British raider Clan Des Obeaux primed
Paul Nicholls is hoping for a bold show from Clan Des Obeaux as he clashes with Al Boum Photo in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup.
The sole British challenger certainly has the right credentials to mix it with the best of the Irish – and was right back to his very best when winning by 26 lengths at Aintree this month.
However, he will face a completely different test to the one he passed that day.
“He won well at Aintree the other day, but he has obviously won the King George twice – and going right-handed seems to suit him better,” said Nicholls. “He’s a much more mature horse now. Cheltenham doesn’t suit him at all – that race and the ground at the time. This is much better for him.
“He does seem to like this time of year when the sun is shining and looks great. If he performs like he did at Aintree the other day, he’s going to be right in the mix.”
Sam Twiston-Davies, on board for the second of Clan Des Obeaux’s King George victories in 2019, is reunited with the nine-year-old – in place of Harry Cobden, who suffered a season-ending injury shortly after their victory together at Aintree.
Twiston-Davies said in his William Hill blog: “I’m very pleased to be asked to step in and ride Clan Des Obeaux while Harry is out on the sidelines.
“He felt brilliant in the early part of the season when I rode him at Haydock, finishing second on heavy ground, but then things didn’t quite work out for us in the King George at Kempton.
“It was a funny race – we didn’t get a very smooth run around, and he made a couple of mistakes down the back, but there’s no hiding what he did at Aintree last time out – he was very impressive.”
After Clan Des Obeaux’s three placed runs at Haydock, Kempton and then Newbury in February, Nicholls took Cobden’s advice to fit him with cheekpieces for the first time at Aintree – and the result was an emphatic win in the Grade One Betway Bowl.
Twiston-Davies added: “He jumped nicely, got himself into a good rhythm – and if he’s able to do that on Wednesday, then we should be in for a massive run.
“He’s at a nice age as a nine-year-old. Physically and mentally he looks the complete package, and he should be right near his peak now.
“Punchestown is a beautiful, right-handed track that should suit him well – although he’s just as good going the other way round.
“I’ve only ridden the track a handful of times and will always remember winning the Champion Hunters Chase there back in 2009 on Baby Run.
“This is obviously a bit of a different task to that, but I’ll have a good walk of the track, get all the information I can and make sure we’re fully prepared for whatever it throws at us.
“He’s a very classy horse that still manages to get through the heavy ground, but it doesn’t see him at his best, so the expected good, good to soft ground will be ideal for him.”
The field is completed by Joseph O’Brien’s Fakir D’oudairies, another winner from Aintree who steps up to three miles for just the second time in his career.
Vanillier expected to fire
Gavin Cromwell expects forecast conditions to prove in Vanillier’s favour at Punchestown as the impressive Cheltenham winner puts his Grade One status on the line in the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle.
Vanillier was a revelation when he returned to winning form with abundant ease to dominate last month’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
That 11-length success followed an off-colour performance at the Dublin Festival, when Cromwell’s yard was out of form.
The County Meath trainer admits that, although he was hoping for a much-improved showing at Cheltenham, even he was surprised by Vanillier’s 14-1 triumph – on his first attempt at three miles under rules.
The six-year-old faces a new challenge on Wednesday when two fellow Cheltenham winners – Willie Mullins’ handicap victor Galopin Des Champs and Henry de Bromhead’s Grade Two heroine Telmesomethinggirl – will be among the seven-strong opposition.
Asked to assess what level of form will be required to follow up, he said: “I don’t really know for sure. The ground is probably going to be a little bit livelier again than it was at Cheltenham. I hope that’s OK with him. He’s come out of Cheltenham really well, and we’re happy with him going here. I’m hoping he can put up a similar performance.”
Vanillier has won and finished a good second on much softer winter ground, but appeared to appreciate the absence of mud at Cheltenham.
“Yes, he did (surprise me),” added Cromwell. “I fancied him to run a big race, but I didn’t expect him to do what he did on the day. We were obviously delighted with it.
“He wears a tongue strap, and that’s obviously for a reason, and I think the better ground probably helps his wind a little bit. So as long as it’s not too quick for him – I’m sure Punchestown are going to do a great job – it will be fine.”
Bloodaxe out to defy absence
Joseph O'Brien hopes Eric Bloodaxe can defy a long absence and run well in the ITM – Supporting Irish Store Sales Champion INH Flat Race.
The horse has been off the track for 15 months and O’Brien said: “He’s been off the track for an extended period of time, and it’ll be a big ask to go straight into a race like this. But he’s been training well, and we’ve targeted this race with him. We’re hoping he can run well.”
