3.40 Adare Manor Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle
Former Flat winner Black Key seems on a reasonable mark here. He is a typical enough son of Authorized in that he keeps going without necessarily quickening under positive rides, such as when second to Catwalk King at Fairyhouse last week, a run that had more positives than negatives. This trip is no issue for him and, considering it was his handicap debut and the trip was probably sharp, his third at Fairyhouse earlier in the month was encouraging too.
Crossed My Mind has less to do here after two visits to Britain for races in which he was well-fancied. His Ascot offering last time was disappointing but conditions were atrocious and he looks potentially well-treated.
Selections: Black Key, Crossed My Mind
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4.20 Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle
Le Martalin has yet to win a race over fences but he has been keeping smart company and, back over hurdles, he is no forlorn hope here. That said, he has 10lbs to find with Sire Du Berlais on ratings, so it will not be easy.
Kaiser Black has a further 10lbs to find with Sire Du Berlais, though he is unexposed and there are reasons to believe he can improve. The more one looks at it, though, the more it looks Sire Du Berlais's race to lose. His rating of 142 is warranted, since he was second off 135 on his second handicap start and placed off a British mark of 144 at Cheltenham behind stablemate Blow By Blow.
Selection: Sire Du Berlais 15-8
4.55 Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle
There are a dozen Grade One races this week and they will probably decide the title race. Willie Mullins has the upper-hand in most of them and certainly this one, with Next Destination the bet of the day.
The son of Dubai Destination won Naas' only Grade One race earlier this season, having scored in a lesser contest at Navan. Both of those races were over two and a half miles and when one adds in his staying-on third to Samcro after getting outpaced in the Ballymore, three miles seems a positive if anything.
Willie Mullins probably should have run him in the Albert Bartlett rather than the Ballymore. Instead, he relied on some lesser types in the staying event, including Ballyward, who has solid place claims but lacks a bit of class.
Moreover, he has to reverse Albert Bartlett form with Kilbricken Storm. Colin Tizzard's Oscar-bred was a 33-1 shot then, but he won the race on merit.
Selection: Next Destination 15-8
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5.30 Coral Punchestown Gold Cup
The present version of this race was introduced in 1999. Since then, the race has been spread surprisingly among various trainers. Willie Mullins is the winning-most trainer with three: Florida Pearl (2002), Sir Des Champs (2013), Boston Bob (2014).
It is not an appealing betting race this year. Even the selection, Bellshill, is just a 9-2 chance; he was far bigger than that in a handicap last time. That said, that was the Irish National, and if he had not seemingly lost concentration so badly at the last, he surely would have won. An appeal against his demotion to fifth was quashed yesterday.
That was a hard race just over three weeks ago, so there are reservations, but he may like this ground better than Road To Respect, the remote Gold Cup fourth who would be a reasonably confident pick were conditions good. He has had a superb campaign, connections just hoping the rain stays away.
Total Recall was favourite for the Aintree National a week and a half ago. That was anything but an ideal preparation for this, and he seems accordingly opposable. Stablemate Killultagh Vic makes mistakes and flopped at Cheltenham, as did Edwulf, beaten the guts of 50 lengths on that occasion. Another Mullins runner, Djakadam, seems a terrible price at 11-2 after running a long way below his best the last thrice, beaten 20 lengths in the Gold Cup.
Selection: Road To Respect 9-4
6.05 Racing Post Champion I.N.H. Flat Race For The Conyngham Cup
Patrick Mullins hopes he is not left with egg on his face after keeping faith with Blackbow, who won the hottest bumper run in Ireland this year (Leopardstown's Dublin Racing Festival) but finished behind three stablemates, at least two of which he could have chosen instead at Cheltenham.
Those who think that Gordon Elliott is up against it here may point to the odds, but neither Felix Desjy nor Rapid Escape is ruled out, and the last-named seems fine value at 16-1.
Rapid Escape was a 3-1 shot in that aforementioned hot bumper in which Blackbow was second. He cannot have shown his true form then and, with Lisa O'Neill on board, he can build on the immense potential he showed earlier in the campaign.
Relegate, again the mount of Katie Walsh, will probably do well to make it four from four.
Selection: Rapid Escape 16-1
6.40 Guinness Handicap Steeplechase
A no-bet race on the face of it, with these high-class handicap chases often falling into that category, as few have anything to spare from the handicapper.
Daryl Jacob looked after Polidam at Aintree when his chance was gone and it is worth recalling that he was a 7-4 favourite in this race 12 months ago. He is 8lb higher now, but has to be respected.
Oscar Knight was brought down quite early in the Irish National and is a speculative pick now over what might be his ideal trip. His third in the Paddy Power at Leopardstown last season advertises his chance, and his second to Total Recall over hurdles in February was a hell of a run considering the winner was thrown in.
Selection: Polidam, Oscar Knight
7.15 Weatherbys General Stud Book Irish EBF Mares Flat Race
The Willie Mullins-trained Colreevy drops markedly in class here after finishing an excellent seventh in the Cheltenham Bumper. She has to be respected.
It is worth recalling that she was previously odds-on favourite in a race at Leopardstown in which Relegate beat Getaway Katie May – finishing third that day certainly looks no disgrace now.
Selection: Colreevy 7-4
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