Punchestown Festival preview: Non-Willie Mullins-trained horses who can star

It is probable that Willie Mullins will dominate the Punchestown Festival this year, as he usually does. He is a perennial. But here are five horses who do not reside at Closutton who could be worth following this week.

Banbridge (Joseph O’Brien)

Champion Chase, Tuesday

Banbridge was impressive in winning the Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton in January on his debut this season. He battled on well to beat Pic D’Orhy that day, and Pic D’Orhy came out next time and won the Grade 1 Ascot Chase.

Banbridge was well beaten last time in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but the ground was just too soft for him that day, he didn’t jump well. He should be much happier on the better ground that he will encounter at Punchestown.

Joseph O’Brien’s horse is a classy individual, a Martin Pipe Hurdle winner who had the pace to win the Arkle Trial over two miles at Cheltenham’s November meeting last season, and who was impressive in winning the Grade 1 Manifesto Chase at Aintree last April over two and a half. He will be dropping back down to two miles on Tuesday, but he is not devoid of pace, and his first-time cheekpieces could be an asset in that regard. He is still lightly raced, he has raced just seven times over fences in his life, and he has raced just twice this season to date, so he goes into the race fresher than most.

Fastorslow (Martin Brassil)

Punchestown Gold Cup, Wednesday

Old rivals Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow will go toe-to-toe again in the Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday. The market has Galopin Des Champs in as clear favourite, but it may be that Fastorslow has been under-rated again.

Fastorslow was very good in winning the Punchestown Gold Cup last year. He clung onto the coat-tails of Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame when they quickened from the third last fence, and he probably out-stayed them over the final two fences. And Martin Brassil’s horse came out on top again when he and Galopin Des Champs met again in the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown in November.

It was a real shame at the time that Fastorslow departed early in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but it is a positive in the context of Wedensday’s race, it meant that he was spared a hard race at Cheltenham. His form tells you that he is probably a better horse at Punchestown than he is anywhere else, and he could run another big race there on Wednesday.

Answer To Kayf (Terence O’Brien)

Connolly’s Red Mills Final, Wednesday

Answer To Kayf will have top weight in the Connolly’s Red Mills Final on Wednesday, but John Shinnick’s claim will help in that regard and, anyway, he could have the class to give the weight away.

Terence O’Brien’s horse has been progressing nicely all season. A close-up third in the Grade 2 Dorans Pride Hurdle at Limerick’s Christmas Festival, he was impressive in winning the novice hurdle at Naas in February that City Island and Journey With Me have won in the past, and he put up a career-best last time in finishing fourth in the Martin Pipe Hurdle at Cheltenham. The first four finished nicely clear of their rivals that day, in a hot race, and the third-placed horse, Quai De Bourbon, has already come out and won impressively at Ayr.

Terence O’Brien has enjoyed a really good season, and it could be further enhanced it on Wednesday.

Buddy One (Paul Gilligan)

Champion Stayers’ Hurdle, Thursday

Buddy One will be interesting if he lines up in the Champion Stayers’ Hurdle on Thursday. Third in the Martin Pipe Hurdle at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, and second in a premier handicap hurdle at the 2023 Aintree Grand National meeting, Paul Gilligan’s horse has made the transition to Grade 1 company this season.

He ran a big race at a big price in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham to finish fourth behind Teahupoo. That was his first run since December, and he stepped forward from that last time when he finished second in the Liverpool Hurdle. He moved to the front at the third last flight that day, travelling easily, and he only gave best to Strong Leader, a talented and progressive young staying hurdler who loves Aintree and who had been trained for the race.

It's not easy to come on to Punchestown having run at Cheltenham and at Aintree, but Buddy One went to Cheltenham a relatively fresh horse, and he is a horse who takes his racing well. He could out-run his odds on Thursday.

Bottler’secret (Gavin Cromwell)

Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle, Saturday

Bottler’secret stayed on strongly up the hill on heavy ground to win his maiden on the flat at the Galway Festival last August and, on his third and final run for Ciaran Murphy, he stepped forward from that and ran out an impressive winner of a three-year-olds’ handicap at Naas in October.

He was good too on his first run for Gavin Cromwell, his first run over hurdles, in winning a Grade 3 contest back at Naas in February. Connections decided in the end that the Triumph Hurdle was coming up just too quickly afterwards so, instead of going to Cheltenham, Bottler’secret went to Fairyhouse and won the Grade 2 juvenile hurdle. He was weak in the market before that contest, but he was very good in winning it. Always prominent, his jumping was very good, and he cleared away from his rivals from the second last flight.

All his form is on soft or heavy ground, so better ground will be an unknown, but he is a talented and progressive individual who is a really exciting recruit to hurdles.

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