Who To Follow On Day Two Of The Punchestown Festival 2023

James Mackie | @JMackieRacing

Tue 25 Apr 2023 12.41

Punchestown 16:20

Gaelic Warrior

J: Paul Townend

T: W P Mullins

N/A

Age: 5

Weight: 11-10

OR: 152

Days: 42

The first Grade One event of the afternoon is the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle over three miles and stepping up in trip to the distance for the first time is the intriguing Gaelic Warrior.

A horse who first jumped onto the scene last season when finishing a narrow second to Brazil off a mark of 129 in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle when said to be extremely well in.

Still being not sure how he did not win the race, this season he was going to be upped into Grade One company but firstly he landed a Maiden Hurdle at Tramore by 86 lengths and then took the Munster Hurdle by 15 lengths at Clonmel.

Still feasibly treated off a mark of 143, Mullins decided to sent him handicapping again at the DRF and it was the right decision making a mockery of his mark to land the Liffey Handicap Hurdle.

Having only been tried around two miles, he stepped up in trip to 2m5f when last seen in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle and ran a cracker to finish second behind Stablemate Impaire Et Passe who looks to be on a different planet.

Gaelic Warrior showed good staying ability that day to suggest stepping up to three miles should be no issue and although he takes on the big priced second in the Grade One Albert Bartlett, this is not a strong race.

Form: 21112View

Date	Course	Distance	Type	Weight	Position
15/03/23	CHL	21	Sft	11-7	2
05/02/23	LEO	16	Y	11-12	1
17/01/23	CLO	17	Hy	11-9	1
06/12/22	TRM	16	Sft	11-12	1
15/03/22	CHL	16.5	GS	11-1	2

Superstar Grade One winning trainer Henry De Bromhead has a nice team laid out on day two of the meeting starting in the opener where he will be hoping Sam Magee and the lowly weighted Low Lie The Fields can strike in the Handicap Hurdle.

De Bromhead then fields Senior Chief who has been very progressive of late and seeking a hat-trick will be looking to take another step forward.

In the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle Tag Man receiving weight off the field will be looking to show his true potential at the top level.

The handler then runs Harry De Ongrais in the first Grade One of the afternoon with the team persisting with three miles.

The feature Grade One Punchestown Gold Cup sees a great field of runners going to post and stepping back up in trip off the back of his Ryanair Chase win, Envoi Allen is seeking more Grade One glory.

Paul Townend has a serious book of rides for day two of the Punchestown festival with plenty of well backed favourites that are likely to go in and that makes him the man to follow.

His first big ride of the afternoon comes on Grangeclare West who is a on a redemption mission but in this field has a big chance to get back to form.

In the first Grade One of the afternoon he sits on Gaelic Warrior who steps up to three miles for the first time, but looked like he would get this trip off the back of his staying on second in the Ballymore at the Cheltenham festival.

His big ride of the afternoon comes on the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs who takes on Bravemansgame again in the feature event.

Townend finishes the afternoon on board the favourite in the Grade A Handicap Chase Ha D'or with the gelding dropping out of Grade One company into a handicap.