Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Lulamba can be the Answer this time

William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty previews the best of the action on the final day of the Punchestown Festival.

Punchestown, Saturday

The handicap chase at 3:05pm is run over a marathon trip of three miles seven furlongs and there’s a lot of competitive staying form on offer. To me the horse that looks to have the most potential is ANSWER TO KAYF. He did disappoint behind Caldwell Potter at Cheltenham last time but prior to that he beat Canal End over two miles four furlongs at Naas on soft ground and Canal End went on to win a valuable novice handicap on his next start. That form has worked out well and while there is a question mark over the trip, his pedigree suggest he should stay.

You have to take on trust that Brighterdaysahead is back in form after Cheltenham if she is to justify short odds in the Mares’ Champion Hurdle (3:42pm). Looking at her record over two-and-a-half miles, while she has won twice over this kind of trip, her strongest form is definitely over two miles. I’m not convinced she’s invincible, and I think there’s more value to be had in taking a chance on JADE DE GRUGY at the prices. She ran well behind Lossiemouth in the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, which is form that has worked out well, and she certainly has a chance here if Brighterdaysahead has a bit of an off day.

CANAL END is the one I fancy in the Listed three-mile handicap chase (4:15pm), so it will be interesting to see how Answer To Kayf gets on earlier on the card. He lost out to Answer To Kayf in a novice handicap chase at Naas back in January but there was no disgrace in that, and he has won impressively in a Listed chase at Navan since. He didn’t make the cut for the Irish Grand National, so lines up here instead. His best form is on soft ground, but he really looked to appreciate the step up in trip last time and there could be more to come now.

The Grade 1 Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle (4:50pm) sees a rematch between the first and second in the Triumph hurdle, Poniros and LULAMBA. I think the race at Cheltenham was very much run to suit Poniros as there was a good bit of pace and he was ridden with restraint and finished well as a result. Lulamba raced prominently, was untidy at the third last hurdle and just got passed in the last 50 yards on the run to the line. I don’t think there will be as much pace in this race and we might see Lulamba ridden with a little bit more restraint. Poniros just outstayed Lulamba last time after being given a patient ride but I think this race will play out differently and Lulamba can reverse the form.

The Listed two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle (5:25pm) is another really competitive race. IMPOSE TOI has been kept busy this spring, running good races at both Cheltenham and Aintree. He has top-weight here but he only has to carry 11st 5lbs which isn’t a massive burden. He was beaten fair and square by Jimmy Du Seuil at Cheltenham, but possibly got competitive earlier than ideal and might have been a closer second otherwise. He was then ridden with restraint in Aintree and perhaps dropped out a bit too far but still ran a good race to finish fourth. I think he’ll be ridden slightly closer to the pace here and he’s now nine pounds better off at the weights with Aintree winner Wellington Arch.