Day Two Punchestown Festival 2023

The first race on the second day of the 2023 Punchestown festival is the Series Final Handicap Hurdle over 2m4f and we have dutched the race with two each way players.

A horse that is really interesting for Gavin Cromwell is La Malmason who makes his handicap debut in this event off a mark of 122 which could be beneath his capabilities.

This mare has been highly touted by her trainer to have a big career and she has shown glimpses this term that she could be very special.

Making her debut on heavy ground at Cork when winning nicely she twas then pitched into Listed mares company and for whatever reason she ran no race at all.

Looking to get back to form when last seen over course and distance at Punchestown she was a narrow second to a nice type in Sa Fureur.

Now handicapping she has a big chance to get back to winning ways.

A horse at a slightly bigger price is the Gordon Elliott trained Level Neverending who should suit the drop in trip for this event.

A horse clearly set up all season for a good crack at the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham festival running off a mark of 126 having craftily qualified with a third at Warwick.

At a big SP of 28/1 he looked to be running a cracker before the last but his effort tailed away up the hill with a combination of being outstayed, hanging over the track and the jockey strangely not riding him out to the finish.

Racing back in Ireland off a 7lb lower mark of 119, being dropped in trip and having soft/heavy ground form, he looks to have obvious chances.

With no bet in the second race of the afternoon, we move onto the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle and now dropped into lesser company we are hoping Grangeclare West can bounce back to his best.

A horse who started the season with a big reputation off the back of being bought for £340,000 in December 2020 having bolted up in a point to point.

He made his rules debut at Punchestown in May 2021, when going on to score easily by nine lengths, never having to do too much to win.

Suffering a setback and obviously not being easy to train he never appeared last season for his hurdles debut, but having been given time he returned this term for that timber debut and over 2m4f went on to bolt up by 12 lengths.

Sent into the Grade One Lawlor's Of Naas as the 15/8 favourite he did not give his true running and was reported to be coughing after the race.

Having an excuse for that run, he did not have one when last seen in the Grade One Nathaniel Lacy Novice Hurdle at the DRF when well beaten into sixth.

That run scuppered his chances of running in big Grade One events at the likes of the Cheltenham/Aintree festivals but now given some time he has been dropped into what looks to be a confidence booster race and hopefully he can get back on track.

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.

The second Grade One of the afternoon is the feature race of the meeting seeing the Punchestown Gold Cup and there just looks to be no beating Galopin Des Champs.

From what this gelding has shown so far he has got the lot, he jumps incredibly, he has pace to get away from the field but he has also has shown stamina being a three mile Grade One winner over hurdles.

He should be unbeaten over fences if it wasn’t for that freak fall in the Turners last year, his two wins at Leopardstown last season were breath taking especially in Grade One company at the DRF and then he finished last season by landing the Gold Cup Novice Chase at Fairyhouse.

On his seasonal debut this season he showed us he settled better, jumped more economically and just looked gagging for a step in trip when making a mockery of the Grade One John Durkan Chase field.

Sent to the DRF for a second year he was a powerful winner of the Grade One Irish Cup beating Stattler by eight lengths and he just looks the class horse in the field

The further he goes the better he has become and he proved that last time out when staying every inch of the Gold Cup trip at the Cheltenham festival to land the pinnacle race of the meeting.

He outstayed Bravemansgame back in second to win comfortably up the hill and although he is a short price we can't see that form being reversed.

The final Grade One of the afternoon is the Punchestown Champion I.N.H Flat Race and although A Dream To Share has all the form in the book, we are taking a chance on Tullyhill for Willie Mullins and Cheveley Park Stud.

This gelding could be the big potential star in the field having been bought in November 2022 for £220,000 off the back of winning a PTP at Moira.

Seen for the first time under rules at Gowran Park on soft to heavy ground he looked a very impressive winning by at a canter by close to four lengths but if he wanted it to be more he could have.

He looks to have that star potential that have been in other horses for the same trainer and owner combination and at the prices we are taking a chance on him.

The penultimate race on day two is the Grade A Handicap Chase over 2m5f and we are taking a chance on Gallant John Joe for trainer Oliver Mckiernan.

A largely consistent horse throughout his career being tried at distances from two miles all the way up to three and for the majority of his races he has hit the frame.

Fourth of 17 over this distance at the 2022 DRF off a mark of 142, he has since been seen five more times placing in four of those events.

Finishing a good second behind Whiskey Sour in March 2022 to finish off the season over hurdles, he then went back over fences at the start of this term when finishing second behind Jeremy's Flame in the Grade Three Poplar Square Chase.

Sent into a Beginners Chase at Navan he finished third behind the talented Fil Dor and Grade One winner Saint Roi, but was then pitched into tough company over Christmas when running no race in the 28 runner Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Leopardstown.

Last seen back over hurdles as a prep for this event he was a good second behind a well handicapped horse for Patrick Foley giving over a stone and a half away in weight.

Back over fences off a mark of 136 which is 6lb lower than when running well at this distance at the DRF, having already won at Punchestown he handles the track and at a double figure price he is a big each way player.

The final event of the afternoon is the Grade Three bumper and the Willie Mullins horse that has caught the eye is Junta Marvel.

Seen just once to date at Limerick at the end of March she made a very taking debut over 2m3f, staying the distance well to cruise to victory, winning with much more in hand than the distance.

The way she went through the race that day was visually very impressive on soft ground and if improving again should have a say.