Today’s Punchestown Gold Cup is a cracking renewal and I’m delighted to be on Minella Indo.
He ran a cracker in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. This is as competitive a Punchestown Gold Cup that I can remember for a long time.
Obviously you have Allaho stepping back up to three miles. Clan Des Obeaux won the race last year and was a good winner again at Aintree.
Throw in Galvin, Fakir D’oudairies, Al Boum Photo - a two-time Gold Cup winner - and it’s just a very, very good race.
But I’m looking forward to Minella Indo. I think he’s one of my best rides of the week.
He won at the Punchestown Festival a couple of years ago after he won the Albert Bartlett, his last two runs have been very good, finishing second in at Leopardstown before Cheltenham, so hopefully he can get his head back in front.
The Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle is a very hard race to call. I thought The Nice Guy was a very good winner at Cheltenham. He’s a horse with bundles of stamina and whether this three-mile flatter track might play to Minella Cocooner’s strengths a bit better, I’m not so sure.
I think Journey With Me is a horse that could be a bit overpriced. He was going to be second to Sir Gerhard in the Ballymore at the Cheltenham Festival when he fell at the last and I think stepping up to three miles will suit him. He went to Cheltenham with a huge reputation and back here over three miles, I think he could be a bit of value to overturn the Willie Mullins battalion.
But one Mullins horse I do expect to win today is Facile Vega. He is as good a bumper horse that I have ever seen.
I was so impressed with American Mike when I saw him at Navan, but Facile Vega took care of him at Cheltenham.
From a punting point of view, it’s very hard to see how he can overturn the form, especially as Facile Vega beat American Mike on ground that probably wasn’t ideal for him. That ground might have suited American Mike more so I think Facile Vega will uphold the form.
But Redemption Day went to Cheltenham with a huge reputation and disappointed. Maybe he could be an each-way bet at around 9/1. If there was going to be an upset, he might be the most likely to cause it.
I partner Crosshill in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle and I think he has a definite chance. He’s got plenty of experience, didn’t quite take to fences, had a nice run back the last day over hurdles when third to Gentlemansgame. He’ll have improved an awful lot for that, wearing first time cheekpieces will sharpen him up and I think he could run a big race.
My other ride is Discordantly in the OMC Claims Handicap Chase. He was a good winner over this trip at Leopardstown just before Cheltenham, things went wrong for him at both Cheltenham and Aintree, he only has 10st 8lbs on his back and he could be very competitive in a wide open handicap.
Tip of the day - Facile Vega 6.30
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