Teahupoo bids to cement his status as a Punchestown Festival stalwart by completing a hat-trick in Thursday’s featured Ladbrokes Stayers’ Hurdle.
Gordon Elliott’s star has been a fixture in the Stayers category in recent years and memorably completed the divisional double at Cheltenham and Punchestown in 2024.
Such is his durability that he started a 9-4 favourite to regain the Stayers crown at Cheltenham last month in his fourth appearance in the race.
That was on the back of perhaps the most visually impressive performance of his career at Leopardstown over Christmas when notching a seventh Grade One.
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However, having also finished runner-up in the race in both 2023 and 2025, this time Teahupoo failed to fire and could finish only sixth to Home By The Lee. Now, he’s back on another old stomping ground to try to regain winning form.
Elliott sticks on first-time blinkers and the benefit of headgear in the staying class has been underlined with a vengeance this season by Home By The Lee. He misses out this week having added to his Cheltenham victory at Aintree.
“He’s just gone so laid-back and the problem with them staying races is if the pace drops halfway through a race and you get out of it, it’s hard to get back into it,” Elliott said. “He loves going around Punchestown too, which is a help.”
Instead, it’s another old rival in the same Robcour ownership that appears to head Teahupoo’s opposition. Bob Olinger famously emerged on top between the pair at Cheltenham last year but had to settle for second at Christmas when Teahupoo looked so good.
Quicker ground conditions should suit Henry de Bromhead’s old stager who ran an honourable third in his Cheltenham title defence six weeks ago.
Elliott’s Honesty Policy ran there too, and at Aintree. Harry Cobden rides him for the first time, while Mark Walsh is on board the dark horse Kawaboomga on what will be his first try at three miles. He’s joined by another Willie Mullins hope in Jimmy Du Seuil who reverts from fences.
Mullins has won this race a record 10 times, including a four-timer for Quevega between 2010 and 2013. Klassical Dream pulled off a hat-trick between 2021 and 2023. It is a race that can reward consistency and persistence, attributes Teahupoo can prove he still possesses in spades.
If Mullins is all about the tried and trusted then Thursday’s other Grade One, the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase, revolves around Kopek Des Bordes and his potential.
Only a final-fence blunder looked to prevent the Mullins star from landing the Arkle at Cheltenham on just his second start over fences. His stable companion Kargese took advantage to win.
Rarely has Paul Townend looked less upset at being beaten than he did on that occasion, such was the feel he got from Kopek through that Arkle. The impression he made is such that he’s already disputing 5-2 favouritism with Il Etait Temps for next year’s Champion Chase.
Just four are set to take him on. The best looks to be Irish Panther whose ambitious tilt at the two-mile senior crown ended in a sixth-place finish last month.
Perhaps one hope for the opposition is how Kopek Des Bordes blew out in spectacular fashion at last year’s festival when losing at 3-10 after a Supreme victory at Cheltenham. But on the back of just two starts this season, he should be fresher than most into the bargain.
Thursday’s ultimate spectacle is likely to be the marathon Mongey La Touche over the famous banks. Stalwarts like last year’s winner Busselton and Vanillier are back for the test on a circuit familiar too to Desertmore House.
Martin Brassil’s former Kerry National winner scored over the banks earlier this season and although he couldn’t threaten at Cheltenham he may prove worth another chance back on home ground.
The biggest field of the day is for the Listed Handicap Hurdle where the hugely popular dual-purpose veteran Hewick tops the weights. At the other end of the scale is The Lovely Man, who has also been mixing flights and fences, most notably landing the Leinster National at Naas.
He has been running on very different ground conditions compared to what’s on offer now and a value option could prove to be the mare Blue Mosque from the in-form Noel Meade team.
Brian O’Connor’s day three tips
- 2.30pm: Leader D’allier
- 3.05pm: Future Prospect
- 3.40pm: Desertmore House
- 4.15pm: Blue Mosque
- 4.50pm: Coral River
- 5.25pm: Kopek Des Bordes
- 6.05pm: Teahupoo
- 6.35pm: Quiryn (nap)
- Nap and Double: Quiryn & Blue Mosque
