Grade One Champion Novice Hurdle Punchestown Guide 2023

Patrick Mullins gets the ride on Diverge, the five-year-old who has begun well over hurdles, finishing sixth of 27 on debut before winning Punchestown maiden in January this year. Stepped into graded company for the first time at the Cheltenham festival last month in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, running a top race to finish third behind Facile Vega and Marine Nationale when priced at 25/1.

Should still be on the up and able to improve more, and he’s only ran over hurdles on three occasions. If Facile Vega is on top form, he will be hard to beat but he is one of a couple with a definite chance.

Gordon Elliott’s sole runner in this contest is the 142-rated hurdler Found A Fifty, who arrives here on the back of finishing eighth at Aintree earlier this month, a disappointing run when you look at the start he made over hurdles for the Irish trainer. The gelding won on debut in 25-runner maiden before good second to Corbetts Cross in Grade Two Johnstown Novice Hurdle at Naas in February when beaten by a head.

Travelled well throughout his last run at Aintree before fading late on which was disappointing considering he’d been backed into 10/3 and Elliott will be hoping for more. This is another tough test on the back of that poor run. Would be a surprising winner.

Willie Mullins has three of the five runners in this year’s Champion Novice Hurdle over two miles at Punchestown, and Facile Vega is the current market favourite. The six-year-old won all of four bumper starts last term, including the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in March last year.

He made the switch to hurdles at Fairyhouse in December, winning easily before making it two out of two over obstacles at Leopardstown. Tailed off completely at the Dublin Racing Festival to finish fifth before finishing second to Marine Nationale in the Supreme at Cheltenham last month, perhaps jumping long at the final hurdle to finish just over three lengths off the winner.

The one to beat back on form with that Supreme run and he has finished ahead of these on previous occasions. A short price in the market but a deserving one if he is back to his best.

Willie Mullins sends three for this contest in the form of Facile Vega, Diverge and Il Etait Temps. Il Etait Temps shocked punters at the Dublin Racing Festival in February when winning the Grade One Ireland Novice Hurdle over 2m, capitalising on Facile Vega’s shock defeat to claim victory at 14/1, nine and a half lengths ahead of Inthepocket.

That was after finishing second to Facile Vega in Grade One Future Champions Novice Hurdle in December. Went on to finish fifth last time out in the Supreme at Cheltenham, behind a few here but may do better than that still. Danny Mullins is booked to ride the five-year-old gelding once again.

Oliver McKiernan’s Thurles bumper winner No Looking Back makes his fifth start over hurdles here, having finished tenth in the Grade One Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree earlier this month, behind the likes of Found A Fifty, Luccia and winner Inthepocket. He had entered that race in good form, winning at Thurles and Limerick before runner-up to Irish Point in Grade Three Kingsfurze Novice Hurdle at Naas last month.

Those runs had provided plenty of promise with this five-year-old, but the Aintree performance leaves him needing to find a lot more here against Grade One winners. Tough task for the gelding, who is ridden by Philip Enright.