When Is Day Two Of The Punchestown Festival 2021?
Day two of the 2021 Punchestown Festival takes place on Wednesday 28 April. The first race kicks off at 15.50, with the last of eight races scheduled for 19.35.
The 2021 Punchestown Gold Cup is the highlight on the card, with Minella Indo trying to complete the Cheltenham Gold Cup/Punchestown Gold Cup double.
More Cheltenham Festival winners head the market for the Grade 1 Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle, while The Cheltenham Festival bumper 1-2 Sir Gerhard and Kilcruit lock horns once more in the ITM – Supporting Irish Store Sales Champion I.N.H. Flat Race.
17.20 Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle 2021
The Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle takes place over 3 miles.
Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle 10-Year-Trends 2021
The last nine winners of the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle have all been aged six, while the last eight have all been geldings. Willie Mullins has trained four of the last eight winners, and Paul Townend has ridden three of those winners.
Only three of the last 10 favourites have won, while outsiders have won this race at odds of 14/1 (15.00), 14/1, 12/1 (13.00), and 33/1 (34.00).
Winners had run 19-57 days prior to their success, with four winning their previous race, while two of the last 10 had also won at the Cheltenham Festival.
Who Will Win The Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle 2021?
Only two of the eight runners didn’t run at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, and it will be disappointing if Crosshill can land a Grade 1 after being beaten in a handicap off a mark of 135 last time. Gentlemansgame is the other, but he’s been beaten in a Grade 1 and a Grade 2 on his last two runs.
Four of the remaining six runners contested the Albert Bartlett. Torygraph only managed to finish eighth, while Stattler finished fourth after being sent off as the favourite. Stattler may turn the form around with the third Streets Of Doyen, as that horse also ran at Aintree, but the Albert Bartlett winner Vanillier was so impressive, it’s difficult to find a reason why the beaten trio should turn the form around.
But Vanillier does face two other Cheltenham Festival winners this time. Telmesomethinggirl bids to become the first winning mare in the last decade, but she’s not far behind the best of these in receipt of the 6lb mares’ allowance. But she does have to prove her stamina, having only won over 2½ miles and shorter so far.
Galopin Des Champs is another that needs to prove his stamina, but he represents the Mullins and Townend combination. But Vanillier has already proven his stamina on similar ground and is taken to confirm the big impression he made at Cheltenham.
Tip
Vanillier
17.55 Punchestown Gold Cup 2021
The Punchestown Gold Cup is run over 3 miles and 120 yards.
Punchestown Gold Cup 10-Year-Trends 2021
Only one winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup has followed up in the Punchestown Gold Cup in the same season in the last ten years. Despite that, six winners were returned at 4/1 or less, but four winners have been returned at odds ranging from 12/1 to 20/1.
Winners have been aged seven (3), eight (4), nine (2), and ten (1), while only four winners had won their previous race. Willie Mullins has won four of the last eight editions.
Who Will Win The Punchestown Gold Cup 2021?
Fakir D’Oudairies bids to win the race at the age of six but, despite winning impressively at Aintree last time, he’s unproven at three miles plus. Melon may also be better over shorter trips. Easy game is looking to become another winning 7-year-old but has not looked up to this class in his career so far.
Clan Des Obeaux is a fascinating English raider but it’s asking a lot for him to be as good as he was at Aintree 20 days ago, though he is considered even better on right-handed tracks.
Minella Indo bids to do the Cheltenham/Punchestown Gold Cup double but, while that’s proven tough for many horses, he did win at both meetings over hurdles in 2019.
Al Boum Photo could only finish third to Minella Indo at Cheltenham but arrives here fresher than most and could add another Grade 1 to his CV. But it’s worth noting that he was beaten by stablemate Kemboy in this race after his first Gold Cup win.
Kemboy was well beaten in this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup but, as he hates Cheltenham, he’s overpriced on his win in the Irish Gold in February, and he looks the value bet at 6/1 or bigger.
Tip
Kemboy
18.30 ITM – Supporting Irish Store Sales Champion I.N.H. Flat Race 2021
The ITM – Supporting Irish Store Sales Champion I.N.H. Flat Race takes place over 2 miles and 70 yards.
ITM – Supporting Irish Store Sales Champion I.N.H. Flat Race 10-Year-Trends
The last ten winners of this race have all been aged five or six and have at least three previous runs. Winners had run ten to 52 days prior to their success, while eight winners were returned at single-figure prices. Willie Mullins has won seven of the last ten editions.
Who Will Win The ITM – Supporting Irish Store Sales Champion I.N.H. Flat Race 2021?
Eight runners are set to go to post for this Grade 1 bumper, but O’Toole, Ardla, and Lake Winnipesaukee have all had less than three runs. Meanwhile, the promising Eric Bloodaxe must defy an absence of over 400 days.
Sundrenched looks to have been saved for decent ground, and he and Ramillies are both open to improvement in first-time tongue-ties.
But it will be a major shock if the high-class Cheltenham bumper 1-2 Sir Gerhard and Kilcruit don’t fight out the finish. Sir Gerhard finished just in front then and, as he looks the speedier of the two, he’s fancied to retain his unbeaten record.
Tip
Sir Gerhard
