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Irish Mirror

Sport

Peter O'Hehir

Punchestown tips and best bets for day two of the Festival

Trust Al Boum Photo to follow-up his Cheltenham Gold Cup victory in today’s Punchestown showpiece, the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup.

Back to the scene of his bizarre exit, when in control of a Grade 1 ‘novice’ a year ago, the Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old is bidding to emulate Sizing Gold, Kicking King and War Of Attrition, the only horses to complete the Cheltenham-Punchestown Gold Cup double.

To do so, Paul Townend’s mount must overcome two formidable stable-companions Kemboy and Bellshill.

But Al Boum Photo, relatively lightly-raced, is open to plenty of further improvement and, on that basis, gets the vote to enable Townend to exorcise memories of last year.

Winner of the Grade 1 Ryanair Gold Cup as a novice last year, before his ‘hiccup’ here, Al Boum Photo has raced only twice this season, scooting home in a listed event in Tramore on New Year’s Day, beating stable-companions Total Recall and Invitation Only, before making the trip to Prestbury Park in mid-March.

Patiently handled by Townend in the Gold Cup, he came from off the pace to lead before the second last and stormed up the hill to beat Anibale Fly and Bristol De Mai convincingly.

With plenty of time to recover from those exertions, Al Boum Photo, officially rated just 1lb, looks the horse to beat.

Kemboy’s claims, with Ruby Walsh on board, are rock-solid too, as he has risen through the ranks progressively since landing a ‘novice handicap’ here last year.

Successful in the Clonmel Oil Chase, he was helped by an enterprising rife from David Mullins when beating Monalee in Leopardstown’s Savills Chase over Christmas, with Bellshill back in fourth.

A first fence casualty (he unseated David Mullins) in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, Kemboy was a relatively fresh horse going to Aintree and produced a sparkling display to beat Clan Des Obeaux and Balko Des Flos in the Betway Bowl.

That’s rock-solid form, which gives Kemboy every chance today in a field which also features last year’s winner Bellshill, winner of the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown (beating Road To Respect narrowly) before failing to sparkle at Cheltenham when he jumped sketchily before being pulled up before the ninth.

Significantly, Ruby Walsh chose to ride Bellshill in the Gold Cup, ahead of both Al Boum Photo and Kemboy, suggesting that the Closutton team retains faith in the nine-year-old. So he shouldn’t be under-estimated today, with David Mullins in the saddle.

Runner-up to Kemboy in the ‘Savills’, Monalee could manage only fourth behind Frodon in the ‘Ryanair’ at Cheltenham and has yet to make it at the top level.

Of the others, British raider Definitely Red, brought down at the tenth in the Gold Cup, needs to improve to make an impact while The Storyteller, beneficiary of Al Boum Phtoto’s departure here last year, was well held by Jett at Fairyhouse last week, with Snow Falcon further behind.

Abacadabras could be magical

The Gordon Elliott-trained Abacadabras might prove best in the Grade 1 Racing Post App Champion Bumper in Punchestown.

Part of a formidable challenge for Gigginstown House Stud, the French-bred five-year-old finished a creditable fourth to potential star stable-companion Envoi Allen in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.

And, with Lisa O’Neill again in the saddle, a reproduction of that effort might be enough to see him strike in this Grade 1 contest.

A narrow winner on his debut at Galway back in October, Abacadabras was on the heels of Envoi Allen when ducking out through the rail, at the furlong-pole, in a Grade 2 at Leopardstown in February.

A son of Davidoff, he looks a horse with significant potential. And he’s preferred to the other Gigginstown runners, Embittered and Beacon Edge, and Dermot McLoughlin’s mare Santa Rossa.

Minella Indo can land Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle

Rachael Blackmore onboard Minella Indo clears the last on the way to winning at Cheltenham (©INPHO/Dan Sheridan)

The three-mile Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle looks a cracker, bringing together the first three home in the ‘Albert Bartlett’ at Cheltenham, shock winner Minella Indo, Commander Of Fleet, a Grade 1 winner at Leopardstown ahead of his festival trip, and Allaho.

If that form can be believed, Henry de Bromhead’s Minella Indo, a dour stayer, will be tough to beat, although closely matched on earlier Clonmel form with Cheltenham third Allaho, a convincing winner when they clashed in a Grade 3 in Clonmel.

Any one of the three could triumph this time while the likes of Walk Away and Carefully Selected deserve respect too. But I’ll take a chance with Cheltenham scorer Minella Indo and Rachael Blackmore.

Best bet of the day is the progressive, Emmet Mullins-trained Zero Ten, a confident choice to defy top-weight in the Connolly’s Red Mills EBF Auction Hurdle Series Final.

Winner of a bumper and maiden hurdle in Galway last year, he returned to bolt-up in a leg of this series at Leopardstown in early March, slamming Eviscerating by thirteen lengths.

Last time, he stepped into Grade 2 company at Fairyhosue and came up short, beaten three-quarters of a length by Henry de Bromhead’s longshot Dommage Pour Toi.

Today’s task looks more straight-forward. And Zero Ten should return to winning ways for the cousins, Emmet and David Mullins.