Mick Fitzgerald’s Punchestown Tips:
15:40 – The Model Kingdom
16:15 – Facile Vega
16:50 – Fils Doudairies
17:25 – Energumene
18:00 – Muskerry Rock
18:35 – Sir Gerhard
19:10 – Vital Island
19:45 – Rainbow Lily
*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.
The five-day Punchestown Festival starts on Tuesday and Willie Mullins has dominated this meeting in recent years and he’s set to unleash his stable stars again. It could be another big week for Team Mullins.
15:40 – The Model Kingdom
This mare has finished runner up the impressive Ballymore Hurdle winner Impaire et Passe in the Moscow Flyer hurdle at this venue and that is very strong form. THE MODEL KINGDOM finished well down the field at the Cheltenham Festival in the Mares Hurdle but can bounce back from that. Noel Meade is no stranger to the winners enclosure at this Festival either.
16:15 – Facile Vega
This is an easy two miles and should suit FACILE VEGA who won a bumper here last year and was just denied in the Supreme Novices Hurdle by Marine Nationale on his last start after his Leopardstown flop before that. Willie Mullins has three of the five entries and he’s the pick of stable jockey Paul Townend. His stablemate Diverge is getting better all the time and he could provide the strongest test Facile Vega.
16:50 – Fils Doudairies
FILS DOUDAIRIES was runner-up last year at this meeting when trained by Nicky Henderson and has run some good races for Gordon Elliott this season, including a win at Leopardstown two starts back in a 2m 2f hurdle. He is smart on his day and the soft ground should be perfect for him. Bialystok is an improver who has to be respected from the Willie Mullins’ yard.
17:25 – Energumene
ENERGUMENE looked so good at Cheltenham when winning the Champion Chase for successive seasons and was impressive here last season too. He is a tough nut to crack especially at home and the ground will be right in his favour.
18:00 – Muskerry Rock
A 2m National Hunt race or ‘bumper’ as they’re called in Ireland and it would be fitting for ‘Mouse’ Morris to win this with MUSKERRY ROCK. He teams up with the great Pat Taaffe’s grandson also called Pat. Muskerry Rock is related to the exciting Monksland and has to be a player in this open contest.
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18:35 – Sir Gerhard
Paul Townend usually gets it right and did so at Cheltenham when he had some tough choices to make. Willie Mullins has four of the six runners here and Towned has opted for Appreciate It. However, I prefer Appreciate It who ran well at both the Cheltenham and more recent, Fairyhouse festival.
SIR GERHARD was ridden ‘cold’ at Cheltenham and made a couple of novicey mistakes as he was one of the least experienced runners in the field. He ran very well when second to stablemate Flame Bearer at Fairyhouse and I’ll stick with him.
19:10 – Vital Island
VITAL ISLAND won this 3m 1f Cross Country Chase last year and ran well again behind Delta Work earlier this season. He’s won is last two point-to-points and can score again over the ‘banks’.
19:45 – Rainbow Lily
Another ‘bumper to conclude the card and seeing ace amateur jockey Jamie Codd doing 11st 3lb on Gordon Elliott’s RAINBOW LILY is interesting. This daughter of Getaway represents a strong team for the day one finale.
Mick Fitzgerald’s Punchestown Tips:
15:40 – The Model Kingdom
16:15 – Facile Vega
16:50 – Fils Doudairies
17:25 – Energumene
18:00 – Muskerry Rock
18:35 – Sir Gerhard
19:10 – Vital Island
19:45 – Rainbow Lily
*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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- Punchestown Festival: Day-by-day schedule for the 5 day festival
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