Barry Geraghty
Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Fact To File can make freshness count
William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty previews the pick of Wednesday and Thursday’s racing from the Punchestown Festival.
Punchestown, Wednesday
The three-mile Grade 1 novice hurdle (4:15pm) looks competitive, with The Passing Wife and Fruit De Mer representing the Albert Bartlett form. The one I like, though, is ZANOOSH. She’s won her last five starts and put in a really good performance last time to win a Grade 1 mares’ novice in Fairyhouse. She looks highly progressive and I think stepping up further in trip is going to suit her. She’s been campaigned at home rather than going to Cheltenham and I think this could be coming at the right time for her.
With the way he won at Cheltenham, it’s hard to get away from THE MOURNE RAMBLER in the Grade 1 bumper (4:50pm), and if he reproduces anything close to that level of form, I think he will be tough to beat. Sometimes running at big festivals takes a lot out of young horses, but what stands out about him is he’s a very relaxed horse, both in his racing style and in the preliminaries. At Cheltenham, I saw Noel Meade’s travelling head lass, Emma, plaiting him while he was lying down, so I wouldn’t say the experience took too much out of him! He looks the right type for these big festivals and he’s the one to beat, with perhaps Dromard his main danger.
KING ALEXANDER put in a good run at Cheltenham when fourth in the Jack Richards behind Meetmebythesea and he looks the right favourite for the two-and-a-half-mile Grade 3 handicap chase (5:25pm). That form was franked by Gold Dancer and Regent’s Stroll finishing first and second in the Grade 1 William Hill Mildmay Novices’ Chase in Aintree. Doyen Quest finished fourth there and has since gone on to win at Sandown last weekend, so it looks really strong form and is more reflective of Graded form rather than a handicap. If that form transfers across, then King Alexander is the one to beat.
It looks like we’re going to be treated to the match of the season in the Grade 1 Punchestown Gold Cup (6:05pm) between Gaelic Warrior and FACT TO FILE, who are perhaps the best two chasers around currently. Gaelic Warrior was very impressive when winning the Gold Cup. Before that he put in a brilliant run to finish second to Fact To File at the Dublin Racing Festival, despite being very keen, and then you go back to the start of the season, where he narrowly beat Fact To File in the John Durkan. I’d say there’s going to be very little between them again. The slight positive for Fact To File is that he comes here fresh after being declared a non-runner at Cheltenham. He was obviously really good at the DRF but I still think he’s a horse we haven’t seen the best of yet. I think Gaelic Warrior will set a good pace here, and Mark Walsh on Fact To File should be able to sit closer to the pace than he did in the John Durkan. With freshness on his side, I think he might just edge this. It was great to see Inothewayurthinkin put in a better performance at Cheltenham, but I do think Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior are just a step ahead of him at the moment. It’s going to be a brilliant spectacle.
Punchestown, Thursday
In the three-mile Listed handicap hurdle (4:15pm), I like THE BIG CLUBMAN. He had some good early season form, beating Parnell Street in a maiden hurdle and was then second to Kalypso’chance in a Grade 3 novice hurdle in Navan. He did disappoint in his run at Christmas but returned in February with a good effort when second at Newbury in a two-and-a-half novice hurdle. He steps back up in trip here, on better ground and with first-time cheekpieces applied, which I think should help him. He looks like a proper stayer and could be well-handicapped on the back of his flop at Limerick over Christmas.
Next up we have the two-mile Listed handicap chase (4:50pm). I thought COME WALK WITH ME put up a big performance when winning at Fairyhouse at Easter. He’s gone up 11 pounds for that but the horse that finished second has gone on to win at Navan and a good race at Ayr since, so that gives the form a strong look to it. Come Walk With Me is a gorgeous, big horse and jumped really well at Fairyhouse on only his fourth start over fences. I think he can take another step forward here.
I’m sure for most people the Grade 1 two-mile novice chase (5:25pm) will be all about KOPEK DES BORDES. I do think he was a shade unlucky in the Arkle and perhaps if Paul [Townend] had his time again he would have delivered him a bit later. With a cleaner jump over the last, he may well have won. That was his first run since November and only his second run over fences. Early on at Cheltenham his jumping did leave a little bit to be desired, but as the race progressed he settled into his rhythm. I’d imagine he will get into that rhythm sooner at Punchestown, and with the run under his belt, it’s very hard to make a case against him.
Teahupoo was a little disappointing in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham but I think that was largely down to the good ground. The ground will be well watered in Punchestown, which I think will improve his chances in the Grade 1 Champion Stayers’ Hurdle (6:05pm), but I think his defeat last time might show that he’s lost half-a-yard of pace. To me Bob Olinger sets the standard on his run at Cheltenham when third behind Home By The Lee, but he could still be vulnerable. KAWABOOMGA might be the improving horse coming through. He was untidy at the third last in Fairyhouse last time, but stayed on strongly close home to be second to Slade Steel, so it was a good run. If you go back to his maiden hurdle form, he was second to Kopek Des Bordes and then went on to beat William Munny, finishing a long way clear of Koktail Divin and Zanoosh in third and fourth, so that looks really strong form. He could be a horse that’s better stepping up in trip and might be able to cause an upset here.
