- Friday, 03 May 2024 06:58
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
There's only one more day left until the season kicks off again, but we have day 4 of the Punchestown Festival to keep us occupied until then. The Boodles Champion Hurdle takes place at 6:00pm and 4 runners step up to the challenge - 2 of them being for Willie Mullins who yesterday, broke his own record by having the most Grade 1 victories in a season! The favourite is State Man and he currently has a perfect 4-4 strike rate at Punchestown, so he will be looking to add to that! Champion Hurdle runner up, Irish Point will be looking to go one better this time round as they go head to head again!
- Thursday, 02 May 2024 06:49
- Written by G Edwards
We have reached Day 3 of the Punchestown Festival and there are two Grade 1 races to look forward amongst the rest on another good card. At 5.25pm we have the Novices chase over two miles and Gaelic Warrior is a very short priced favourite. There are only four runners and Willie Mullins trains three of them so the chances are he will win this race with the only non Closutton trained horse being 200/1. I like the second favourite, Aintree winner Il Etait Temps, but I think he may be playing second fiddle to his stablemate in this.
- Wednesday, 01 May 2024 07:14
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
With the break from jump racing in Britain continued the stable has no runners today.
Day one of Punchestown took place yesterday and after a long patient winter with Banbridge, he rattled home to just chin Cheltenham festival's Champion Chase winner Captain Guinness in a thrilling finish to pick up the prize for the William Hill Champion Chase. It was also nice to see the British get off the mark over in Punchestown yesterday as trainer Tom Lacey's Tune In A Box knotched an impressive win for the team to win the Full Circle Series Final Handicap Hurdle. The trainer also trained the 3rd placed horse in the race too!
- Tuesday, 30 April 2024 07:03
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
The season may have finished, but we have the Punchestown Festival to look forward to and today is the first day of the 5 day festival and there are 3 Grade 1’s on the opening card. The supreme one-two Slade Steel and Mystical Power meet again and go head to head in the Champion Novice Hurdle scheduled at 3:40pm. Champion Chase winner Captain Guinness takes on the Mares’ Chase second Dinoblue, in the William Hill Champion Chase scheduled at 5:25pm. The Irish jockey's title is also going to the wire at Punchestown this week as Jack Kennedy and Paul Townend go head to head. Jack Kennedy takes lead at the moment on 122 with Paul Townend on 115 so I'm sure the festival will play a huge part in the final result.
- Monday, 29 April 2024 07:03
- Written by G Edwards
Lukke after his well deserved win!
No jumps racing today but there are four flat cards at Ayr, Southwell, Windsor, and Wolverhampton. In Ireland they have a flat fixture at Naas.
We had another reason to celebrate yesterday with a winner at Axe Vale point to point. Well done to Lukke Morris who rode his first winner aboard Moodofthemoment in the intermediate race. Lukke has only had a handful of rides, but he rode a very good race, always being in a handy position, jumping well and keeping going when challenged. The result was actually a dead heat for first place and when the judge was taking a long time to decide the result, we said we would all be happy with a dead heat. Lukke is in his first season of working at Pond House and tries hard, so it was a reward for all of his hard work. Fingers crossed this may be the first of many for him!
- Sunday, 28 April 2024 07:07
- Written by G Edwards
The 2023-34 National Hunt Season has come to a close and jumps racing in Britain takes a little break for a week. There are three flat meetings today at Southwell, Wetherby and Bath, while the Punchestown Festival gets underway on Tuesday. There is also the more local point to point at Stafford Cross and we are running Moodofthemoment with Lukke Morris riding. We have him entered in two races, the Intermediate and the Novice riders race so will decide which race when we get there and see what else is being declared. He carries a penalty in both races after winning at Cotley last time out. Fingers crossed he can run well again.
- Saturday, 27 April 2024 06:54
- Written by G Edwards
Castle Daragh Winner at Chepstow
It was brilliant to end our season with a winner at Chepstow last night with Castle Daragh winning the hunter chase with Conal Kavanagh on board. This was Conal's third ever ride and his first ride under rules so it was fantastic he made it a winning one! Castle Daragh had been running well in point to points but I am not sure we were expecting that! I think he appreciated the better ground and he jumped very well under a nice ride from Conal. He did start celebrating a little early, Mickael Barzalona style but he is only 16 it meant a lot to him. We will probably now look to run him in another hunter chase before the end of the season.
