Another milestone will be reached for Willie Mullins who will be crowned Champion Irish National Hunt trainer for a 16th time today
The stable’s retained jockey Paul Townend has finally seen off Rachael Blackmore’s challenge to become Ireland’s champion jump jockey for a fourth time and Patrick Mullins is the leading amateur rider of Ireland for a 14th occasion.
Willie Mullins
The final day of the Punchestown festival takes place in county Kildare today with two Group One features up for grabs. The Mullins machine have dominated the Group One features, winning seven of the eight Group One contests over the first three days of the festival.
The first top fight event today is the Coolmore Kew Gardens Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle over 2 miles and 3 furlongs off at 16h50.
The Mullins stable field four of the nine carded with course and distance winner Stormy Ireland looking to have the strongest chance on form of the quartet. The Danny Mullins ridden mare will attempt to make all once more and must be considered.
Rachael Blackmore partners Telmesomethinggirl for Henry de Bromhead in the same silks as the mighty Honeysuckle, who runs on Friday in the Champion Hurdle. She was unfortunate to be brought down two out at Cheltenham when traveling well into the race and the seven-year-old mare has every chance on home turf.
Nicky Henderson raids with two runners, Marie’s Rock and the JP McManus owned Epatante. Marie’s Rock was a ready winner of the Gr1 Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham accounting for Mrs Milner, Stormy Ireland, Burning Victory and the unlucky Telmesomethinggirl and she should hold all those rivals in this level weight contest.
Her biggest danger is surely her stable companion Epatante. It looks a shrewd move by her veteran trainer, avoiding Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle to take on these lesser rivals at level weights. She is at least 7lbs well in with the field and will enjoy the underfoot conditions. She looks hard to beat at her best and is selected to come home in front of her stable mate and Blackmores mount.
18h00 sees the running of the Gr1 Ballymore Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle over two miles. This looks much less competitive with just six runners competing for the €73,750 first prize.
On Group One form and what was seen at Cheltenham six weeks ago, the highly touted Vauban for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend looks very hard to beat with the Gordon Elliott trained Fil Dor selected to complete the exacta.
