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I'm with you Mayo - getting excited about next week and looking forward to Thursday to see the 6 day declarations for the first three days. Would love to see Don Poli v Vautour but am coming around to Mr M's thinking about Vautour and it looks like the 2 mile option for him. On a personal (maybe selfish) note I am not surprised to see Disko talked up - he looked very impressive on his debut. Being a 4 year-old we will have to give him 10 pounds which is an enormous allowance when you consider it's half that in the UK - the Champion bumper is a great opportunity for a quality 4 year-old.
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Racegoers at Punchestown next week look set for a treat with Jezki and Hurricane Fly set to clash over three miles in the Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle.
The pair have had countless battles over two miles in the last two seasons but both were put in their place by Faugheen in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
With Willie Mullins' unbeaten star staying over two miles, his vanquished rivals are to step up in trip, with Jezki already having won at Liverpool over two and a half miles.
"As of this morning the plan is to go three miles in the World Hurdle on Thursday," said Jezki's trainer Jessica Harrington.
"Like all plans, it can all change.
"He won over two and a half at Aintree and he'd been well beaten by Faugheen at Cheltenham.
"He shouldn't have trouble with the trip, there's lots of stamina in the family, Jetson gets three miles well and there's no reason if he relaxes he shouldn't get it.
"It sounds like Hurricane Fly is going that way too so we'll probably be looking at his backside again - but hopefully not!"
Connections of Hurricane Fly are keen to step the record-breaking Grade One winner up in trip and Mullins admitted he has had the French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil in mind for him for some time, but has decided against it so far.
"There's a good chance (of running in the World Series Hurdle)," said Mullins.
"We've been discussing it the last few days at home.
"It is something the owners think they might go for. It's a real runner at the moment.
"Remember he won over two and a half miles on heavy ground as a four-year-old in France.
"We would think over the years that three miles wouldn't be any problem. It just depends on his temperament on the day. He can be keen if it's a slow-run race.
"I've been dying to go for the French Champion Hurdle for the last few years, but when you have a horse like that you try and mind him maybe a little bit more than the others.
"I think the trip is no problem and I'm seriously coming round to running him in this."
Among Hurricanes Fly and Jezki's likely rivals is Lieutenant Colonel, winner of the Hatton's Grace and Christmas Hurdle this term.
However, the Sandra Hughes-trained six-year-old is on a retrieval mission after being well beaten in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham.
"Lieutenant Colonel will hopefully run in the Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle," said Eddie O'Leary, racing manager for owners Gigginstown House Stud.
"We put cheekpieces on Lieutenant Colonel at Cheltenham and he was too free with those.
"We made a mistake doing that and he obviously won't wear them at Punchestown.
"Dedigout is also entered but he would only go there if the going was heavier than soft, he wouldn't go otherwise."Comment
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Hurricane Fly vs Jezki vs Rock on Ruby vs Annie Power would be a fascinating race. Its a pity AnnieP has a penalty kick of a race on Saturday week.
Main interest in Punchy is a What will Willie do.Comment
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We've entered Bay of Freedom in a couple of races but he will definitely be running in the Champion Bumper. He worked better than ever yesterday and Peter is delighted with him. I am a little worried about the four year-olds (particularly Disko) given the (excessive) 10 pound allowance in Ireland but he has improved significantly since Cheltenham so is not without a squeak. I will provide updates on the website http://www.cheltenhamdream.com/blog-diary/Comment
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MEADE HOPEFUL APACHE CAN MAKE AMENDS
Trainer Noel Meade is hoping that Apache Stronghold, a faller when travelling well at Fairyhouse on his latest start, can put up a bold show in the Grade 1 Growise Novice Chase on Tuesday, April 28.
The seven-year-old, winner of the Grade 1 Flogas Novice Chase at Leopardstown in February, had previously finished runner-up to Vautour in the Grade 1 JLT Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
"Apache Stronghold is okay after Fairyhouse and he's going to run in the Growise Champion Novice Chase - he's a good horse who has never disgraced himself yet," said Meade.
"I don't know if I left him a bit too fresh for Fairyhouse but Paul [Carberry] said he took a pull out of him and went straight into the fence. He'd never done it before and has schooled well since."
Meade is set to bring his usual strong team to the Punchestown Festival and will run Cheltenham Gold Cup third Road To Riches in the Bibby Financial Services Ireland Punchestown Gold Cup.
"Road To Riches seems well enough at home although he had a hard race in Cheltenham all right. He was in second place there and just got caught near the line," said Meade.
"If he brings his A-game to Punchestown, he'll have a big chance in the Bibby Financial Services Ireland Punchestown Gold Cup.
"But I don't know how much Cheltenham has taken out of him although we thought there that better ground would help him."
HENDERSON BIDS TO BUILD ON GREAT PUNCHESTOWN RECORD
Nicky Henderson has saddled a winner at seven of the last eight Punchestown Festivals and among those who could bid to add to that record is Top Notch, who finished runner-up in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The juvenile is a possible starter in the Grade 1 AES Champion Four Year Old Hurdle on Saturday, May 2.
"We have the idea of going for the AES Champion Four Year Old Hurdle with Top Notch. I would love to run him but if we are going to come we would look for the ground to be on the easy side," said Henderson. "The same owners [Simon Munir and Isaac Souede] have Buiseness Sivola in the same race with Willie Mullins so we will just have to see.
"I expect to also be bringing some horses for the bumpers and handicaps over this year."Comment
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No Vautour in the Champion Chase ...Comment
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No, shame that, I think Ruby may be on the wrong one though, I'd rather back Felix Yonger each way than take a chance on Champagne Fever coming back to form. CF doesn't appear to me to have taken as well to fences as he might and seems to be on the downgrade whereas FY looks to be fullfilling some of his early promise now he's got the hang of things. Not surprising they decided to leave out Vautour with three experienced runners taking their place, put him away until next season now, this suits me because it should mean the price about him for next years QM should hold up, giving me chance to feed money onto him, that way if I've got it wrong it won't hurt quite as much as if I place it in one or two bets.Originally posted by Old Vic View PostComment
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If anyone is interested in the champion Bumper I previewed the race with horse by horse comments on the website http://www.cheltenhamdream.com/punchestown-bumper. Teaser - I did not come to the obvious conclusion!
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The performance of Douvan was something else, very similar to Faugheen's last year.
What do you think they'll do with him next season?Comment
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I agree FM, the way he strides is very similar to The Machine.Originally posted by Faugheen_Machine View Post
WM doesn't have a World Hurdle banker. Could it be Douvan or someone else?Comment
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6.05 tomorrow nh flat fancy disko for noel meade nina carberry on board looked impressive when winning at punchestown ran away with the race bypassed cheltenham to wait for thisComment
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I wonder if they might go champ hurdle with Douvan and send Faugheen chasing.Comment
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I think Douvan is next years Arkle horse, they will want to see just how good Faugheen is as he grows in experience, there's nothing around in the 2m hurdling camp that's in his league so why upset the apple cart by one of their own. You can never be 100% sure with this outfit of course but that's what makes most sense to me, maybe they'll do a Big Bucks with Champagne Fever and drop him back to hurdling with the World hurdle in mind.Originally posted by Faugheen_Machine View PostComment
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Each way double maybe thistle crack/cue card??
CUE Card will have a new jockey for Wednesday's Bibby Financial Services Punchestown Gold Cup. Colin Tizzard's star chaser raced four times in the 2014-15 season with Daryl Jacob on board but he is being replaced by Aidan Coleman for the 3m1f Irish Grade One contest.
Before leaving for the Emerald Isle the Milborne Port trainer explained: "The owners Jean and Bob Bishop and myself just fancied a change for Cue Card's sake. We wanted to try someone else for this race, so we approached Aidan and he said he would be available for the ride.
"This is no slight on Daryl - he is a damned good, top-class jockey and has ridden some really good winners for the yard and for the Bishops in the past few months. When I phoned him about the decision I'm sure he was disappointed but he took it like a gentleman.
"Aidan has ridden for the Bishops before - he was on Theatre Guide at Ascot in February and also on Mount Oscar and Coup Royale a few seasons back."
The trainer would not say whether Jacob would continue to ride the other Bishop-owned horses at Venn Farm.Comment
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