Punchestown Tuesday Preview - 30/04/2019

The opening race of the 2019 Punchestown Festival is the Kildare Hunt Club / Sean Breen Memorial Chase for the Ladies Perpetual Cup over 3m1f, and Blue Templar can enhance his trainer's fine record in these sort of contests.

Enda Bolger - 'King of the Banks' has cross country training facilities at his home yard in Ireland, with Blue Templar hoping to be the latest star from the yard to win an event of this nature.

He was a close second in a point race at the end of March over a furlong less at Lisronagh on good ground, and the extra yardage will certainly suit his claim given than he was closing all the time on the winner.

Was sixth here on soft ground on this card twelve months ago behind Josies Order, and should definitely better that attempt.

A fine purchase from France for Mrs Joanne Coleman, Ruby Walsh maintains the ride on Supreme Novice Hurdle winner Klassical Dream in the Grade One Herald Champion Novice Hurdle.

The five-year-old landed the hat-trick of wins for new trainer Willie Mullins at the Festival after back-to-back successes at Leopardstown - the second of which in the Grade One Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle in February.

Interesting to see where he goes after this, but arrives here as the one to beat having motored away up the Cheltenham Festival hill over six weeks ago now.

Flatter track should not be anything of a concern.

Buildmeupbuttercup turns to the handicapping setting by reverting away from the top level in the Killashee Handicap Hurdle over two miles.

The mare ran respectably well at Cheltenham two starts back at big odds, but has simply just not been good enough in high end affairs.

Only managed to beat one home in the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at this track back in January, which however was off the back of a nice win in a maiden at Navan.

The five-year-old is Ruby Walsh's pick so we are not giving up hope just yet, and this could be the confidence booster she requires to take a step in the right direction.

Many expected Min to be the closest thing to Altior at Cheltenham in the Champion Chase, but the twice-Festival runner-up could not land any sort of blow this year, and can be excused from a certain off day.

He needed to bounce back at Aintree, and that he did in style when taking the JLT Chase by twenty-lengths over previous winner of the race Politologue.

The old Min looked back in working order, maintaining his title as one of the best two-milers around, but like his old advisory Altior, perhaps going over a further distance will suit him in the future.

For now, he will take plenty of beating in the BoyleSports Champion Chase - the second of three Grade One's on the day.

No bet in the 18:05 bumper so straight onto the next, and at the foot of the order in the Champion Novice Chase sits the five-year-old A Plus Tard.

He completes this field having confirmed himself as the handicap-certainty from the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, for which he won the Listed Close Bros for jockey Rachael Blackmore, who is again aboard today.

Sixteen lengths was the gap back to the second Tower Bridge, which continued this son of Kapgarde's excellent progression since signing for De Bromhead for a chasing campaign.

He raced as a four-year-old in France over hurdles, and has been a positive acquisition for Cheveley Park Stud.

Big player, and an exciting future beckons.

Front View can take the last for Joseph O'Brien - who has had a season to remember, in the Sanctuary Synthetics INH Flat Race.

Sporting the colours of JP McManus, the four-year-old gave a good first effort at Gowran Park on debut, before being brought down when sent off the favourite in another bumper, where there were a few clipped heels in the field.

Shades of misfortune can be wiped away now, and he is clearly held in high regard given his breeding.

Major chances to make it third time lucky.