2022 Punchestown Festival Day 1 – Andrew Halligan shares his betting tips for the first day of Ireland’s premier jumps festival.
Dubbed as The Great Comeback, the 2022 Punchestown Festival is the culmination of the Irish Jumps season were the best takes on the best.
Cheltenham Festival winners Sir Gerhard, Energumene, and Bob Olinger are three of many who will be stepping foot on the horse of Irish Jumps Racing, and we only have to wait until Tuesday to see the formers.
So, let’s get to it. What are the best bets on Tuesday?
16:15 – Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2022 Punchestown Festival Day 1
What a way to start the Punchestown Festival where, two races in, we get the clash of Sir Gerhard and Dysart Dynamo.
Sir Gerhard – the Ballymore Novice Hurdle winner – takes on his stablemate Dysart Dynamo who fell three out in the Supreme Novice Hurdle, but who will come out on top at the 2022 Punchestown Festival?
Let’s start with the Ballymore winner Sir Gerhard.
Three-from-three over hurdles with two being Grade 1s, one at the Dublin Racing Festival and the latter at the Cheltenham Festival. A hugely talented horse with the world at his feet. But there are one or two question marks about him today.
Last season he came into the Punchestown Festival on the back of a win in the Champion Bumper only to bomb out in the Punchestown version. He is also dropping back to 2m where we saw Willie Mullins, not too long ago, show concern for him jumping at speed over 2m.
At around 4/6, and with the few niggly doubts, is he a horse you want to get stuck into? For me, no.
This leads me then onto my selection, DYSART DYNAMO at 7/4.
A hugely talented horse in his own right. Three-from-four this season, including the Moscow Flyer Hurdle where he looked like a superstar in the making, only to go and fall three out when still in the lead in the Supreme Novice Hurdle behind Constatation Hill. Would he have won? More than likely not, but would have been a very good 2nd.
What I like about him today is his course record is flawless and the small field might well play to his strengths. If left alone on the front end and if Patrick Mullins gets his fractions right he could be extremely hard to peg back around a course we know he acts well around.
17:25 – Champion Chase (Grade 1) – 2022 Punchestown Festival Day 1
The 2022 Champion Chaser Energumene and his stablemate Chacun Pour Soi (who has only been beaten once in Ireland) go head-to-head in a clash for the ages.
But who will come out on top in the Champion Chase?
Energumene only has one blot on his copybook when he was outgunned by Shishkin at Ascot, but put that defeat right behind him when bolting up in the Champion Chase where Shishkin was pulled up and CHACUN POUR SOI unseated Partick.
It’s obvious that Chacun is not half the horse he is when he travels to the UK and, now that he is back over a course and distance where he is unbeaten, I can see him lowering the colours of Energumene, and here is why…
Yes, Energumene has form on better ground, but all his standout performances have been with some cut in the ground, and he won’t get this today.
Chacun was a hugely impressive winner of this last year when slamming Allaho by 5 ½ lengths. You can argue that Chacun’s form is better than his stablemate with the likes of Min, Allaho, Defi Du Seuil, Fakir D’oudairies, Tornado Flyer, Nube Negra and Put The Kettle On all being former victims of this high-class 2m Chaser.
I expect a huge performance from Chacun Pour Soi back on home soil and at around 7/4 I think that is a more than fair price.
18:35 – Champions Novice Chase (Grade 1) – 2022 Punchestown Festival Day 1
This is a race that revolves around one horse and one horse only, BOB OLINGER.
There is no doubt that he was a very lucky winner of the Turners Novice Chase at the Cheltenham Festival when the monster that is Galopin Des Champs fell at the last, but there were a few excused for his below-par performance on the day.
We look at this now as a redemption race (even though he comes here unbeaten this season). As strange as that sounds, this is how much some people think of the talents of Bob Olinger.
But, there will be no excuses today. Ground, trip and class of field are all pointing in his favour.
This will be the first time since his demolition job in the 2021 Ballymore Novice Hurdle where he will have ‘good’ in the ground description.
His jumping won’t be under as much pressure here as it seems to get stuck in the ground when there is a fair bit of cut. The stride slower they will go will be good for him to sort out his feet, but it is what he does between his fences that will kill off his rivals. His main danger is Capodanno, who he well and truly put in his place at this track back in January.
His cruising speed is ridiculous and few horses in training can go with a 100% Bob Olinger. There is not a horse in here in my opinion that will be able to live with him.
Outsider Of The Day – 2022 Punchestown Festival Day 1
One at a bigger price that I like is Gordon Elliott’s ESKYLANE in the 16.50 Handicap Hurdle.
A horse that has not lived up to the potential he showed in his younger days, but has shown more of himself when winning at Down Royal at the start of the season and recently came back from a break with a very eye-catching 5th behind Glan at Fairyhouse.
The way he travelled and jumped throughout really caught my attention, and once left down by Davy Russell he looked to have a bit of a blow and then ran on again to be only 6 ½ lengths behind the winner.
Armed with a 7lb swing and race fitness I think at roughly 9/1, Eskylane will give you a huge run for your money.
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Andrew Halligan – 2022 Punchestown Festival Day 1
