DAY FOUR PREVIEW:A LOT of discussion is going to go into solving the big race puzzle that is today's Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown but it may help to boil it all down to one question: could any of the rest of this field do to Celestial Halo and Binocular what Punjabi did at Cheltenham? The potentially profitable answer is probably not.
There will be plenty still willing to take on the Champion Hurdle title-holder, however, with quite a few of his eight opponents likely to be heavily backed.
Since they include Aintree Hurdle winner Solwhit; a former Irish Champion Hurdle winner in Sizing Europe; a stand-out mare like Quevega; not to mention a legendary name in Hardy Eustace, it’s easy to see why.
But that seems to be Punjabi’s lot. Even after his momentous Cheltenham victory, he failed to receive the limelight’s full glow – attention focused on excuses for stable companion Binocular.
The fact he started at 22 to 1 in Cheltenham almost stood against him while there was even the angle that he had missed out on a million pound bonus due to falling in Kempton’s Christmas Hurdle. But maybe following in the footsteps of Istabraq (1999) and Hardy Eustace (2004) by completing the Cheltenham-Punchestown double will wise people up to what a top-notcher Punjabi really is.
After all he is on a Grade One Punchestown hat-trick this afternoon, having won this race last year, and also the big four-year-old hurdle here in 2007.
Celestial Halo contributed to a cut-throat gallop in the Champion and it was only Punjabi that managed to get past him. It was a tough task but Nicky Henderson hasn’t hesitated to bring him back to Punchestown again. “He’s going great,” the Lambourn trainer said yesterday.
Punjabi has shown an unusual versatility in terms of ground in the past and around this comparatively quick two miles, these conditions could be an advantage.
Willie Mullins certainly believes they will be a plus for Quevega who dotted up by 14 lengths in the David Nicholson Hurdle at Cheltenham and who has form closely tied in with Hurricane Fly in France last year.
However, Ruby Walsh admitted yesterday: “You would just wonder whether she has the gears of a horse like Punjabi. She is going from a Grade Two mares hurdle to taking on a Champion Hurdle winner so it is a big step and a shot in the dark.”
Solwhit is another who will be fine in the conditions and he graduated to the top-flight at Liverpool with a stylish success.
With a good pace Sizing Europe could be an intriguing runner on his very best form. Punjabi, in contrast, is in the form of his life and his trainer believes he is over those famous Cheltenham exertions.
Rip Van Winkle is disputing 7 to 2 favouritism with Delegator for tomorrow’s Stan James 2,000 Guineas after Johnny Murtagh’s decision to ride him in the first Classic of 2009 at Newmarket.
Pat Smullen will come in for the ride on the other Aidan O’Brien-trained hope, Mastercraftsman.
Jim Bolger surprised by declaring Gan Amhras instead of the Dewhurst winner Intense Focus while the fourth Irish-trained runner will be the John Oxx-trained Sea The Stars.
