Who To Follow On Day Two At Punchestown - 27/04/22

James Mackie | @jamesmackieee

Punchestown - April 26 2022
Punchestown 16:20
11
Paul Townend

The Nice Guy

J: Paul Townend
T: W P Mullins
N/A
Age: 7
Weight: 11-10
OR: 153
Days: 40

The first Grade One event of the afternoon is the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle over three miles and The Nice Guy was emphatic at the Cheltenham festival and we can't see any of these horses reversing that form.

The seven year old has had a very strange season making his rules debut in a bumper in November at Fairyhouse over two miles, when winning easily.

He landed another bumper over Christmas at Leopardstown beating a nice horse in Dorans Weir that has gone on to frank the form.

Stepped up in trip and sent over hurdles, he took to the task well over 2m3f, pulling away from a nice type to win by eight lengths.

Once again, he was last seen stepped up in trip and grade tackling three miles for the first time and he revelled in the distance, seeing off a superb field of 16 in the Grade One Albert Bartlett to win easily again.

Apparently this horse shows very little at home and saves everything for the track and it is hard to see any of these horses reversing the form if in the same mood.

DateCourseDistanceTypeWeightPosition
27/04/22PUN24Gd/Y11-101
18/03/22CHL24GS11-81
30/01/22NAA19Gd/Y12-01
29/12/21LEO16Y/Sft12-21
27/11/21FAI16Gd12-21

Trainer To Follow - Willie Mullins

Willie Mullins has talent in abundance on show this Wednesday at Punchestown which gives him the potential to land nearly every race across the afternoon.

In the opening event he fields Dads Lad and then in the second has a huge chance with Gelengouly who is looking for a hat-trick of wins.

He gives three runners the green light in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle with Ganapathi, Gibraltar and Classic Getaway fairly useful horses.

In the first Grade One event of the afternoon he will be disappointed to not go go close with the Albert Bartlett 1-2 leading the market and Bronn and Ramilies also entered.

Mullins has a strong hand as ever in the Punchestown Gold Cup with Allaho leading the market, along with Al Boum Photo, Tornado Flyer, Janidil and Kemboy in the mix.

The master trainer has been superb with his bumper horses this term as ever and in the Grade One Punchestown Champion Bumper he fields Facile Vega, Redemption Day, Seabank Bistro, Viva Devito and Madmansgame.

Other nice shouts on the afternoon for the Closutton handler include Ciel De Neige, Egality Mans, Royal Rendevous, Annamix, Eabha Grace, Nikini, Pink In The Park and True Light.

What an arsenal that man has.

Jockey To Follow - Davy Russell

Davy Russell has a few nice rides on Wednesday at Punchestown and although it looks as though Paul Townend and Willie Mullins could have a special day, Russell won't be far away.

In the second race of the day he has a big chance to reverse the form with Glengouly now getting weight off the gelding having narrowly gone down to him last time out.

In the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle he gets the leg up on Hollow Games who needs to be better than his recent form but should enjoy this drying ground.

He sits on Galvin in the Punchestown Gold Cup with the eight year old looking to get back to the form of his Savills Chase win and having a pace to aim at in this might play to his strengths.