We couldn’t be any happier than we are with Faugheen
He was unbelievable last year, and is in great form for his first start of the season. He worked really well on Tuesday morning, we couldn’t be happier with him, so fingers crossed things will go to plan.
John Codd, who rides him at home, kept on telling us he’s in great form, and we saw that for ourselves on Tuesday. I’d say he’s definitely more forward going to Punchestown than he was going to Ascot for his first run of last season. We’re delighted with him, and really looking forward to it now.
Wicklow Brave, Nichols Canyon and the other runners have a stone and a half and more to make up on him. Fair to point out Wicklow Brave has a fitness edge, but I think Faugheen is the best hurdler in training and will be very disappointed if he doesn’t extend his unblemished record.
Returning to today’s action, before I run through the remainder of tomorrow’s runners, Willie has three runners in the Mares’ Listed Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon and the one I’ve chosen to ride is Gitane Du Berlais.
She only comes out 1lb right with Whiteout, so I’m just hoping I’m on the right one. If I’m being honest, my rationale was that Gitane Du Berlais is a more high-class winter mare than Whiteout is.
Of course, Whiteout has the advantage of race-fitness, but I just think Gitane Du Berlais should be different class. If I’m right about that, she should be able to cope with these mares this afternoon, and it’s a good opportunity for her to build up to something bigger and better.
Willie’s other runner in the race is Valyssa Monterg, who, I have a suspicion, may benefit from a longer trip.
I ride Rossvoss for Dad in the two-mile-six handicap chase. He won a novice chase in Naas but has been a bit in and out since, and I’m sure if he could be placed Dad would be delighted.
Beau Mome, which I ride in the four-year-olds’ hurdle, came from France in the springtime. He has schooled really well at home, and also works well, but we haven’t done a whole pile with him. He won an AQPS bumper in France early last year, over a mile and a half, and hopefully he’ll get two and a half today. If he does, he should go well, and this is a good starting point for him.
Aside from my three rides today, Willie has plenty of other runners at Punchestown. Bryan Cooper rides the Gigginstown-owned Outlander in the beginners’ chase. He was a good novice hurdler last year, and has schooled really well over fences. He was always going to be a better chaser than he was a hurdler, and I think he’ll get off to a winning start today.
Patrick is on On His Own in the Risk Of Thunder. He badly needs the experience over the banks. He has always been a bit careful jumping, and is probably best watched on this occasion. The long-term target for him is the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, which is now a conditions race.
Willie also runs Avenir D’Une Vie, which Patrick also rides, in the bumper, and he should be hard to beat. He’s had plenty of issues — we tried to run him last year, but he had a setback. He’s doing things nicely now, though, and is more than capable of winning a bumper.
Over in Cheltenham today, Willie runs two in the bumper: Snag List and Dreambaby. On home-work, you’d choose Snag List every time, but Dreambaby definitely showed plenty of guts and stamina to win at Galway last time, and the stiff track at Cheltenham should play to her strengths.
If it was based on home-work alone, Snag List would probably win, but it’s a graded bumper, with plenty of winners, and if one or both of ours could get some black-type we’d be delighted. I’m glad it’s not my choice, because I wouldn’t be able to pick between the two.
Returning to tomorrow’s action, Rupert Lamb, in the first race, is my only other ride at Punchestown. He won well at Killarney but had a hold-up afterwards. That was a great pot to win, and anything afterwards was always going to be a bonus. It came on good ground, and how he’ll handle soft ground in Punchestown is a different story. We’re hoping for luck with him, and will take whatever comes.
Babbling Stream should go very close in the bumper. He’s had his problems and Willie couldn’t train him as hard as he would have liked before his run for us, last month at Cork. He has improved a good bit for the outing, and that should nearly be good enough to get him through.
Willie also runs a few tomorrow at Cork, getting underway with Bleu Et Rouge in the four-year-olds’ hurdle. He came to the yard at the same sort of time as Beau Mome, and also does things well at home. He’s a horse for the future and, like Beau Mome, we hope he can go very close.
Bellshill runs in the other maiden hurdle and it’s a race Willie has won a couple of times recently. The horse won the Champion Bumper at Punchestown last year, and should have no problem translating that ability to hurdling as he’s a magnificent jumper. Last year’s bumper form could to with a boost, and he can give it one here.
Difficult to understand thinking behind Cork race
Cork has a nice card tomorrow, but I can’t figure out why HRI or the race programming committee, or whoever, has put on a 0-116 beginners’ chase.
Punchestown got 28 entries for their novice chase, which is a cracking race, but Cork only got 12 entries, and it’s a middling race.
I don’t know who is trying to downgrade the racing in Cork, but having a rated novice chase on a Sunday in the middle of winter baffles me. Thurles also has a huge entry for its novice chase next Thursday. These horses don’t want to run against each other and Cork could have run an open novice chase, had two or three really good horses in it, and it would have given the race and card a boost.
