Punchestown day three tips: Asterion Forlonge can get the better of Teahupoo

Title rivals Paul Townend and Jack Kennedy clash in a number of races on day three

Thu, 02 May, 2024 - 07:05

Tommy Lyons

Paul Townend has a whole host of good chances on day three of the Punchestown festival, but championship leader Jack Kennedy also has an important afternoon ahead of him, with a couple of his best chances of the week in action.

Kennedy will be in the weighroom looking on at the Grade One Barberstown Castle Novice Chase as Townend rides short-priced favourite Gaelic Warrior, likely to victory. That poor effort at the Dublin Racing Festival, when he eventually unseated in the match race with Fact To File, stands as his only defeat to date over fences, and barring accidents he should complete an otherwise brilliant season with victory. Stablemates Il Etait Temps and Hercule Du Seuil provide the only credible opposition and can fill the minor placings in that order.

The leading riders clash in a number of races but none may be more important in the championship race than the Grade One Ladbrokes Champion Stayers’ Hurdle.

Kennedy’s mount, Teahupoo, who won the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, will likely go off quite a strong favourite but he was beaten in this race last year, and the ground is likely to be quite a bit quicker than ideal for Gordon Elliott’s runner.

The strength of the opposition is questionable and perhaps he will get away with it this time, but he was a couple of places behind Asterion Forlonge here in 2023 and there could be value in going with the same horse to finish in front of him once more. With Townend riding that fellow, it could be huge in the destination of the jockeys’ championship.

Whatever happens there, Kennedy should already have one on the board as the nap goes to his mount, Coko Beach, in the Mongey Communication La Touche Cup Cross Country Chase.

He is an incredibly consistent horse and even though there is a duck egg as his latest line of form, that was in the Aintree Grand National and he ran out of steam over the four-mile-two trip. He was an easy winner over the banks on his only previous outing since the turn of the year, and even if the trip is at the upper limit of his stamina, his class should be too much for his rivals.

Gavin Cromwell is having a superb season and a great meeting, and his Stumptown rates an obvious danger, though his lack of experience over banks is a concern.

Kennedy also has strong claims aboard Mighty Tom in the listed Frontline Security Handicap Chase. Highly tried in his first two outings over fences, he was a shade disappointing at Thurles but that was in heavy ground. Back on quicker conditions and starting off in handicap company off a lower mark than he achieved over fences, everything is in place for a big run. Enniskerry is another worth considering, even though he hasn’t run in nine months. That is seldom a concern for runners from the Barry Connell stable and this classy performer has leading claims here.

Willie Mullins holds a strong hand in the listed Close Brothers Mares’ Novice Hurdle but Paul Townend’s mount, Spindlebarry, comes here on the back of a huge run behind stablemate Jade De Grugy in the Grade One at Fairyhouse and ought to be hard to beat. She can only continue to improve with experience and is preferred to stablemate Got Glory.

PUNCHESTOWN

Selections

3:40 Judicieuse Allen

4:15 Mighty Tom

4:50 Coko Beach (Nap)

5:25 Gaelic Warrior

6:00 Asterion Forlonge

6:35 Captain Cody

7:05 Spindleberry (NB)

7:40 Samyr

Next best

3:40 Nara