RACING / Punchestown Preview: Jonjo O'Neill looks to have a stranglehold on today's Ballymore Properties Champion Stayers Hurdle but the clash of Iris's Gift and Rhinestone Cowboy means the race will be anything but lifeless.
O'Neill's decision to commit Rhinestone Cowboy to the €125,000 feature rather than tomorrow's Emo Oil Champion Hurdle has presented fans with a clash to savour.
What might have been regarded as something of a parade for Iris's Gift after his scintillating defeat of Baracouda at Cheltenham, and a follow-up at Liverpool, now has some real competitive venom.
Rhinestone Cowboy and his amateur rider JP Magnier come here on the back of their own career high with a narrow defeat of Rooster Booster in the Aintree Hurdle which proved that whatever the young jockey lacks in style there is nothing wrong with his big-race temperament.
An intriguing element to the race, however, is the appearance of the top French horse, Sunny Flight. Winner of 16 races in his home country, Sunny Flight's recent record is not as impressive with two refusals at Auteuil featuring in his form.
Of the home team, last year's winner Holy Orders is a law unto himself while it will be interesting to see how Rosaker goes in this after a lacklustre effort in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham.
However, Iris's Gift looks to be a champion at the top of his game. The trip will be ideal, the ground okay and end-of-term fatigue will not be a factor on just his fourth start of the term.
The McAvoy Auctioneers Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle is worth 110,000 and not surprisingly features an ultra-competitive field. The record of Triumph Hurdle winners doubling up here has not been good, apart from Shawiya in 1993 and Katarino five years ago but Made In Japan could be the one to change that.
The Philip Hobbs horse was "mugged" by an inspired Timmy Murphy on Al Eile at Liverpool but is 4lb better off with that horse today. He holds Top Strategy on Cheltenham form while the improving horses look to be Essex and Silk Screen. Made In Japan is tough, though, and can make one last successful trip to the Grade One well.
Just six line up for the Grade One Swordlestown Cup Novice Chase which should see Kicking King start favourite to win again after runner-up efforts in the Arkle at Cheltenham and in the Power Gold Cup at Fairyhouse.
Hi Cloy did him for pace last time out which will make his drop back to two miles particularly interesting. If the ground continues to dry out it will be another complicating factor so maybe a value alternative could be the good-ground loving Colca Canyon from the Jessica Harrington yard.
Buailtes And Fadas tries to repeat his victory last year in the La Touche over the big banks and the extreme four and a quarter mile distance can make all the difference to the Enda Bolger horse.
He faded in the closing stages here on Tuesday but the longer he spends over this unique track the better he is and he can beat off Takagi and stable companion Spot Thedifference who ran fifth in the Aintree Grand National earlier in the month.
For a Stakes winner on the flat who once reached a rating of 106, Bowmore looks an interesting contender for the opening handicap hurdle. Winner of his first start over hurdles, he may have found heavy ground a problem on his only subsequent start.
Wotsitooya will love further drying in the ground and is one to examine in the Pat Taaffe Chase, a race he won two years ago.
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