Jane Mangan’s William Hill Blog: Blackjack could be Magic at Punchestown

The final day of this year’s Punchestown Festival is upon us – I don’t know about you but my stamina is about to run out! Nevertheless, I might be on air at Punchestown but I will also be keeping a close eye on the first Classic of the season.

Punchestown, Saturday

The Grade One for Juveniles at 4.50pm sees plenty of 4yo’s re-opposing from the Triumph and from Aintree, but I think the path less trodden might pay dividends here. Kargese is probably the most talented horse in the race, but she pulls so ridiculously hard that she must be feeling the effects of a long season – she is just so hard on herself and her rider. So, with that in mind, I think the more lightly raced and progressive Bottler’secret, who was so impressive at Fairyhouse, could give Sean Flanagan and Gavin Cromwell and Grade One here. He’s a high class, improving four-year-old who has adapted to hurdling like a natural. Gavin has form with this profile of horse and considering he’s yet to get a proper hard race this season, I think he might just have the measure of the mare.

In the 4.15pm, I like Blackjack Magic. Going back to November, he beat Threeunderthrufive at Wincanton off a mark of 132 and he’s only three pounds higher here after being given a chance by the Irish handicapper, who has dropped him five pounds since his second last run. For Anthony Honeyball, he should be hard to beat, given that he can handle this type of ground, he stays the trip well and he beat a classy horse in November.

It’s very hard to look beyond Waterford Whispers in the 5.25pm, having run such a good race in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham. The form has taken a little knock subsequently, but I think that, if this horse had settled at Cheltenham, then he may well have won. Having Mark Walsh back on board is a huge asset to him. There’s a big field of 25 runners, within which Walsh can switch him off. I think this horse is very, very hard to oppose.

The 2000 Guineas

It may have been a week full of Punchestown, but we are not forgetting the first Classic of the season; the 2000 Guineas (3.35pm, Newmarket, Saturday). I think City Of Troy is a worthy favourite, but too short to be of any interest from a punting perspective, so I’d like to play this from an each-way viewpoint. With that in mind, I like Iberian. He won the Champagne last year at Doncaster, he beat Sunway and Rosallion and I don’t think he was anywhere near his best when he got beaten by City Of Troy in the Dewhurst at the end of last year. The Guineas isn’t a big field this year, and I think Iberian is a good each-way price and could make this race interesting.