Gavin Cromwell’s William Hill blog: We’ve made no Secret of Bottler’s ability

The final two days of the Punchestown Festival are upon us and we’re looking forward to ending an already successful week for the team with more talented runners.

Friday, Punchestown

We kick off Friday with Perceval Legallois for J P McManus in the Novice Handicap Chase (4.15pm). He was running a cracking race last time when falling at the last at Leopardstown, which the handicapper put him up a few pounds for. He’s in good form at home and we’re hoping he won’t be too far away.

Brides Hill has been a smashing mare for us, and she takes on Allegorie De Vassy in the Grade 2 Mares Chase (4.50pm). We didn’t run her in the Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival because the ground got too soft, but the nicer ground should suit her ideally here. She’s got to take on a couple of Mullins mares, but I think she’ll run a big race.

Fenway Park goes later on the card in the novice hurdle (7.05pm). His second to Quai De Bourbon back in December reads like an interesting piece of form given what he’s gone on to do at Cheltenham and Ayr since. He might just struggle in this company, with impressive Boodles winner Lark In The Mornin and Willie’s (Mullins) Anotherway in there, but hopefully our guy has a place chance.

In the final race on Friday, I Am Mimi goes in the bumper (7.40pm). We liked his first run when he was second behind a talented type of Gordon’s (Elliott), and he went around quite nicely in a schooling bumper at Fairyhouse last week. I’m hopeful of a good run and that he won’t be too far away.

Saturday, Punchestown

Peaches And Cream is our first Punchestown runner on Saturday in the handicap chase (3.05pm). He fell when still in contention during the Ulster National but did go up a couple of pounds for that which wasn’t ideal! Notwithstanding that, he could well still be competitive, as this is a race he won two years ago.

We’re hoping that Bottler’secret is a very nice juvenile who enters G1 company for the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle (4.50pm). This will be the fastest ground he’s encountered so far this season, but hopefully that won’t inconvenience him. We’ve got off to a great start with him and I’m looking at him as one who’ll keep progressing. I’m really optimistic about his chances and think he should be bang there.

It’s Visionarian’s (5.25pm) first start for us and he’s shown us some nice signs at home. His hurdle mark is a good bit lower than his chase mark, and that’s probably because he’s such a good jumper of a fence. It’s hard to know how well he’s done for the change of scenery, but we would like to think he can put in a good run.

We’ve had the most frustrating time with Encanto Bruno (5.25pm) this spring. He’s been to Cheltenham, Aintree and then Cheltenham again, and hasn’t run at all. It’s been no fault of his own as ground has gone against him twice, and he bizarrely banged his eye at Cheltenham in April so he couldn’t run. He’s clearly been very unlucky, but I think he should finally get his ground so he should be right there.

It was great to land a bumper earlier in the week with Sixandahalf and we send Will The Wise (6.00pm) as our final runner at the meeting. He’s a nice horse that we bought after winning his Point-To-Point, and he’s definitely a chaser in the making. This race won’t be his be-all-and-end-all but we do view him as one for the future, so keep an eye on him.

Snellen Update

Snellen was well-beaten on Monday in her seasonal reappearance at Naas, but I think she actually ran a decent race. The ground was too soft for her as she travelled through the race nicely, but just couldn’t quicken off the slow pace. She’s come out of the race well and we’ll probably aim her at Irish Guineas weekend, albeit probably not in the 1000 Guineas itself. There’s a handicap she’d be suitable for her there, so don’t forget about her.