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Punchestown Day Four

It continues to be the Willie Mullins show and the Closutton team have had an incredible week at Punchestown. On Thursday it was the turn of Klassical Dream to blow us away in the Stayers Hurdle. Undoubtedly, some of the market principles underperformed for various reasons but Ronald Pump is a pretty solid yardstick and the fact he was easily dismissed in third gives the form some substance. Then there was Energumene. The performance just magnified the feeling that we missed something spectacular at Cheltenham. Hopefully he meets Shishkin at some point next season, it will be one hell of a race. For what it’s worth, I just can’t see any horse beating Energumene on his day. What he did timewise in comparison to Chacun Pour Soi at Leopardstown was very good, particularly as Chacun appears unbeatable away from Cheltenham.

It hasn’t been the fairytale week for Henry De Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore but one feels that the traditional Ladies Day Friday may be Rachael’s day this year as she is reunited with two of her Cheltenham stars. Honeysuckle bids to keep her unbeaten record in tact and it is very hard to see anything another than another 1 added to her form figures. The enigma that is Goshen might well be the biggest danger as he has won his three hurdle starts going right-handed by a combined total of 67 lengths. However, even I am not brave enough to suggest backing him after some of his recent efforts. Given the form of the stable, it would be folly to rule out Sharjah and he looks the solid one each-way provided all 8 stand their ground. It is not a race I want to get involved in though at this point with the uncertainty of place terms.

I am a huge fan of Bob Olinger and hope he puts in a display similar to that at Cheltenham. In terms of a selection, I was keen on Scarlet and Dove in the Mares Handicap Chase but the stable form combined with a shorter price than I was expecting is enough to put me off. Instead, I am going to the preceding race and in keeping with the week, I’m going for one from Closutton in the form of handicap debutant Antey. It was a toss up between him and his stablemate Asterion Forlonge but I am surprised at the discrepancy in price and Antey looks excellent value with most firms paying five places. He has some decent if not spectacular novice chase form, certainly showing enough to suggest a mark of 136 is within his compass. In particular, when unseating at Fairyhouse in January when looking like the winner of a race that has worked out really well. He was also second to Cedarwood Road last time and I think he can go really well here with his jumping the main concern. If that holds up, I expect him to go very close.


0.5pt eway Antey (15/2 Paddy Power, Betfair) Punchestown 4.15 *5 places

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