Donn McClean previews day two of the 2017 Punchestown Festival with Paul Townend fancied to land another Grade One.
Recommended Bets: Punchestown, day 2
1pt win Al Boum Photo in 4.55 Punchestown at 9/1
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It is difficult to see past Sizing John in the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup today.
Jessica Harrington’s horse was dynamite at Cheltenham, and Robbie Power excelled on him. The pair of them found their rhythm early on, found their racing room, and Sizing John jumped and travelled like the class horse that he is. When he moved up on the outside of Djakadam on the run around the home turn, you knew that he was going to go close, and when he winged the second last and hit the front, you knew that he only had the final fence and the hill to beat.
It is not easy coming on to Punchestown after winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup, it is not a coincidence that, since the Punchestown Gold Cup was re-scaled and re-presented in its current guise, only Kicking King and War Of Attrition have completed the Gold Cup double in the same season. Don Cossack did win at Punchestown in 2015, but he didn’t bag the Cheltenham Gold Cup until 11 months later.
You don’t know what a Gold Cup-winning performance takes out of a horse until he races again.
That said, there is every chance that Sizing John will be bouncing again today. It is almost six weeks since his Cheltenham heroics. That is enough time for Jessica Harrington to have let him down a little after Cheltenham, given him a little break, and got him going again, got him at concert pitch again for today - it looks like all the Commonstown horses are at concert pitch these days.
Also, it's difficult to believe but the Midnight Legend gelding is still only seven. He still has potential for further progression, loves this good ground and has won two of his three chases at Punchestown.
You can be sure that Djakadam will have another go at him, and the easier track and the shorter distance are probably a positive for Willie Mullins’ horse, and it is great that 2015 Gold Cup winner Coneygree is set to take his chance. Also, Outlander’s record at Punchestown over fences (122) is far better than his record at Cheltenham over fences (F0). That said, it is difficult to oppose Sizing John.
The Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle almost matches the Punchestown Gold Cup for intrigue.
The winner and runner-up from the Albert Bartlett Hurdle, Penhill and Monalee, go toe-to-toe again, and they are joined by the Martin Pipe Hurdle winner Champagne Classic and the Pertemps Final winner Presenting Percy.
It should be close between Penhill and Monalee again. Penhill seemed to relish the stamina test at Cheltenham, and this easier three miles – the standard time at Punchestown is five seconds faster than the standard time at Cheltenham – may allow Monalee to get closer.
Also, Henry de Bromhead’s horse has run twice at the track. He was only just beaten by No Comment in a bumper at this meeting last year, and he won his maiden hurdle over two miles and six furlongs at Punchestown last November.
Presenting Percy is also a winner over hurdles at Punchestown, and Pat Kelly’s horse put up a massive performance to win the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham. To win a Pertemps Final off a mark of 146 and carrying 11st 11lb, a novice among hardened handicappers, was a high-class performance.
The Irish handicapper gave him a mark of 159 after that, which leaves him 6lb clear of Penhill on official ratings and well clear of everything else in the race. He sets the standard.
This is a race in which it can pay to look beyond the obvious, however, and from a betting perspective, it might be worth taking a chance on AL BOUM PHOTO.
Willie Mullins’ horse has 16lb to find on Presenting Percy on official ratings, but he has the potential to go well beyond his current rating.
After making all to easily land his maiden hurdle over two miles at Thurles in January, he stepped forward from that when he stepped up in trip to two and a half miles at Fairyhouse three weeks ago to land a Grade 2 novices’ hurdle.
Sent off the outsider of three Mullins representatives in that race, he travelled well through his race. He was a little short of room on the run between the final two flights, but Paul Townend waited for the gap to appear and, when it did, Al Boum Photo picked up impressively.
Minella Till Dawn may have mounted a challenge had that rival not fallen at the final flight, but there was a lot to like about the manner in which the Buck’s Boum gelding came clear of his rivals on the run-in.
He had Runfordave, who had finished three and a half lengths behind Champagne Classic in the Martin Pipe Hurdle, over six lengths back in third that day. Also, there were three hurdle races run over two and a half miles on the day and, while the other two were lower-grade races, Al Boum Photo’s time was significantly faster than both of them (around 14 and 15 seconds respectively).
It is probable that Al Boum Photo is going to have to improve considerably from that run if he is to trouble the market leaders today, but there is every chance that he will improve. He is only five years old, he is one of just two five-year-olds in the race, and he has raced just four times over hurdles, so he has bundles of potential for progression.
It is understandable that Ruby Walsh has chosen to ride Albert Bartlett Hurdle winner Penhill instead, but Paul Townend was on board at Fairyhouse last time, he is obviously a top class rider, and Al Boum Photo could out-perform odds of around 9/1.
Posted at 0955 BST on 26/04/17.