*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
15:40 – Party Central
A wonderful week of action at Punchestown gets underway with the extended two mile Listed Mares’ Novice Hurdle which has been won by Willie Mullins five times in the previous eight seasons. The champion trainer has three in the field, Dinoblue the mount of Mark Walsh, Grangee with Paul Townend in the saddle and Instit under Danny Mullins. Dinoblue is the highest rated of these and returns quickly having finished fourth to Brady Love at Fairyhouse over Easter.
The JP McManus owned mare is only having her fourth career start having previously disappointed when sent off favourite at Cheltenham last month. PARTY CENTRAL also ran in that race and looked the winner at the second-last before quickly finding little off the bridle heading towards the last. I’m happy to forgive that run considering the Gordon Elliott team were in bad form at that time and I’m hopefully she’ll bounce back to the form she showed earlier in the season under Davy Russell.
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16:50 – Sit Down Lucy (each-way)
Charlie O’Dwyer gave Capilano Bridge a fantastic ride to win a good handicap over Easter at Fairyhouse and I’m confident the young rider can strike again quickly by securing his first winner at the Punchestown Festival. He’s more than valuable for his 7Ib claim and can give SIT DOWN LUCY a good ride to win this opening handicap of the week. Peter Fahey’s mare has some solid form with many of the principal contenders and comes here fresh having missed Fairyhouse.
She finished ahead of both Glan and Party Central in graded company at Down Royal last October before running well here and at Fairyhouse behind Top Bandit and Gua Du Large last November. She perhaps needed the run when returning from a break at Leopardstown in February, but her recent third to Santa Rossa should put her spot on with an excellent chance. She fits the profile for this with seven of the last 10 winners all carrying below 11 stone to victory which makes her a solid bet outside the feature races this Tuesday.
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18:00 – CALDWELL POTTER
The Caldwell Construction team of Joey Logan, Andrew and Gemma Brown deserve a change of luck at the big festivals and hopefully that might strike in the Goffs Land Rover Bumper with CALDWELL POTTER. Mighty Potter was pulled-up in the Supreme at Cheltenham with both Fil Dor and Pied Piper placed behind Vauban in the Triumph Hurdle, before Pied Piper’s disqualification when dead-heating alongside Knight Salute at Aintree.
CALDWELL POTTER has a nice profile for this race with the Gordon Elliott team previously securing victory with Petit Mouchoir, Commander Of Fleet and Festival D’ex since 2015. The son of Martaline has a lovely pedigree, being a full brother to Mighty Potter and a half-brother to both French Dynamite and Indianna Jones. There are winners in the family and I’ve no doubt the Cullentra House team will have this horse ready with such good prize money on offer and Jamie Codd in the saddle.
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19:10 – DE NORDENER
It’s hard to get away from Enda Bolger’s excellent record in the Ladies’ Perpetual Cup having secured 11 victories in the past 25-years of this contest. DE NORDENER looks a horse on the up having secured back-to-back point-to-point wins at Ballyvodock and Nenagh earlier this year. He was purchased privately by JP McManus after winning nicely in Cork on his final start for Tom Keating before Bolger and the McManus team got to know him a little better when winning alone in Nenagh.
Derek O’Connor was in the saddle on that occasion and takes the ride here, and despite knocking on the door in this race over the years, he has surprisingly never won this contest. I’m confident that will change this year with this progressive six-year-old looking set for a big run on his rules debut. Elsewhere, Good Bye Sam is the obvious danger for Willie Mullins following his good second to Billaway at Naas and his recent victory at Tramore earlier this month.
19:45 PUNCHESTOWN – SARAH’S SOLIDER (each-way)
Firm Footings should be popular for Gordon Elliott and Jamie Codd having cost €220,000 while also having a lovely pedigree, by Walk In The Park and related to several winners, including Monalee. However, I’m taking a punt on SARAH’S SOLIDER for trainer Pat Fahey who previously won this bumper in 2018 and managed success with the family of Sarah’s Solider at the Punchestown Festival many years ago for these connections.
The daughter of Solider Of Fortune is owned and bred by James Coen and is out of No Stopping Sarah, who funnily enough managed to score on debut for the Coen/Fahey team at the 2008 Punchestown Festival. She certainly has the pedigree to run well with the booking of Derek O’Connor clearly another positive. Elsewhere, Lisnagar Fortune is one of two runners for Willie Mullins with Patrick riding, but Sarah’s Solider should represent value in our finale this Tuesday.
James Shortt’s Punchestown Tips
- 15:40 – Party Central
- 16:50 – Sit Down Lucy (each-way)
- 18:00 – Caldwell Potter
- 18:35 – De Nordener
- 19:45 – Sarah’s Soldier (each-way)
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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