Punchestown Festival 2022 | Day Three Through The Card Selections

The 2022 Punchestown Festival got off to a flying start on Tuesday, and Day Three is now the focus of our Racing Editor, who has selections through the card – including in the feature Champion Stayers Hurdle. Check out his thoughts below, with selections available to back via Paddy Power, who are offering new customers an excellent sign-up bonus of £45 In Free Bets, when they place a single £10 bet on racing.

LUKE SHORT – (3:40pm, Specialist Joinery Group Handicap Hurdle) 8/1

This is an interesting opener, with British raider Gin Coco falling firmly into the ‘could be anything’ category after bolting up on his stable debut at Fontwell last month.

There are a couple of fascinating entrants available at bigger prices, however, most notably, LUKE SHORT.

Noel Meade’s charge is a dual Flat winner who was beaten less than a length when 80/1 for a Premier Handicap at the Curragh back in September. Sent hurdling afterwards, Luke Short has placed in maiden company in all three starts in this sphere to date, his RPR improving 5lb on each occasion.

A recent mid-field finish in the 26-runner Irish Lincoln will have blown away the cobwebs (first start since October), and he now makes his handicap debut over obstacles off what looks a more than workable opening mark of 111, particularly when compared with a fairly lofty Flat rating of 81.

Bold Approach is another better known for his Flat exploits and warrants respect on his peak form in that sphere, but on what he’s shown in three starts hurdling, a stiffer test is probably required.

Back LUKE SHORT Here and Get £45 in Free Bets with Paddy Power

GRANGE WALK – (4:15pm, Pigsback.com Handicap Chase) 11/4

Magic Daze was brushed aside in last month’s Arkle but should be more at home in this company and if a first-time tongue-tie ekes out a little improvement she can be expected to go well, for all that she’d probably prefer the ground a little softer.

Mt Leinster is on the upgrade, albeit can be concidered slightly fortuitious to go in at Fairyhouse last time out, and a closer look at that race suggests this provides GRANGE WALK with a good opportunity to account for his spill two out.

John Ryan’s charge has enjoyed an excellent season, winning thrice before finishing placed at the Dublin Racing Festival and in Grade 3 company at Navan. He didn’t suggest that he was coming to the end of his tether though, when a narrow leader in that aforementioned Fairyhouse contest last time, appearing to be travelling better than Mt Leinster when crumpling on landing.

He is just a pound higher today and meets Mt Leinster on 5lb better terms. This decent ground is firmly in his favour, so if the effects of that fall aren’t felt mentally this looks a fine opportunity to gain compensation.

Back GRANGE WALK Here and Get £45 in Free Bets with Paddy Power

NEVERUSHACON – (4:50pm, Mongey Communications La Touche Cup Cross Country Chase) 6/1

Vital Island comes here attempting to complete the same Ladies Cup – La Touche double, acheived at big odds by Singing Banjo 12 months ago, but he did look all out to score here on Tuesday and his stamina appeared to ebb away late when a distant second in this race in 2019.

Banks experience tends to count for plenty in this contest, and that makes NEVERUSHACON look a very interesting contender for Jessica Harrington.

This 11yos form figures over the Banks here read 211U4, that latest run coming in November’s Risk Of Thunder, when the stable wasn’t enjoying the best of spells. Interestingly campaigned since, with a 2m5f Leopardstown run followed by a spin on the Flat at Dundalk, Neverushacon appeared to be coming back to himself when runner-up in a competitive Veterans Handicap Chase at Wexford earlier this month.

That run came over a seemingly inadequate 2m4f, and Neverushacon should be far more at home back up at this distance, whilst it’s also positive to see leading rider Sean O’Keeffe – who has built up a good partnership with the gelding – once again booked to ride.

Go Another One still holds a lofty rating of 139 and would surely go well if running up to that, but this will be a completely new challenge for him on Cross Country debut.

Back NEVERUSHACON Here and Get £45 in Free Bets with Paddy Power

PAISLEY PARK – (5:25pm, Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle) 7/1

With a dead eight runners set to take their chance, the 7/1 available about PAISLEY PARK looks a good spot of each-way value.

Emma Lavelle’s charge is evidently not the force of old, but he hasn’t finished out of the first three this season, showing the fire still burnt when landing the Cleeve at Cheltenham in January, that despite losing plenty of ground at the start.

Paisley Park produced his typical race in the Stayers’ back at Prestbury Park next time out, looking set to fall out of the back of the telly before staying on resolutley, ultimatley looking a little unfortunate not to get up for second.

That run came on soft ground, but Paisley Park does tend to appreciate a sound surface (officially good ground for his Cleeve win) and this could well set up nicely for him if, as expected, Klassical Dream goes off very hard on the front end.

It should also be mentioned that Paisley Park has a very strong record on right-handed tracks (3-4), and, the top two in the market aside, he appears to have a decent chunk in hand on the remainder of this field, with him rated 7lb superior to the 152-rated Thedevilscoachman.

Market leader Klassical Dream blitzed his rivals in this race 12 months ago, but that came on the back of a long absence, and there’s a growing suspicion that he’s very much a horse best fresh nowadays, whilst he’s also found disappointingly little once off the bridle the last twice, so at his prohibitive odds looks a favourite to take on.

Back PAISLEY PARK Here and Get £45 in Free Bets with Paddy Power

SPARKLING STARS – (6:00pm, Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle) 12/1

Nicky Henderson’s City Chief is very interesting sent over to contest this Grade B Handicap Hurdle, for all that he’s a touch inexperienced for the hustle and bustle of a big-field handicap.

One whom that comment certainly doesn’t apply to is SPARKLING STARS, who took a 23-runner handicap hurdle at Naas on his debut for the Richard O’Brien stable back in February.

That win came over an extended 1m7f, but stepping up in distance has suited Sparkling Stars since, with a 2m4f Navan second followed by a victory over 2m5f at Limerick, where Sparkling Stars got up late to score by 3/4l.

That was the performance of a horse who wouldn’t mind going up even further in distance, which Sparkling Stars does here, and with it coming on good ground today’s surface won’t be a hindrance to his chances.

Whilst this clearly represents a step up in class when compared to the races that Sparkling Stars has been contesting since joining the yard, it’s difficult to gauge where his limitations lie at present, and Danny Mullins keeping the partnership intact looks a big plus.

Plenty of others are in with chances in what looks an open affair, with the more exposed pair of Doctor Duffy and Unexpected Depth completing the sortlist.

Back SPARKLING STARS Here and Get £45 in Free Bets with Paddy Power

GENTLEMAN DE MEE – (6:35pm, Barberstown Castle Novice Chase) 5/4

The Arkle form is put to the test here with the 2nd (Gabynako), 3rd (Blue Lord), 6th (Haut En Couleurs), 7th (Coeur Sublime) and even early unseat Saint Sam, set to do battle once again.

On a bare formline through the Arkle winner Edwardstone, however, they all have something to find with recent Aintree winner GENTLEMAN DE MEE.

The JP McManus owned 6yo has been steadily progressive since sent chasing, building on odds-on victories at Thurles and Navan (the latter at Grade 3 level) when claiming the scalp of the aforementioned Edwardstone in the Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase earlier this month.

There should be improvement to come from Willie Mullins’ charge when compared to some of the more exposed runners in this line-up, and he’s got upwards of 8lb in hand on official ratings, so it’s very difficult to see anything but another Grade 1 going his way here.

A watching brief is advised on Maskada on debut for the Henry De Bromhead stable, she was quite talented for Stuart Edmunds and it’s interesting that connections pitch her in at this level for debut.

Back GENTLEMAN DE MEE Here and Get £45 in Free Bets with Paddy Power

HURRICANE GEORGIE – (7:10pm, Close Brothers Irish EBF Mares’ Handicap Chase) 5/1

Certainly not the most competitive race contested at Punchestown on Thursday, and in truth it would be a bit disappointing if HURRICANE GEORGIE wasn’t capable of seeing off these rivals.

Gordon Elliott’s mare had some strong early-season chase form to her name which included a Grade 3 second here at Punchestown and a Fairyhouse second which, although initially disappointing, now looks a smart peice of form considering that the winner (2-4 since) is rated 17lb higher.

Back from a break, Hurricane Georgie outran odds of 25/1 to finish a close second in Listed company at Fairyhouse earlier this month. Hurricane Georgie was infront around 100 yards after the line, which shows just how close she came to landing that prize.

This represents a significant drop in class, and although the handicapper has shoved her up 7lb on return to handicaps, that weights rise is negated by Rob James’ excellent claim. That looks a shrewd move by connections, and with Hurricane Georgie coming into this looking a little fresher than most, plenty is in her favour.

Kapard rates the main danger to the selection for the De Bromhead – Blackmore trainer/jockey combination, with a recent Wexford run expected to have blown away any cobwebs.

Back HURRICANE GEORGIE Here and Get £45 in Free Bets with Paddy Power

JAMES’S GATE – (7:45pm, JP & M Doyle Celebrating 70 Years In Business) 5/6

If running to the level of his recent Cheltenham Champion Bumper third, it is difficult to see anything but JAMES’S GATE getting himself back amongst the winners here.

This 5yo runs in the Mulryan silks and justified significant market support to make a winning debut in a course and distance bumper earlier this year.

Connections sent him to Cheltenham on the back of that showing, and James’s Gate far from disgraced himself in third, when making his initial challenge a little away from the main action.

Both the Cheltenham effort and the Punchestown win came on officially heavy ground, but being by Shantou a better surface is expected to, if anything, be of a benefit to James’s Gate, and on his dam’s side of the pedigree that would also be supported, with Annie May a winner on Good To Firm over fences.

Henry De Bromhead’s Tag Man bumped into the classy Amarillo Sky in a point early in his career and his two bumper starts to date have been promising. Whilst on the bare figures he has a bit to find here it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see him run well.

Back JAMES’S GATE Here and Get £45 in Free Bets with Paddy Power

Punchestown Day Three TTC Selections