John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Wednesday.
Three points of interest
Rebel’s Gamble a sprinter on the up
Ascot’s first Flat fixture of the year is billed as Royal Ascot Trials Day and features the Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes (registered as the Pavilion Stakes) for three-year-olds over six furlongs (14:50). Last year’s winner Jasour went on to finish third in the Commonwealth Cup itself, as did 2017 winner Blue Point who won three times at Royal Ascot later in his career, while the 2019 winner of this race, Rohaan, took the handicap option instead at the Royal meeting, winning the Wokingham.
This year’s field of ten includes Electrolyte, beaten a nose in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot last year and winner of the Prix Eclipse at Chantilly on his last start in September, and Big Mojo, winner of the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood and a close fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint when last seen. Both are leading contenders on form, though the latter, who has had a breathing operation since his last run, needs to prove himself over six furlongs.
However, they face a most progressive sprinter in Rebel’s Gamble who didn’t race at all last year but has been making big strides on the all-weather since the beginning of January, winning three of his four starts. His latest win came in the listed Spring Cup at Lingfield over seven furlongs when sweeping through from off the pace and he’ll be just as effective back at six on this stiffer track. He can step up again and provide his trainer Karl Burke with a third win in this race after Dubai Station in 2020 and Cold Case in 2023.
Grade 1 winners head the Mullins and Elliott teams in novice hurdle
The first of three Grade 1 contests on Punchestown’s card is the Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle over just short of three miles (16:15) where seven of the eight runners belong to either the Mullins or Elliott camps. Gordon Elliott managed to win this in 2017 with Champagne Classic but it’s Mullins who has dominated this contest in recent years, winning each of the last four editions and seven of the last nine.
Elliott’s trio is headed by Honesty Policy who was runner-up on his hurdling debut at Naas in January but has since completed a hat-trick, stepping up in both grade and distance and showing plenty of improvement last time to win the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree. Only fourth jumping the last, Honesty Policy stayed on well to get the better of Regent’s Stroll and Mullins’ Funiculi Funicula and looks capable of progressing further stepping up again in trip. Stablemate Cardcounter hasn’t been so highly tried, but he has won both his completed outings and is stoutly bred so is another likely to be suited by the longer trip.
But Mullins will be tough to beat in this again, with the standout member of his quartet being Jasmin de Vaux who looks to have a good chance of following up his win in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham, a double previously accomplished by the stable’s 2022 winner The Nice Guy. Last season’s Champion Bumper winner hadn’t come up to expectations previously in graded company over hurdles, but he was well suited by the stiffer test of the Albert Bartlett, keeping on well after leading approaching the last. Open to further improvement, he can get the better of fellow Grade 1 winner Honesty Policy.
Third time lucky for Galopin des Champs in Punchestown Gold Cup?
Having been thwarted by Inothewayurthinkin when odds on to win a third Cheltenham Gold Cup last month, Galopin des Champs now bids to win the Punchestown Gold Cup (17:30) for the first time after two unsuccessful attempts. Whilst he boasts an unbeaten record over fences at Leopardstown, Galopin des Champs has won only one of his five starts over fences at Punchestown (the 2022 John Durkan), though he was also one of his stable’s winners of the race covered above earlier in his career.
Since the first running of the race in its current form, five chasers have won both the Cheltenham and Punchestown Gold Cups during their careers; Imperial Call, Kicking King, War of Attrition, Don Cossack and Sizing John. Fastorslow, who beat the odds-on Galopin des Champs into second in both the last two editions, isn’t in the field this year but the top-rated does face three at least high-class rivals.
Two of those, Banbridge and Monty’s Star, finished a long way behind Galopin des Champs at Cheltenham last time. Monty’s Star still ran a sound race in fourth, despite a bad mistake and later being hampered by a faller, while King George winner Banbridge was the last of the seven who completed having been beaten a long way from home. However, he could be the one to chase home Galopin des Champs here, having had Spillane’s Tower behind him at Kempton. The latter has been off since Boxing Day but he beat Monty’s Star at this meeting last year and finished a place in front of Galopin des Champs when running Fact To File close in the latest John Durkan in November.
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