RICHARD DUNWOODY will renew his successful partnership with Flashing Steel in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown. He had also been approached to ride Imperial Call in Sunday's race but his agent Robert Parsons said yesterday morning "Richard will ride Flashing Steel.
"He has ridden the horse four times and won on him three times, including at Cheltenham in December, 1993 so he has some nice memories of the horse."
Ladbrokes quote the John Mulhern trained Flashing Steel at 9 to 2 for Sunday's event and 16 to 1 for the Gold Cup.
On the same card Dunwoody will team up again with Treble Bob, whom he partnered to victory at Leopardstown earlier this month. He rides the Dermot Weld trained six year old, offered at 10 to 1 for the Sun Alliance Chase by Coral, in the WinElectric Novices' Chase Final.
Meanwhile, Tiananmen Square, off the track since finishing a distant second to Flakey Dove at Haydock two years ago, makes a welcome return to action at Punchestown this afternoon. He meets fellow Stayers' Hurdle entries, Derrymoyle, Balawhar and Belvederian in what should an extremely informative Red Bog Hurdle.
By far the highest rated of the quartet, Tiananmen Square has now joined the Aidan O'Brien team. Still only an eight year old, he presumably will come on considerably for the run and is probably best overlooked today. That other ex invalid Balawhar has only been a shadow of his former self since his return and it is hard to make a case for him here.
Belvederian ran a cracking race to finish fourth in last year's Jameson Irish Grand National having been off the track since Christmas. He has been kept to hurdling this winter and has run respectable races on two visits to England and must come into the reckoning.
Although he is also entered for the Champion Hurdle and despite another fine Ladbroke display over a tight two miles Derrymoyle is a much more effective performer over today's distance. He beat Dorans Pride over three miles on this course at last year's festival and it will be a major disappointment if he fails today.
Following three useful placed runs over fences, Blazing Spectacle should finally have his winning turn in the Grangebeg Beginners Chase. An interesting newcomer to chasing here is Gambolling Doc, whose victims over hurdles include Ventana Canyon.
Having won with considerable here on Tuesday, Old Abbey is sure to jump considerably in the weights when reassessed. So his mandatory 4lb penalty gives him an excellent chance in the Ballintaggart Handicap Hurdle, in which Moses Prey is a possible danger.
Bait Owen, who heads the weights for the Rathside Handicap Chase, was over 20 lengths behind when fifth to Wylde Hide in the Thyestes last week. He should go well here, but preference is for Lord Singapore, who stayed on well when third to Kalona early last month and before that accounted for Midnight Hour at Fairyhouse.
