DAVY RUSSELL blog: Punchestown Festival Thursday

At the moment I’m not sure if I’ll be racing in Punchestown on Thursday as there is plenty going on at home. We are preparing horses for the store sales as well as having plenty of mares in foal. They say there’s no rest for the wicked! Anyway there’s another good card to look forward to on day three of the meeting…

THURSDAY

PUNCHESTOWN FESTIVAL

4.15pm

The first of the races I’m really looking forward to watching is the two mile handicap chase. Gordon saddles a couple with a squeak in Hollow Games and Call Me Lyreen. Hollow Games is better than he showed in Cheltenham the last day when run off his feet a little in the Arkle. He’s in calmer waters here and Danny (Gilligan) takes off a valuable 7lbs. As for Call Me Lyreen ? , he actually ran better in Cheltenham than his finishing position suggests and can go well at a huge price. He’s more than capable of landing a nice pot like this as he showed at the Dublin Racing Festival a few years back. Obviously, Dinoblue sets the bar high along with Scottish raider Douglas Talking. ⭐ STARSPORTS.BET MARKET ⭐

5.25pm (Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle – Grade One)

It would be some effort for a horse to land the big staying hat-trick (Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown) and if there is one tough enough to do it it’s Sire Du Berlais ? . He was brilliant in Cheltenham and I still don’t know how he managed to win in Aintree. He went from going nowhere to bolting up and had many of us scratching our heads. He’s a remarkable horse and it would be magic for Gordon, JP and Mark if he could go in again. Funnily enough, his biggest danger might well be stablemate Teahupoo. He’s fresh having missed Aintree and this place will suit him better than Cheltenham. Another plus is the fact that there’s a bit of rain around too. These two lads aren’t the only runners and Willie has a strong hand like you might expect. Klassical Dream may just have needed the run in Cheltenham and we know how effective he is around here when on song. Then there’s Monkfish who ran a cracker the last day in Fairyhouse after a big absence. Obviously, you worry whether he can back up a run like that so quickly, but if he can he’ll be right there. ⭐ STARSPORTS.BET MARKET ⭐

6.35pm (Barberstown Castle Novice Chase – Grade One)

From one hugely competitive Grade One to the polar opposite. Willie Mullins saddles three of the four runners including Sporting Life Arkle winner El Fabiolo ? (pictured below). He was deadly in Cheltenham and it would be a huge shock if he didn’t go in again. He had both Saint Roi and Dysart Dynamo in behind that day and I think he’ll be too good for them again. ⭐ STARSPORTS.BET MARKET ⭐

7.45pm

I’m looking forward to seeing Better Days Ahead ? back in action who will be better suited to Punchestown than Cheltenham. He’s got a bright future and shouldn’t be far away. I was taken with the way Ballyburn won here back in February and he’s another smart prospect. He’ll need to settle better this time up in class. ⭐ STARSPORTS.BET MARKET ⭐

Good Luck
Davy