Punchestown going will be soft

The Punchestown authorities are now forecasting "soft" ground for the entire four days of next week's festival, which will have Wednesday's €225,000 Guinness Gold Cup as its centrepiece.

A total of just eight horses were left in that race at yesterday's forfeit stage, but they include the Gold Cup and King George hero Kicking King as well as the sole British challenger, Kingscliff.

"That's what we were expecting. If you get the big guns then it is going to have an impact on the quantity. But you make it up in terms of quality and that is certainly the case here," said Punchestown's racing manager, Richie Galway.

"The ground here is soft at the moment. We have had no rain for three days now but the course hasn't dried out dramatically. Based on what the forecast tells us, which is for mixed weather through the week, I would maintain the current conditions will continue through the week," he added.

Wednesday's other Grade One highlight will be the Paddy Power Champion Bumper, which has 24 entries left in, including the Cheltenham bumper winner Missed That.

The Willie Mullins-trained horse is on course to try and double up, but there could be a cross-channel challenge from the three British-trained horses left in. They include The Cool Guy from Nigel Twiston-Davies and the Jonjo O'Neill-trained mare Refinement, who has finished fourth at both Cheltenham and Liverpool.

Today's home action will be at Naas and while the 10-furlong maiden is only worth €12,000 in total, it could have a greater impact on future big races than might at first seem obvious. John Oxx's Shalapour belied long odds on his debut at the Curragh when finding only Bob's Pride too good and that was enough for Ladbrokes to slap a 50 to 1 quote on the horse for the Epsom Derby.

However, Epsom is also on Dermot Weld's mind for the well-bred Society Milliner. A full brother to the Irish Oaks winner Dance Design, Society Milliner ran third to Fracas on his only start to date, but three days ago the Moyglare Stud coughed up £8,000 to put the colt into the Derby at Epsom. He was one of only six horses to be put in and there is no doubt Weld expects quite a lot from the horse as the season unfolds.

Aidan O'Brien has Streets Of Gold in today, and Kevin Prendergast has Qassas, who ran into a good one on his Leopardstown debut behind Emerald Cat. However, that eight grand might look a little expensive if Society Milliner doesn't impress this afternoon.

Kieren Fallon will be in France tomorrow but stays at home for a number of good rides today including on the Ballysax runner-up Mister Hight in the 10-furlong conditions race. Willie Mullins's horse is the sole male against four fillies and one of them, Deyrnia, might just prove too tough a nut to crack.

Deyrnia improved from her Curragh debut to win at Clonmel and these testing conditions, which mean there will be no stalls in operation, look to be ideal for her.

Fallon, however, should be on the score-sheet with Dukestreet, who looks like he will come on for a good run at Leopardstown behind Eurolink Rooster, and possibly Mary From Murroe in the opening maiden.