Punchestown’s “Premiere Weekend” Grade One action is set to serve up sublime National Hunt action and an unfortunate side order of ridiculous.
Although Sunday’s John Durkan Chase is a first step towards the ultimate goal of Cheltenham Gold Cup glory in March, such is the star power lining up it really can be billed in terms of a mini “Blue Riband”.
Reigning Gold Cup champion Galopin Des Champs and old rival Fastorslow have a seventh career clash, while new kid on the block Fact To File could turn the established order on its head in a potentially vintage clash.
That trio top current Gold Cup betting lists and a similar state of play surrounds Saturday’s Unibet Morgiana Hurdle following news that the English star Constitution Hill is lame and likely to miss next weekend’s Fighting Fifth at Newcastle.
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Both State Man and Lossiemouth give Willie Mullins outstanding chances of extending his Morgiana dominance to 13 wins in 14 years. Only Gordon Elliott interrupted the remarkable hot streak with Abracdabras in 2020. Once again he will hope to disrupt the Mullins party with Brighterdaysahead.
There’s even the bonus of the hugely exciting Cheltenham winner Ballyburn getting his new career over fences under way on Saturday.
Also wedged into Saturday’s programme, though, is the Boodles Florida Pearl Chase, a Grade Two with just three runners, all owned by Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary and all trained by Elliott.
Even allowing for how unseasonably dry conditions have delayed some high-class novices from starting their careers over fences, with many still to line up in Beginners Chases, it is still a farcical scenario.
Just seven were left in this prestigious black-type contest at Tuesday’s acceptance stage and only two of them were not trained by Elliott.
A lot of factors are likely to have persuaded some owners and trainers that discretion would be the better part of valour. But neither the prospect of €36,500 in prize money nor black type seems to have exerted much influence on such decisions.
It makes anticipation of a properly competitive Morgiana even more keen. State Man has won it at long odds-on for the last two years, but the prolific champion hurdler won’t have any such “gimme” this time as he chases an 11th career Grade One. Brighterdaysahead is an exciting young prospect in her own right, although it is State Man’s stable companion Lossiemouth that brings a real tingle of anticipation.
Any doubts that Willie Mullins would let the pair take each other on don’t appear to have been realised and a convincing display by either will surely elbow Constitution Hill even further aside in Cheltenham betting.
Paul Townend opting for State Man is no surprise and the sport’s most high-profile “forgotten” horse has an edge on official ratings over Lossiemouth. Such figures hardly correspond to the mare’s potential, however, as evidenced by her new status as Cheltenham favourite with some firms.
Patrick Mullins rides Lossiemouth for the first time and does the same with Grangeclare West in Sunday’s Durkan.
The arrival of rain, with up to 25ml forecast overnight alone, sees the all-powerful Mullins team step up several gears including with five of the nine Durkan runners. They are topped by Galopin Des Champs who is level 3-3 with Fastorslow overall but who has come off worst around Punchestown.
All nine runners are making their seasonal debuts so much of the outcome will depend on readiness. Galopin for instance had to miss some work last month due to a setback. Townend is on the dual-Gold Cup hero while Mark Walsh has unsurprisingly opted for Fact To File from JP McManus’s trio of top-flight novices taking on seniors for the first time.
Top amateur Derek O’Connor has a first spin on Fastorslow who won it a year ago and boasts a pair of Punchestown Gold Cup victories too.
With so much uncertainty about who the most tuned up will be, on this occasion it could be value to look outside the big guns and examine Grangeclare West’s chances of establishing himself as a big shot too.
The lightly-raced Mullins runner won both his novice starts last season, including when putting Corbett’s Cross in his place over Christmas despite running very free. The drop in trip should be no issue on that evidence and Mullins won the 2021 Durkan on Allaho for the ownership.
With a yellow wind and warning in place there will be a 7.30am inspection at Punchestown on Saturday morning. Hopes are high there won’t be a problem.
Saturday’s action is live on TG4 before RTÉ takes over for Sunday.
More evidence of how the Mullins team is cranking into top gear comes at Haydock where the supplemented Capodanno tries his luck in Saturday’s Betfair Chase. In comparison to the Durkan there is a comparative second-division feel to Britain’s first Grade One prize of the season.
Capodanno was a top-flight winner as a novice and impressed at Grade Two level in Cheltenham last Spring. Along with another McManus hope, Limerick Lace, and the hardly stalwart Hewick, they represent a strong Irish challenge.
However if Grey Dawning can’t stamp his Gold Cup credentials here the home team’s chances of a first Gold Cup since 2017 will start to look threadbare.
