Punchestown Festival 2024: Day 1 Guide
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It’s tradition, a bit like eating Brussels sprouts on Christmas day. We could obviously do without them, but it wouldn’t feel the same.
So here we are with 16 moderate horses racing for a first prize of €8,850. Paragraph 2:
De Nordener finished fifth in 2022, fourth last year and it’s hard to see him finishing out of the first three for new trainer Sam Curling.
He’s been in decent form in point-to-points so an each-way play to very small stakes is advised. He’s a strong traveller worth another shot over this trip.
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Even allowing for that flaw, how on earth can he be 8-1? He was narrowly denied by Mystical Power at Aintree, beaten half a length, so why is he almost three times his price?
He is unbeaten going right-handed with a 3-3 record and just 1-6 going left-handed. I have a feeling he will make all.
He could be absolutely chucked in off 135 and I would say the 2-1/5-2 mark is the price he should be. But this is a 25-runner handicap, and he lacks experience, so let’s chance Conyers Hill each-way against him.
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Expect Sean O’Keeffe to show his hand last. A complete guessing game, but King Rasko Grey cost a whopping €250,000 and Willie Mullins doesn’t tend to splash that sort of cash unless he sees something he likes a lot.
He could be slower than me for all I know, but I didn’t cost €250,000 so the chances are he’s quicker. Paragraph 5:
In expectation of slower conditions, the vote reluctantly goes to Captain Guinness, who doesn’t have a great record at this festival but looked better than ever at Cheltenham and is a big price coming here on the back of a Champion Chase success, for all the race fell apart.
He’s not flashy, but he’s effective and the more rain that falls the more his price will shorten. Conditions will be better here and he might be worth another chance to confirm the promise he is showing at home.
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