Punchestown Festival 2016: Day Four Preview

Willie Mullins has won the two-mile Grade 1 Punchestown Champion Hurdle a record six times, with Hurricane Fly responsible for four of those successes (2010-13) and Faugheen on the scoresheet last year. Annie Power proved an able substitute for Faugheen in last month's Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and looked set to do likewise here, before her surprise withdawal earlier in the week. 

However, Mullins still has a worthy candidate for this race in the shape of Vroum Vroum Mag and, such is the strength in depth in Mullins' yard, she looks set to go off a short-priced favourite after bypassing an engagement at Sandown on Saturday. Willie Mullins left many racegoers and punters disgruntled when he removed his charge from the Select Hurdle just nine minutes before the off, a move that also rubbed the stewards up the wrong way (they handed the trainer a £1000 fine). The reason was a novel one—because Mullins could no longer win the British trainers’ championship with Paul Nicholls already out of reach—and Cheltenham Mares’ Hurdle winner Vroum Vroum Mag looks to hold sound claims as she bids to become the first mare to win this race since the present version was introduced in 1999.

Vroum Vroum Mag will be joined in this race by the same connections’ Sempre Medici who landed long odds-on in both the Limestone Lad and Red Mills Trial Hurdles but was pulled up when flying too high in the Champion Hurdle.

British raider My Tent Or Yours produced a cracking effort returning from a near two-year absence when runner-up behind Annie Power at Cheltenham, and, rather predictably given the way he’s always travelled in his races, left the impression he didn’t stay the longer trip when filling the same position in the Aintree Hurdle. He’ll clearly be happier back over two miles and Annie Power's withdrawal gives him obvious claims, with 9 lb in hand on Timeform ratings.

Identity Thief was fancied in some quarters for the Champion Hurdle following his win in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle and two lengths second to Nichols Canyon in the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown in December, but he could manage only sixth. There’s a chance he wasn’t as well suited by the good ground as he is by softer conditions, though he may simply not have been up to the task. Fethard Player and Ted Veale complete the entries.

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Mullins has won the last three runnings of Friday’s Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Champion Novices’ Hurdle over two and a half miles, including with Vautour and Nichols Canyon. He is represented by A Toi Phil and Thomas Hobson and both look to have similar profiles coming into the race, Grade 2 winners earlier in the campaign, but disappointing in the Neptune at Cheltenham last time. 

A Toi Phil is owned by Gigginstown House Stud and they are also represented by an intriguing runner in Disko, who started favourite when runner-up to Bellshill in the Champion Bumper at last year’s Festival. He looked set to take high rank among the season’s novices when winning by almost 30 lengths at Naas in November but hasn’t been out since.

Jer's Girl made her first six starts for owner-breeder Eugene Bourke, but was transferred to the ownership of J. P. McManus ahead of her ready win in a Grade 1 mares’ novice event at Fairyhouse last time. She will appreciate any ease underfoot, while O O Seven won at this trip at Musselburgh, but was another to run below form in the Neptune and is the sole British representative in a nine-strong field. 

Baily Cloud, Champagne Harmony, Jett and Lift The Latch, who looked promising before disappointing at Fairyhouse last time, complete the entries.