Although Philip Hobbs has scratched his horses from the main races at next week's Punchestown Festival, he will still be bringing over a team of runners to the Kildare venue. Village King, which was pulled up at Cheltenham, is fit again and will run in the Quinns of Baltinglass La Touche Cup on the Thursday.
The trainer will also bring over Native Flight, the winner of a novice chase at Punchestown in 1999. He will run in the Kilashee House Hotel Handicap Chase on the Friday. Surprising will line up for the Flogas Hotel Handicap Chase on the same day. Hobbs and stable jockey Richard Johnson expect to have their first runner of the week on Wednesday with Bow Strada in the J F Dunne Insurance Handicap Hurdle.
Punchestown's Director of racing Richie Galway has welcomed overnight rain at the track and the going is now yielding in the straight.
Filed by Laura Reynolds
