Stablemates Fact To File and Galopin Des Champs jump the last in unison © Photo Healy Racing
Value for money is not something you would readily associate with horse racing, but a day at the races in Ireland is on occasion the best value day out to be had anywhere.
For just €15 (online purchase) you could have gone to Punchestown on Sunday to see the very best chasers in training take each other on in a vintage renewal of the John Durkan Memorial Chase.
Compare this to the €27.50 I paid the previous week to listen to four amateur choirs sing a few covers in St Patrick’s Cathedral. I’m beginning to think I was robbed.
The John Durkan certainly lived up to the star billing with a thrilling conclusion that saw the leading protagonists all in contention around the home turn only for the exciting Fact To File to prevail on his first start in open company. JP McManus has an abundance of equine riches at the moment and his one-two in the big race must have him dreaming of a second win in the Gold Cup in March. It is hard to believe that Synchronised in 2012 is his only previous victory in the blue riband of National Hunt racing considering how much he has pumped into the sport over the years.
The first four horses home in Sunday’s race now occupy the first four positions in the antepost market for the Cheltenham Gold Cup which is certainly correct, but it’s anyone’s guess as to which, if any of the quartet, wins come March. I find it difficult to put any stead in a race run four months out from the big one, when the entire field was having their first outings of the season, over six and a half furlongs shorter in distance and going the opposite way around, but no doubt others will find value in it.
I suppose at least the market for the Gold Cup is dominated by horses that have proven their wellbeing by appearing on a racetrack. The new favourite for the Champion Hurdle didn’t even turn up for her intended engagement at Punchestown. Lossiemouth does fortunately have time on her side to get over the stone bruise that resulted in her no show on Saturday, but with the current volatility in the Champion Hurdle market she may not be at the head of the betting for too long.
At this stage of the season it is hard to envisage either Lossiemouth or Saturday’s Morgiana Hurdle winner, Brighterdaysahead, opting for the Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham, but there is still a lot of water to go under that particular bridge before those sort of decisions come into focus for connections. If one of them does take the Mare’s option their current antepost odds for that contest will look huge on the day.
The closest finish of the weekend came in the three runner Florida Pearl Novice Chase on Saturday and much credit must go to both Gordon Elliott and Michael O’Leary for not only letting their three horses line up against each other, but for also allowing all three to run on their merits.
One trainer or one owner having all the runners in any race is a recipe for disaster. I can think of a few trainers, and many more owners, that would not have been able to resist the temptation to go rogue in those circumstances.
With the concentration of top horses in so few hands in the national hunt game we are in danger of seeing a similar scenario repeated at some point this season. Hopefully if that does happen we will see an equally reputable conclusion.
12 of the 16 races across the weekend at Punchestown were won by the big 4 jumps stables, the exact same number they hoovered up at the meeting last year and it looks like we are once again facing into a season utterly dominated by the same people. Everyone knows this is not good for the sport, but so far no one has figured out a workable solution.
Next weekend sees another mouth-watering jumps meeting at Fairyhouse featuring the Royal Bond Novices Hurdle, Drinmore Novices Chase and Hatton’s Grace Hurdle, all taking place on Sunday. Admission tickets are double the price of last Sunday, ouch!
It’s somewhat disappointing to see the Royal Bond has been downgraded to a Grade 2 event for the first time. This novice hurdle has been one of the highlights of the early part of the season since it was first introduced in 1994. Istabraq, Moscow Flyer, Hardy Eustace and Hurricane Fly all won this race before going on to greater glory. Even within the last five years we have seen both Envoi Allen and Marine Nationale win the Royal Bond and follow up in Grade 1 novice hurdle races at the Cheltenham Festival in the same season, but there have also been a few poor renewals in the last decade.
It would be lovely to think this weekend’s Royal Bond winner will turn out to be a champion and help restore the once great race to its Grade 1 status.
It would also be nice to think we might get to see Constitution Hill run in a race soon, but there is probably a greater chance of me heading back to St Patrick’s Cathedral to hear the amateurs sing again.
