Punchestown on Weather Watch

Photo: inpho

Officials at Punchestown will continue to monitor the weather conditions at the Co Kildare track before making a final decision on racing on day two of the festival. With more heavy rain and strong winds forecast, today’s card is in danger of being washed out.

“At present day two of the Punchestown racing festival will go ahead as scheduled,” Punchestown’s marketing manager Shona Dreaper said this morning. “The track is currently raceable. We will continue to monitor wind and rain. However, winds are due to ease in the afternoon. A further update will be made at 1.30pm.”

Racing is scheduled to get underway at 3.40pm this afternoon, with the eagerly anticipated Gold Cup the highlight of a top class card. Willie Mullins is confident Quel Esprit is back at the top of his game should the race go ahead as planned.

After completing a hat-trick of victories for the season in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February, the bold jumping grey was considered Ireland’s major hope of grabbing Cheltenham Gold Cup glory last month. But after failing to please connections when taking to the Prestbury Park turf on the morning of the blue riband, he was withdrawn from the race.

The champion trainer has been pleased with his eight-year-old’s subsequent homework, however, and feels the rain-softened ground will be right up his street. “We never really found anything wrong with him after Cheltenham. Paul (Townend) just rode him on the morning of the race and wasn’t happy with the way he was moving, but we’ve been pleased with him at home since,” said Mullins.

“All the rain that has fallen will definitely be a big help to him and hopefully he has a big chance. It’s 10 years since we won this race with Florida Pearl and it would be great to win it again.”

Another horse who will relish the underfoot conditions is proven mudlark Rubi Light. Robbie Hennessy’s star turn was not disgraced in finishing fifth in last month’s Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham and steps back up in distance for the first time since chasing home subsequent Gold Cup winner Synchronised in the Lexus Chase.

The Philip Hobbs-trained Captain Chris won at this meeting last year and was one place ahead of Rubi Light in the Ryanair but would have preferred a sounder surface. Jessica Harrington’s Bostons Angel won three Grade One prizes last season as a novice but has failed to rediscover that form so far this term.

And Noble Prince was a big disappointment in the Ryanair Chase and steps up in trip as Paul Nolan aims to help his charge come back to form. Joining Captain Chris on the trip from Britain is the Nicky Henderson-trained Quantitativeeasing, while the field is completed by the Dessie Hughes duo of Roberto Goldback and Magnanimity.

Source: The Irish Times



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