Newmill 'in great form'

Champion Chase preview: Newmill and Andrew McNamara are set to defend their Kerrygold Champion Chase title on day one of the €2.5 million Punchestown festival which in a new step to the track's 157-year history, will be officially launched this afternoon.

For the first time an opening ceremony is being planned and some Punchestown veterans could be surprised by a morning performance by a nine-piece Slovakian Orchestra, followed by a welcoming address and a noon recital by the three Irish Sopranos.

The racecourse focus, however, will be on the €200,000 feature in which Newmill will attempt to bring a somewhat stop-start season to a successful conclusion.

John Murphy's charge has had only four races this term and half of those have been over hurdles.

A title defence of the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham failed when some poor jumping resulted in only a fourth placing behind Voy Por Ustedes and an intended start at Aintree 10 days ago had to be abandoned because of illness.

However, Newmill's trainer was upbeat yesterday about the horse's chances of successfully retaining the Punchestown part of his 2006 two-mile double.

"The infection has cleared up perfectly and he is in great form," said Murphy.

"I was reasonably happy with him at Cheltenham but I think the run of the race didn't really suit him as he was taken on which probably distorted his concentration. At that level, you can't get away with making mistakes and he made some of those."

The Newmill team got a boost yesterday when his regular jockey, Andrew McNamara, expressed himself fit and ready for the big race ride.

"I got a bang to the knee in a fall at Mallow on Sunday and it was quite sore," he said yesterday. "But it's a lot better now and I rode on the horse simulator I have at home. It felt all right."

Ranged against the defending champion will be seven opponents, including the sole British hope, River City, who finished a place ahead of Newmill at Cheltenham.

There will be some willing to bet, however, that bigger threats may come from the rest of the home team which looks like including the prolific Nickname now that the ground looks to have turned to the easy side of good.

There is little doubt, however, that it can hardly get too deep for Martin Brassil's horse and there was a significantly hopeful bulletin yesterday from Justified's trainer, "Dusty" Sheehy.

"He was running a big race at Cheltenham until making a mistake at the ditch. He ran a big race here last year and he always seems to run well on the track," he said.

Tony McCoy's mount could be one to take on Newmill for the lead but there is unlikely to be the frenetic early pace that there was at Cheltenham and if Newmill can cut out the mistakes that ruined his chance last month he will be fancied to win again here.