Punchestown Festival 2016: Day Five Preview

Willie Mullins has won the last three renewals of the Grade 1 Mares Champion Hurdle courtesy of Glens Melody and Annie Power (two) and also saddled the runner-up Analifet 12 months ago for good measure. He runs two females this year, Limini and Whiteout, with the former looking the pick. Limini completed a hat-trick in the inaugural Mares Novices' Hurdle at the latet Cheltenham Festival and, while not quite in the same form when third behind the males Buveur d'Air and Petit Mouchoir in the Top Novices' Hurdle at Aintree since, she remains capable of better and is bound to be a danger to all here. 

Clear top on ratings, however, is the tough and consistent Jennies Jewel for Jarlath Fahy. After reportedly being covered by Presenting following her Thurles minor event win in late-May, she proved better than ever when second to One Track Mind in Champion Stayers Hurdle at this meeting on Thursday and will be the one to beat if turned out again quickly. 

Aidan O'Brien's Slowmotion is a fascinting entry, having won two of her three starts (trained in France for successful hurdling debut). She was well backed and looked a good prospect in scoring in a Grade 2 juvenile at Fairyhouse last time by seven lengths and is well worth her place in this line-up.

The field is completed by Keppols Queen, Legacy Gold, Rock On The Moor and British raiders Aurore d'Estruval and Pass The Time. 

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Surprise, surprise, it’s another race that Willie Mullins has won multiple times, five times in fact, including in the last three years with Diakali, Abbyssial and the Gigginstown House Stud-owned filly Petite Parisienne. The same connections will be hopeful of another success in this Grade 1 Champion Four Year Old courtesy of Apple’s Jade who was beaten in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham but won by a staggering 41 lengths in the equivalent race at Aintree.

Apple’s Jade made her winning debut in France last May and has won graded races on two of her three starts for her new yard, producing a flawless performance in the Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle at Aintree this month after finishing a good second in the Triumph. Granted, some of her rivals floundered in the mud at Aintree, but to focus on that fact is to do Apple’s Jade a gross injustice, and she’s evidently improving fast, which is more notable for the fact she reportedly had a small setback after winning over Christmas. With the ground currently good to soft and further showers forecast, she looks the one to beat here. 

Apple’s Jade’s Triumph Hurdle conqueror Ivanovich Gorbatov was one of those who didn’t cope with the soft ground at Aintree, finishing a distant second. J. P. McManus’ gelding did make his winning hurdling debut on heavy ground at Leopardstown, but he also appeared to get stuck in the mud when only fourth in the Spring Juvenile won by Footpad there on his next start and his connections will be hoping for a dry run up to the race.

Apple’s Jade’s stable-companion Let’s Dance finished third in the Spring and fourth in the Triumph. She remains with potential, though it's difficult to see why she should reverse Cheltenham form with Apple's Jade (has 13 lengths to make up). The Mullins stable are also responsible for Cap d'Aubois who is a fascinating runner on her first start since winning a Cagnes-Sur-Mer newcomers event last December on her hurdling debut for Laurent Postic.  

Jer's Girl (set to run on Friday) and Tocororo complete the declarations.