Timefigure review: Punchestown Festival and Season Recap

Few Festival meetings can ever have delivered the sort of spontaneous and spectacular drama that Punchestown displayed last week against the backdrop of a titanic duel for the Irish trainers’ title between Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliot, which ensured a relentless blitz of top quality action. A few results had a slightly end-of-season feel to them, and a few more would been different had things unfolded otherwise, but there were some top-notch performances good enough to break into the leading timefigure categories for the 2017-18 jumps season, as we explain below.

2m hurdlers

For the second season running the Champion Hurdle went to Buveur d’Air, but whereas his 2017 victory was also equalled by the fastest timefigure (167) over hurdles, his 2018 win (161) didn’t match the 169 recorded earlier in the season by Faugheen in the Morgiana Hurdle, nor later by Supasundae (163) in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle.

Samcro’s appearance in the latter made it the most anticipated race at Punchestown all week, but with him and Champion Hurdle runner-up Melon both falling three out, it was left to the Stayers’ Hurdle runner-up to beat the 2017 winner Wicklow Brave (159) in a race run at a ruthless gallop. Melon (161 at Cheltenham) would surely have been thereabouts had he stayed on his feet, though Samcro might well have come out best of all given his superior stamina.

Supasundae wins the @BETDAQ Punchestown Champion Hurdle! @punchestownrace pic.twitter.com/bxiGBfoYEL

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 27, 2018

So far as the novices are concerned, Supreme Novices’ Hurdle first and second Summerville Boy and Kalashnikov posted the best figures with 155 apiece; Summerville Boy, however, would have run out a four-length winner or so had he not made a mess of the last two flights.

Intermediate hurdlers

There are few races of significance at around 2½m for older horses, so it’s no surprise the best performance in this category was recorded by the aforementioned Samcro (159) in the Ballymore, where he had Black Op (156) comfortably behind in second. Black Op had earlier finished just behind Aintree winner Santini (153) in the Classic Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, though Black Op would almost certainly have won had he not fluffed the last.

Staying hurdlers

Despite his defeats at Cheltenham and Aintree, Sam Spinner’s relentless all-the-way win in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot (166) earns him top spot on time. It was odd that the tactics that had served him well at Ascot (and Haydock before that) were scrapped when he needed them most and hopefully Sam Spinner will be allowed another chance next season to do what he does best.

There’s nothing wrong with the form of the Long Walk – runner-up L’Ami Serge (163) won the Aintree Hurdle from Supasundae – but Penhill, Identity Thief, Faugheen and Call Me Lord all emerged late in the season as possible contenders for the crown next year even though none of them as yet has come close to matching Sam Spinner’s timefigure over 3m or more.

Sefton Novices’ winner Santini and Punchestown Grade 1 winner Next Destination (150) are entitled to be regarded as the best of the staying novices for all their best timefigures have come at slightly shorter.      

2m chasers

The 2m chasing division houses the two superpowers from a timefigure point of view, with dual Champion chaser Altior (180 at Cheltenham) just having the edge over outstanding novice and Arkle winner Footpad (179). Altior has looked increasingly as if a step up in trip will suit him, so whether the pair will meet next season remains to be seen.

Former Arkle winner Douvan might have taken a hand in the Champion Chase had he stood up and his subsequent 162 effort behind Un de Sceaux (165) in the Champion Chase at Punchestown shows he is no back number. Un de Sceaux has a long catalogue of high-class performances on the clock to his name and had Min behind at Punchestown, though Min wasn’t at his best as three timefigure performances of 167 or more before then testify.

Un De Sceaux wins the @BoyleSports Champion Chase! @punchestownrace pic.twitter.com/YwAq0nhsR1

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 24, 2018

Saint Calvados (165) didn’t give his running in the Arkle, but his defeat of Aintree winner Diego du Charmil in the Kingmaker at Warwick suggests he should win his fair share of top 2m races next season, while dual Grade 1 winner Politilogue weighed in with a best timefigure of 163.

Middle-distance chasers

Sizing John had the honour of posting the best timefigure (168) in the latest season at around 2½m. The 2017 Gold Cup winner looked better than ever when making a winning reappearance at Punchestown before Christmas, but sadly found his season curtailed after just one more run.

Min also managed a 167 timefigure at the trip just ahead of Ryanair winner Balko des Flos (165), while best of the non-Irish trained horses was Waiting Patiently (166) on account of his defeat of the now-retired Cue Card (163) in the Ascot Chase in February.

Staying Chasers

Pride of place among the staying chasers goes not to Gold Cup winner Native River nor King George winner Might Bite, but to Bristol de Mai who recorded a 174 timefigure in the Betfair Chase. Bristol de Mai subsequently finished behind Might Bite in both the King George and the Betway Bowl and would seem to be his inferior, but he’s still only seven and given deep ground and soft fences – conditions he would get in Ireland in a normal winter -  he would be a match for any chaser.

Native River (168) beat Might Bite (164) on merit in the Gold Cup and, like the King George winner, is reportedly set to be seen more often next season; aside from Sizing john the Irish lack a really top-notch 3m chaser, though Bellshill’s win last week (163) in the Punchestown Gold Cup entitles him to be considered best of the rest.