Punchestown are confident

RACING: PUNCHESTOWN BOSSES are confident tomorrow's fixture at the Kildare track will go ahead despite the prospect of more overnight rain.

A couple of inches of rain fell at the course over the weekend and ground conditions are currently “heavy” ahead of a card that includes the Glenfarclas PP Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase, which was transferred from Punchestown’s previous fixture at the end of last month.

“The way the track has taken the 50mm of rain we got over the weekend, I would be confident we will be okay,” manager Richie Galway said yesterday. “We are due more rain (tonight) and we will be keeping an eye on things, but I will be disappointed if we can’t race.

“There are areas on the cross country course that we will have to keep an eye on, but we did have a dry January and that has helped the track,” he added.

There is also a two-mile novice hurdle to be run tomorrow that could include Willie Mullins’s Day Of A Lifetime, an impressive winner at Leopardstown last month.

Timmy Murphy has high hopes for Ghizao in the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham next month. The seven-year-old, trained by Paul Nicholls, has won two of his three starts over fences, and Captain Chris, who has finished second to him on both occasions, was runner-up to Medermit in a hot contest at Sandown on Saturday.

“I was delighted with the way Captain Chris ran again in Sandown so that gives our form a boost,” Murphy said.

“The only thing is I hope the ground doesn’t come up too quick, but I don’t think it gets too quick anymore. Touch wood, he’s a good jumper. Paul (Nicholls) has purposely given him a break to freshen him up. He had a tough race at Newbury with the penalty.

“He’s had three runs over fences. He was always a neat jumper of hurdles and he’s proved that over fences.

“He’s got scope, he’s agile, he’s had enough experience and he’ll go there fresh now.”

Ghizao is generally the 9 to 2 second favourite for Arkle honours on March 15th.