China Can Rock Europe in Champion

IRELAND’S biggest National Hunt Racing festival gets underway at Punchestown tomorrow. A seven race card that will begin at the afternoon time of 3:40 for the fourth year representing that it must be successful in boosting attendances.

Willie Mullins has dominated this meeting for the past few years where he has turned ducks into swans on more than one occasion. Of course he also had and has a number of top class Grade1 contenders and if he has over 10 winners for the week one would not be surprised.

Sizing Europe (L) and Big Zeb meet yet again

The big race on the opening day is the Boylesports.com Champion Chase. Here we have the Big Zeb-Sizing Europe rivalry that stretches back to this meeting in 2007 where Henry De Bromhead’s charge led at the line. The two champions have met six times Big Zeb came out on top in this race last year. But the score is currently 4-2 in favour of Sizing Europe and it is not surprising to see him as an odds-on favourite here.

Finians Rainbow who defeated him at Cheltenham went on to look even better at Aintree and some feel but for the last fence mess up by the officials at Cheltenham that Sizing Europe would indeed have won.

The softened ground is not likely to play to the strength of Sizing Europe but the only one it is likely to suit is Realt Dubh. He comes here a fresh horse with only one run since finishing second to Captain Chris at this meeting last year when he was well behind in the Queen Mother on that occasion. However Noel Meade is without a winner since March and that is a slight concern.

A really interesting contender is China Rock. Ruby Walsh will ride and is two from two on the nine year old. He travelled well yet again in the Gold Cup before not staying, and finally connections have seen sense and dropped him in trip. Amazingly he has only ever had one run at the minimum trip, when second to subsequent Supreme Novices' winner Go Native.

China Rock: has beaten Sizing Europe albeit before over further

He is still available at 33/1 and I expect him to trade at much shorter in running tomorrow evening.

Last year’s third Captain Cee Bee and Gauvain make up the field but have a lot of work to do to win.

It is hard to see beyond Sizing Europe but China Rock is outstanding value and is by no means out of it and could cause an upset under Ruby.

One of the other Grade1 races on the card is the Evening Hearld Champion Novice Hurdle. A small field of five is all that will contest the €50k first prize. It looks to lie between Trifolium and Alderwood. Trifoulim was third behind Cinders and Ashes in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and with the forecast soft going is likely to be a short price favourite.

Alderwood won the County Hurdle, beating subsequent runaway Aintree winner Edgardo Sol into second, before following up at Fairyhouse. He is three years older than Trifolium so may lack the room for improvement of his younger rival.

It is unusual to be writing off Willie Mullins at Puchestown but all three of his horses are held by the two primaries mentioned.

Sir Des Champs looking for 8 in a row

Another poor turnout for a Grade1 contest is the case for the Growise Chapion Novice Chase. Sir Des Champs  is unbeaten over an obstacle of any description and will go off at extremely short odds (currently 1/4). There is absolutely no concerns over anything for him other than he has never ran over three miles or further. That is unlikely to be a hindrance though as he was powering clear in the Jewson and Willie Mullins had seen him as a horse for the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham festival but went the Jewson route because of First Lieutenant’s presence there, who is also owned by Gigginstown.

Mosey Joe was second over hurdles here in 2011 and had looked impressive in three chase starts winning two (finishing 5^th in one where he sprawled on landing a few fences out when leading by over five lengths carrying 12 stone). He was ineligible for novice chases in the UK so has been given a break since. If he resumes in similar form he can be the one to chase home Sir Des Champs.

The big handicap on day one is the 4:55 where a field of 25 will face the starting tape. Former top level contender Snap Tie heads the field and will bid to overcome an absence of over 30 months. The fact that connections have persisted with the 10 year old suggests he still has something in the locker.

JP McManus has a number of contenders but interestingly AP McCoy does not take the ride on either Louisville Lip or Kandari both of which are off weights he can ride at. Kandari has had two runs for Jonjo O Neill and was behind subsequent Cheltenham and Aintree winner Ataglance before being brought down on his return to Ireland at the Fairyhouse meeting.

Ruby Walsh rides Ceol Rua suggesting that is Willie Mullins’ first string. Citizenship won the valuable Boylesports Handicap Hurdle in January and if bouncing back from defeat at Cheltenham is a major player.

Practically everything in the field holds some sort of chance but two I can suggest at fancy prices are Rory Anna and Benash. The first mentioned was in contention at Limerick on her last hurdles start before running out at the last. She always gives her running and the rain would have helped her chance.

Benash has been in and out this year but has put up some good performances in races that were beyond him. He was declared a non runner when entered in this 12 months ago. He ran very well until the approach to the second last at Fairyhouse over 2m6f. The drop back to two miles should suit (record of 21214 at the distance) and the rain will also have helped his chance. At 40/1 he is worth a bet despite his in and out form.

BEST BETS ON THE CARD: CHINA ROCK, BENASH (EW) and RORY ANNA (EW)

Aintree Card Bowl-ed Over With Quality

The spectacular National Fences

CHELTENHAM is always seen as the best week of the year for national hunt racing, it is built towards for months and is full of hype and excitement. Aintree is a massive festival too but thankfully from the point of view of the punter does not have the same hype.

One thing that can be seen nowhere else is the spectacle of the Aintree fences and we are treated to a race a day over them for the Grand National Meeting.

The say they save the best to last but at Aintree the best goes first. Big Buck’s is seeking his fourth consecutive win in the Liverpool Hurdle at 2:00 against a weak field. Should he win he will set the record for most consecutive wins in National Hunt racing with 17, and break Sir Ken’s record stretching back half a century.

Arguably his best ever performance was in this race last year and to see him repeat that would put a smile on any face.

Big Buck's (L) on his way to a stylish vistory in 2011

But from a betting perspective is there really any reason to get involved? Big Buck’s is odds of 1/4 for victory (value for a horse like him you could say!). Who can chase him home, or since there is three places at least there is an EW option for punters. 

Paul Nicholls has Tidal Bay and Poungach also. The former has plenty of form at the track and was 4^th in this in 2010 when trained by Howard Johnson, the latter is just out of novice company, he won a handicap at Sandown easily and fared ok behind Oscar Whiskey at Cheltenham in January.

He has the quality but there may be better options despite Nicholls turning up an option of going the handicap route at this festival.

 Won In The Dark was ridden for a place here last year and duly did the job coming home well behind Big Buck’s to finish 3^rd. He is notoriously hard to win with but is capable of competing for minor money in the top races. If the race pans out in a similar nature to 2011 then he could be worth chancing for a place at big odds (currently a 66/1 shot).

Smad Place is second in the market and never runs a bad race, improved to come third in the World Hurdle, he is most likely to come second. There will be races to be had next season I imagine but they will be the ones without Big Buck’s in them.

The Anniversary Hurdle for 4-y-o’s looks one of the strongest renewals of the contest in recent years. The winner, third, fourth, sixth and last hurdle faller from the Triumph Hurdle all reoppose.

Countrywide Flame was a somewhat surprise winner at Cheltenham but now looks the one to beat. Grumeti has just under four lengths to find and the return to a flat track looks likely to suit, he holds Paul Nicholls’ Dodging Bullets on both meetings but this will be just his third run over obstacles and could improve.

Pearl Swan was flying up the straight at Cheltenham before falling at the last. You would have to think he would have been in the first four. If he gets over that and does not fall behind early on again he is sure to play a leading role under Ruby Walsh. Hinterland comes here fresh but the fact he is passed over by Ruby he can probably be discounted.

Saddler’s Risk has been very much a talking horse this year and would have to improve in a whole host of areas to win.

A tough race to call but there is no need to look away from the top of the market and take your choice from those who contested the Triumph. Personally I would be with Pearl Swan who will have improved for the experience.

Riverside Theatre can improve on the  Ryanair performance

The highlight of Day1 and perhaps the festival on the Mildmay Course is the Betfair Bowl at 3:05. A field of 11 includes the last two winners of this event, Nacarat and What A Friend. They look to have work to do this year though. The former is 11-y-o now and the race fell apart a touch last year with a couple underperforming. What A Friend took a heavy fall last time in the Gold Cup and may not be capable of beating the favourites here although holds a better chance than his 12/1 price says.

I would love to see Hunt Ball win just for the antics of his fantastically entertaining and passionate owner Anthony Knott. This horse will be having his ninth run of the campaign that started out in the lowest possible grade, a class5 at Folkestone. He now takes on one of the biggest staying races in the season.

Nicky Henderson has the primaries; Riverside Theatre and Burton Port. Barry Geraghty has stuck with Riverside Theatre after their gutsy and gusty performance to win the Ryanair. Nothing really went right for him that day other than Captain Chris! He surely will perform better here and if he was good enough to win last time there is no reason to desert him now.

The horse does stay the distance although this is only his second run over 3m+.

Burton Port won over C&D as a novice and did well to finish fourth after labouring for a while in the Gold Cup. That can be put down to the ‘bounce factor’ following his lay-off and is likely to be far more dangerous now. However that Gold Cup may turn out to be one of the poorest in years and therefore Riverside Theatre is preferred.

Medermit also deserves a mention being only a length behind Riverside Theatre in the Ryanair. There is no reason to prefer him over the longer trip as he was outstayed near the line at Cheltenham.

BEST BET: RIVERSIDE THEATRE