Jane Mangan’s William Hill blog: Punchestown Festival Day Five and 2000 Guineas tips

William Hill ambassador Jane Mangan previews the fifth and final day from the Punchestown Festival, and also has a tip in the 2000 Guineas from Newmarket.

I know we’ve got some cracking flat action over the weekend, including the 2000 and 1000 Guineas as well as the Kentucky Derby, but I’m still in jumps mode. Let’s look at Day Five at the Punchestown Festival!

Punchestown, Saturday

There are so many horses with stamina doubts in the handicap chase (3:05pm) — the trip is over the best part of four miles, and I can see a lot of these runners not seeing out the trip. One horse with no such doubts is Matthew Smith’s Another Choice. He likes these tests and, while he was beaten easily by Haiti Couleurs in the Irish Grand National last time, his run behind History Of Fashion at Fairyhouse in December stands out. He is well weighted this time around, and I’m expecting him to run a big race at a nice each-way price.

The Mares’ Champion Hurdle (3:42pm) is next. It’s disappointing that Brighterdaysahead didn’t line up on Friday in the actual Punchestown Champion Hurdle, but it isn’t surprising considering she was put in her place in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. She returns here with points to prove, and I’m going to oppose her with Jade De Grugy. On official ratings, she has 14 pounds to find with the favourite, but I think she can find it. She wasn’t disgraced behind Lossiemouth at Cheltenham, she likes it here at Punchestown and is rarely outside the money. She’s good enough for Paul Townend, which is good enough for me. I think she can enhance Willie Mullins’ impressive record in this race.

Peter Fahey would have rightfully been annoyed that his horse Canal End failed to make the cut for the Irish Grand National by just one number — he was the reserve that did not get in — but I think he can gain compensation in the Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase (4:15pm) over three miles. He won a Listed handicap chase at Navan, and he is up nine pounds for that effort, but I think there is more to come from him. Mark Walsh and JP McManus have had a week to remember, and I think they can crown it here with another victory.

Willie Mullins has won nine of the last eleven renewals of the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle (4:50pm), with eleven wins in total. However, Nicky Henderson is my solution to the puzzle. He’s had four winners from nine runners since 1999, and I think Lulamba can make it number five. He was so unlucky not to win the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham – he was absolutely mugged on the line. I believe he has the class to prevail. While many of his rivals here boast nice Flat form, he is the future superstar of the field. He lost nothing in defeat at Cheltenham, and I think we will see James Bowen play his cards late. He’s got a huge future, he’s the real deal, and I think he will win here.

The two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle (5:25pm) is a typical Punchestown contest — ultra-competitive with a host of profiles coming together. I like Wellington Arch. He is ultra-consistent and hasn’t been out of the first two in his last six starts. He took down Kopeck De Mee in a 20-runner handicap hurdle at Aintree last time. He’s up seven pounds for that run, but I think more improvement is forthcoming. The Brits have had a strong week, as have the O’Neills and Richie McLernon — they can cap off a fantastic week for the raiders with Wellington Arch.

Newmarket, Saturday

Instead of one for the bumper, how about one for the 2000 Guineas (3:35pm)? It’s the first European Classic of the year, and it’s an exciting time, and I believe that Green Impact is going to make into a star three-year-old. I saw him work at Naas after racing on Monday evening, and Jessica Harrington seems to be very happy with her charge. Considering how well the form from his two-year-old campaign is working out, I believe Green Impact is underrated by many and overpriced in the betting. I don’t think that’ll be the case anymore come Saturday afternoon.