Hi all,
All eyes on Punchestown on Sunday for a star packed Grade 1 John Durkan Chase. What a race! Seven Grade 1 winners, a Grade 2 scorer, and the Bet365 Gold Cup winner make up a stellar nine-runner field. For mid-November, it doesn’t get much better. In fact, this line-up will probably outshine the final field for the Cheltenham Gold Cup itself.
Inside today's main piece you can read my thoughts on the John Durkan Chase.
Punchestown
2:25 – John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase (Grade 1) – 2m 3½f
Last year’s winner Fastorslow returns and faces Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs, who won this race in 2022. Both make their seasonal reappearances, and given Fastorslow thrives at Punchestown, I’m backing him to edge out Galopin Des Champs again.
However, Fastorslow may face a stiff challenge from JP McManus’s two Grade 1-winning novices, Fact To File and Spillane's Tower.
Fact To File dazzled when landing the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at Cheltenham. While 2m 4f might be short of his ideal trip, he’s the pick of Mark Walsh, which speaks volumes. That said, he did need his seasonal debut last year, so fitness is a question mark.
Spillane’s Tower might not boast the same official rating but finished last season in style, winning back-to-back Grade 1 novice chases at Fairyhouse and Punchestown. He’s got an excellent record here over fences (111), and if the rain softens the ground, he could spring a surprise.
In addition to stars like Galopin Des Champs and Fact To File, Willie Mullins also saddles the interesting Grangeclare West. The 8-year-old returns for his first run since winning the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown last December. He hasn’t been the easiest to keep sound, but he’s unbeaten in three starts following a 121+ day layoff and is 2 from 2 at Punchestown. You can watch him beat Corbett’s Cross in the Neville Hotels Novice Chase here.
Even one of the outsiders, Journey With Me, can’t be entirely ruled out. He appeared not to stay the 3m 1f trip when beaten by Fastorslow in the Punchestown Gold Cup in May, and this distance should suit him better.
It’s a genuine cracker of a race, assuming no late defections. While the rest of the Punchestown card isn’t standout, with the John Durkan on offer, it hardly matters.
In Monday's column I will be looking back at Saturday's action at Haydock & Ascot.
Good luck with your Sunday bets.
John