Grade One John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase Guide 2022

Trainer Gordon Elliot enters just the one runner for this year’s race in Fury Road who is a Grade 1 novice winner.

He beat stablemate Run Wild Fred over 3m at Leopardstown last Christmas before chasing home Ahoy Senor at Aintree in a race that included horses such as L'Homme Presse and Bravemansgame who were both disappointing that day.

Put in a decent performance at roughly this trip on seasonal debut in a Grade 2 event at Down Royal beating Delvino by a short head.

He is probably best suited by running over a longer trip so may find it tough here.Has got a lot more on his plate this time round and will have to improve further to have a chance of being in the mix here especially over 2m3f.

Cannot be totally ruled out, but comes with risks attached.

Fakir D’oudairies is a top-class chaser and was a Grade 1 winner at Ascot and Aintree during last season's six-race campaign that started off with victory in a four-runner Clonmel Oil Chase.

His three defeats were in races won by Allaho, including this race in which he was 8 lengths back in fourth.

He was stepped up in trip, but did not seem to stay the 3 miles on last start so finds himself back near his optimum trip now and looks the most likely to chase home the odds on favourite Galopin Des Champs.Goes well fresh and should put in a good run considering he is dropping back down in trip.

Has to be respected, but will still need to be at his best to have a chance of improving on last year’s fourth place finish.

A former Albert Bartlett winner who has not progressed as many might have imagined and lacks consistency at the highest level.

The 7 year old grey has managed to notch up five thirds in his six starts over fences and looks set for minor honours or less here having not achieved as much as others in the line-up.

He is the lowest-rated runner in the race and may find it hard to reverse any sort of form with a rival he faces again here in Fury Road. One to dismiss for trainer Gavin Cromwell.

Lifetime Ambition is a fairly talented second-season chaser as he found himself being a Grade 3 winner last season and also managed to finish second in a Grade 1 6 ½ lengths back to the Willie Mullins trained Capodanno.

He seems to be being campaigned for a tilt at the Grand National and finished a solid fourth on his comeback in the Grand Sefton at Aintree.

He has the same rating of 155 as fellow rival Fury Road so there does not seem to be much to split them here. Best form comes over 3m so will have to adapt to this drop down in trip, but looks set to battle it out for minor place money with a couple of the others in this race.

This 6 year old son of Saint Des Saints will have a tough assignment on his hands here to impress in what looks a real difficult race to win due to the favourite being one of the best horses to come out of Willie Mullins’ yard.

A smart handicap hurdler who was narrowly beaten in last season's Coral Cup and also found himself finishing second in a very competitive 2m3f contest at this venue, but the lack of experience will make things difficult.

He is somewhat of an unknown considering this is his first start over fences since he was 3 years of age. Outsider of the seven runner field and one who looks to be making up the numbers.

One of two for trainer Willie Mullins in this year’s renewal of the Grade 1 John Durkan Chase. Mullins won this race last year with Allaho and will be looking to do the same again this time with the very exciting Galopin Des Champs.

This former 3 mile Grade 1 novice hurdle winner has prospered over 2m4f/2m5f and impressed on chase debut at Leopardstown last Christmas.

He then backed that up with a 9 length Grade 1 win at the same venue and was about to beat Bob Olinger by a very long way when coming down at the last in an all-Irish four-runner Turners Novice Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

The sky's the limit for this horse as his jumping has been pretty much perfect since being switched to fences so if he gets a clear round of jumping in he will be tough to beat.

Looks certain to provide Willie Mullins with another win in this race which would be 8 of the past 11 runnings.

Jockey Paul Townend also has a 28% strike rate at Punchestown and will be looking to improve on that on what will be Galopin Des Champs’ seasonal reappearance.

Willie Mullins’ second runner in this, but Haut En Couleurs is quite evidently the stables number two and looks set to have it all to do in what will be his first run in 7 months.

Up in trip which could bring more out of him, but this seems to be more of giving the horse a go at over 2m3f to see where he is at and how good he could be.

Third in 2021 Triumph and in Grade 1 juvenile hurdle at this venue and won well on chase debut at Leopardstown last Christmas, but fell next time out.

Was well-beaten when finishing sixth in the Arkle where he was actually in touch two out, but weakened up the hill at the Cheltenham Festival.

A double digit price for a reason and one who may see more success in Grade 3 or potentially Grade 2 contests in the future. He is only 5 years of age so remains with a lot of improvement that could well come.