With crowds back, it should be a great week at the Punchestown Festival.
Thanks mainly to be my association with Jessie (Harrington), who always targets the meeting, I’ve had lots of luck here over the years.
I’ve won a Gold Cup, on Sizing John in 2017, two Champion Hurdles, on Silent Oscar way back in 2007 and Supasundae in 2018, and the 2017 Champion Chase on Fox Norton.
And, having won the Grade 1 novice chase on Chacun Pour Soi in 2019, I’ll be keeping a close eye on his clash with Energumene in today’s William Hill Champion Chase.
I hope to be busy this week. And I rate Minella Indo, in tomorrow’s Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup, as my best ride of the festival.
It’s going to be the highlight of the week, with ‘Indo’, Allaho, Galvin, last year’s winner Clan Des Obeaux, 2019 winner Kemboy and, of course dual Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo in the field.
Minella Indo ran a cracker in the Gold Cup in Cheltenham - I thought as we turned for home that it would take a very good horse to get to him – and it did.
He won the three-mile Grade 1 novice hurdle at this meeting, after winning the ‘Albert Bartlett’ in Cheltenham. So we know he handles the track well and can bounce back from Cheltenham.
I was down in Henry’s last week to sit on him. And he felt in very good form. So I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.
I have only two rides today, kicking off with Mighty Meggsie, coming back after a winter break, in the opener.
She won at Punchestown back in October and has been off the track since early December. But she always runs well fresh.
On ratings, she has a good bit to find with the likes of Grangee, Dinoblue and Party Central. But Jessie and myself have caused a few surprises here over the years. So who knows what might happen ?
My other ride, Lifetime Ambition, impressive over hurdles at the meeting last year, should have a better chance.
The step-up in trip helped him when he won his Grade 3 in Limerick last time. And we think he has improved again since then.
But, realistically, he’s facing a very stiff task in the Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Novice Chase, against the like of Bob Olinger who is still unbeaten over fences, although he very disappointing in Cheltenham and was well beaten when Galopin Des Champs fell at the last in the ‘Turners’.
Bob Olinger is stepping-up to three miles for the first time. And it’s interesting that he’s wearing a tongue-tie for the first time.
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