore Kew Gardens Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle (3.50pm, Saturday)

This year’s Mares’ Hurdle was a race full of hard-luck stories and both Telmesomethinggirl and Mrs Milner look to have leading claims here in their bid for compensation.

Yet my support is with the former, who was absolutely tanking into contention when brought-down by the fall of Indefatigable. Held up by Rachael Blackmore, she jumped with aplomb throughout and was just starting to hit top gear before that mishap. It was clearly too early to say whether she would have gone on to beat Marie’s Rock, but the Stowaway mare looked full of running and it was a case of ‘what might have been’ for connections.

Her season was clearly geared around Cheltenham and she is yet to win in two starts at Punchestown, but if none the worse for her latest experience she can serve it up to Epatante here.