Classy Shaneshill can go one better
Valseur Lido was a surprise and there is no doubt Don Poli ran well below his best. But Valseur Lido did it well and he really appreciated the step up to three miles.
Meanwhile, Douvan did as expected and was very good in doing so. He wasn’t extended and we will spend the summer dreaming about what he might do.
Today, the Punchestown Gold Cup is a strong race and Djakadam (5.30) goes into it off a brilliant run in Cheltenham — when he was second to Coneygree — just edging ahead of Road To Riches up the hill. He’s in really good form since Cheltenham but being a six-year-old, we haven’t worked him hard so we don’t know how much the Gold Cup has taken out of him. Willie has freshened him up and he seems to have come back to himself well. We’d love a drop of rain to make it a bit slower but we’re not in control of that.
Boston Bob won the race last year but he hasn’t come back to that sort of form this year at all and wouldn’t want any rain. On His Won will handle the ground either way and he won well in Cork since finishing fifth in the Gold Cup.
Djakadam ran a cracker in the Gold Cup. He ran in the Hennessy, won the Thyestes with top weight and gave everything he had in the Gold Cup. He was out on his feet afterwards. How much that has taken out of him is the question. If there’s still a bit in the locker, he’ll be bang there but we won’t know until we’ve gone two miles.
I think Road To Riches and Don Cossack will be hard to beat. Don Cossack won at Aintree over two-and-a-half and I think he wants three miles. I only got by Road To Riches half-way up the run in the Gold Cup over three-and-a-quarter miles. Hopefully I can get by him a bit earlier over 3m 1f.
I think I was always going to ride Shaneshill in the Grade 1 three-mile novice hurdle. He was a better bumper horse than Killultagh Vic. I think Roi Des Francs will run a lot better than in Liverpool. I would put a line completely through that as he flipped his lid between the parade ring and the start and ran his race in the first mile.
He is quite close to Killultagh Vic on Cheltenham form, with Killultagh Vic winning the Martin Pipe and Roi Des Francs third. That was over two-and-a-half but they both look like they’d get three miles. I just think Shaneshill is the classier horse as finishing second to Douvan in the Supreme Novices indicates. Fairyhouse was a walk in the park so that took nothing out of him.
It’s a good race and No More Heroes is a real stayer, who beat Shaneshill in December. You’d imagine he will make it a real slog and Shaneshill will have to stay to win but I’m pretty confident he’ll get the trip. He has improved with every run this year, is in great form and I’m looking forward to riding him.
My first ride of the day is on Aklan (4.20) in a two-and-a-half mile conditions’ hurdle. He has been very disappointing. His best run this year was at Punchestown when he was second to Noble Endeavour over this trip. While I was hoping all the rain fell last night for Djakadam, Aklan certainly doesn’t want any rain. If he ran to his Noble Endeavour form he would have a chance, but he will need to do that.
Turban (6.40) was travelling really well when he fell at the third last in the Topham. He had jumped like a buck up to that and was travelling really well when he went. We’ve always thought he was a two-miler, even though his pedigree suggests he wanted two-and-a-half. He beat Rubi Light over two-and-a-half.
You would have loved if Texas Jack had stayed in and he was running with 11-5 on his back. He has to shoulder top weight now. He’ll run a good race but to give that much weight away to decent horses is gonna be difficult.
Willie has two runners in the first in Nickname Exit and Tarabiyn (3.40). Nickname Exit won a maiden hurdle but I’d say he’s a high enough mark off 123, and for a horse with only one run over hurdles, it will be hard to go straight into a handicap. He could run well but it would be difficult to see him winning a competitive handicap like that with so little experience.
Tarabiyn gets his four-year-old allowance and Niall Kelly claims. He has plenty of experience, he should love the trip and will run a good race.
Willie is mob-handed in the Champion Bumper with five. They’re all entitled to take their chance. For whatever reason, none of ours ran their race in Cheltenham. Bellshill is the form horse but he’s been to Aintree since and had a hard race.
Livelovelaugh ran brilliantly in Fiaryhouse. Bordini and Au Quart De Tour are two stayers, while Pyleonthepressure is the freshest of them. I’m glad I didn’t have to pick one because I wouldn’t know which to go with.
Arkwrisht (7.15) represents the yard in the last. He seems to have improved. The trip will really suit him and he’ll be bang there.
NAP
Shaneshill ( 4.55)
DOUBLE
Arkwrisht (7.15)
Djakadam (5.30)
