The Punchestown Festival gets underway today with Sizing Europe and Sir Des Champs the two main headline acts in action.
The former is a top priced 1/2 to land the Boylesports.com Champion Chase (5.30) after getting touched off by Finian’s Rainbow in the Queen Mother at Cheltenham.
Henry de Bromhead felt that day that the decision to bypass the final fence cost his charge the race, but I felt that the winner won fair and square.
Nevertheless it was a top class effort, and he had his old for Big Zeb and Noel Meade’s Realth Dubh trailing in his wake.
On all known form he should win this, but on very testing ground I would not want to back him at log odds-on.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Realt Dubh run a huge race and get much closer to him than he did at Prestbury Park, and although bookmakers are only paying out on the first two places he could be worth a small each-way investment.
The gelding ran well to finish fifth in the Queen Mother on his first start for 314 days, and was a triple Grade 1 winner as a novice.
He is sure to strip fitter this afternoon, relishes the mud and could give the favourite plenty to think about despite officially being rated 15lbs inferior.
In the Growise Champion Novice Chase (6.40) all eyes will be on Willie Mullins’ exciting Sir Des Champs who looks to have a simple task of extending his unbeaten run under rules to seven.
He six-year-old looked a class act when jumping well and quickening clear to win the Jewson – a performance which saw him shoot to the head of the betting for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.
To me he is one of the most exciting novices’ I have seen for some time, and a clear round should enable him to land odds of 1/4 with the minimum of fuss.
Elsewhere on the card, Trifolium is another shortie at 4/7 who should prove too strong for the progressive Alderwood in the 4.20.
Charles Byrnes’ five-year-old ran a blinder when third to Cinders And ashes in the Supreme, and the runner-up Darlan has franked the form by subsequently scoring at Aintree.
A repeat of that run should suffice here and he has a touch more class and scope than his main market rival.
Finally, the one race that really does interest me from a betting perspective is the handicap hurdle at 4.55.
David Pipe’s raider War Singer has been smashed up in the betting this morning, and although open to plenty of improvement now handicapping he looks plenty short enough at 13/2 for what he has achieved so far.
The one I like at 12/1 is Leah Claire, who has been running consistently well and looked an unlucky loser last time out when coming to grief three from home at Fairyhouse.
She was absolutely cruising that day, and there is little doubt in my mind that she would have won with plenty to spare.
The handicapper has left her mark unchanged for this and she doesn’t have much to find with Citizenship who beat her by just over a length in the valuable Boylesports Hurdle at Leopardstown back in January.
She goes on the ground, has a useful 7lb claimer on her back who gets on well with her and looks a good each-way play at 12s.
Daily Sport recommended bets: 3pts each-way Leah Claire (12/1 Boylesports – BOG)
1pt each-way Realth Dubh (8/1 generally available – use BOG firms)