DAVY RUSSELL: Punchestown Festival, Wednesday

You just NEVER know in racing. It was looking very much like being a blank day at the office for me on the opening day at Punchestown before the miraculous turn of events in the Growise Champion Novice Chase in which I was able to pick up the pieces, amongst the drama, to win onboard The Storyteller.

The dust is still settling on the incident and we don’t yet know the reasons why Paul did what he did but I can count myself very fortunate to pick up this Grade 1 prize.

Elsewhere on the card, Paloma Blue seemed to show the effects of having a tough season and Ordinary World didn’t get the good Spring ground he really needs to be at his best.

Now onto Wednesday and four more rides:

WEDNESDAY

PUNCHESTOWN

POLI ROI (4.20pm Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle)

To be honest he’s disappointed us of late having promised so much at the beginning of the season his form has dropped right off. Nice winner of a Down Royal maiden hurdle in November but since then hasn’t fired at all. We are hoping the application of a tongue tie and blinkers for the first time will bring about a return of form but he looks up against here. The obvious main danger looks to be Sire Du Berlais who I rode to finish second on his seasonal reappearance before he went onto finish fourth in the Martin Pipe. His mark of 142 tells you all you need to know and that rating shows he’s clearly the one to beat.

DELTA WORK (4.55pm Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle)

The first of the Grade 1 action where I ride Pertemps winner Delta Work. He’s a lovely horse who won nicely at Cheltenham but that was in handicap company and he is very much in at the deep end here in Grade 1 company. He is progressing nicely but will need to step up again to beat the likes of Next Destination and Kilbricken Storm. Next Destination rattled off a sequence here in Ireland before being outpaced and running on when third in the Ballymore. He looks to be crying out for this step up in trip to three miles and is definitely the one we all have to beat.

SUB LIEUTENANT (5.30pm Coral Punchestown Gold Cup)

The feature race of the day, if not the meeting, and I ride Sub Lieutenant. He’s been to both Cheltenham and Aintree so has had a busy time of it of late but has only had the two runs this calendar year. On form he’s got a little bit to find with the leading players but is sure to run his race. Road To Respect will be the top of most peoples lists but I’d be a bit worried about him going this way round and would be prepared to give Killultagh Vic another chance if he is over his Cheltenham exertions. He is without doubt a very good horse when everything clicks and he may just be the one for this.

CLARCAM (6.40pm Guinness Handicap Chase)

Hasn’t been setting the world alight before his really good run in the Topham at Aintree where he finished sixth and he now lines up for this two and a half mile handicap. He wouldn’t want too much more rain as the better the ground the better his chances. I’m hoping that good Aintree run will spark a return to form in what looks a typically wide open Punchestown handicap.

Best Of Luck

DAVY

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YOUR SAY

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