Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: More top-level success brewing for Teahupoo

William Hill ambassador looks ahead to days three and four from the Punchestown Festival and picks out his best bets.

Punchestown, Thursday

In the two-mile Listed Handicap Chase (4:15pm), BLOOD DESTINY steps into handicap company for the first time. He was beaten last time by Spillane’s Tower over two and a half miles in heavy ground, but he was very impressive when beating the same rival the time before in Navan. He does have a good bit of weight to give away, but he’s a very good horse – he jumps really well and has lots of pace – and I think the step back to two miles will be a big positive for him. While most of his form is on soft ground, I don’t think good ground will be an inconvenience. I like him a lot and he looks a graded horse in a handicap.

GAELIC WARRIOR (5:25pm) was so impressive in the Arkle. Paul Townend was brilliant on him, to keep him as settled and jumping as straight as he did, because he does have a tendency to jump to his right. He’s going right-handed around Punchestown, so he won’t have that concern here. His jumping in general is very good though and it’s hard to find a hole in him. He looks as much of a sure thing as you could have in a novice chase. Il Etait Temps was very good in Aintree but he has had a busy campaign. Hercule Du Seuil has potential to improve from his run behind Found A Fifty in Aintree, and there could be value in him to be the one to chase Gaelic Warrior home.

Of the short-priced favourites this week, I think TEAHUPOO in the Champion Stayers Hurdle (6:00pm) offers the best value. He goes really well fresh, as he showed when winning the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, where Jack Kennedy rode him with so much confidence – he knew he was going to win. He has very good form on soft ground, but I had the pleasure of riding him in work two years ago and I felt that this fella is more trip dependant than ground dependant. It’s a test of stamina that he needs, whether that comes in distance or in soft ground. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t need the ground soft over three miles. There’s no reason to think any of the horses that finished behind him in Cheltenham can reverse the form, but if you’re looking for one to chase him home, then that might be Home By The Lee.

Punchestown, Friday

ARCTIC BRESIL (4:15pm) was beaten 17 lengths by Shakem Up’Arry in the Plate at Cheltenham having travelled really well throughout the race. He travelled as good as anything coming into the turn, but just got tired on the soft ground. He has struggled through the winter on heavier ground, and I think a return to better ground will see the best of this highly-rated novice hurdler. He is very well handicapped and if the weather obliges and the ground suits than we can expect a good performance.

In the Mares’ Chase (4:50pm) I fancy Gavin Cromwell’s BRIDES HILL who won at Huntington on better ground and was a non-runner at Cheltenham when well-fancied because of the rain they had. She has good form and the ground here will clearly suit. She’s in brilliant form and she is definitely worthy of winning this Grade 2.

The Champion Hurdle (6:00pm) is only a four-runner field. State Man was not as impressive at Cheltenham as he should have been, and he was thought to have underperformed in last year’s Champion Hurdle behind Constitution Hill. He only beat IRISH POINT by a length and a quarter last time out and if he only reproduces that effort, Irish Point could give him a bit to think about. Based on State Man’s form he is not as strong as the market suggests he is. Both of them have form on the ground, Irish Point won on good-to-soft at Aintree last year and State Man won this race last year on yielding ground, so the surface shouldn’t prove an issue. State Man’s strongest form is better, but his Cheltenham form isn’t streets ahead of Irish Point, so the Gordon Elliott runner could offer the better value here.

The other Grade 1 on the day is the Champion Novice Hurdle (6:35pm). BALLYBURN has taken to everything all season, and it’s hard to make a case against him. He is as close as you can get to a rock-solid favourite. Looking further down the card to see what is most likely to chase him home, Staffordshire Knot ran a good race at Aintree but Jetara has the strongest form of the opposition, if she had settled better at Leopardstown in February then she could’ve beaten Dancing City. She ran keen that day and still beat Stellar Story, Rachel Blackmore lost her stirrup coming into the back straight and still only got beaten three lengths. If Jetara settles better here, she’s my selection to chase Ballyburn home.