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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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Preview leopardstown 9th May
Leopardstown hosts a high-quality seven-race card where all eyes will be on the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, a race Aidan O'Brien has won seven times in the last 12 years.
The Ballydoyle handler will be expected to land the Group Two contest again as he saddles half of the four runners in this year's renewal.
Stable jockey Johnny Murtagh has opted for Midas Touch, who is making his first appearance since finishing fourth to stablemate Jan Vermeer in the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud in November and is as short as 16-1 for the Epsom Derby.
He is sure to be a warm order to book his ticket for the English Classic with a victory, but his stablemate At First Sight was only narrowly held in the Ballysax Stakes last month and could provide stern opposition with that pipe-opener under his belt.
The following race, the Group Three Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial, sees Atasari bid to rebuild her reputation after flopping when sent off favourite for the Nell Gwyn Stakes on her reappearance.
The Rockfel stakes runner-up cannot be written off just yet and is sure to be a popular selection along with Picture Perfect, who relished the change in tactics when making all in a Naas maiden in eyecatching fashion last month. There is likely to be more to come from David Wachman's representative.
Famous Name faces just four rivals in the afternoon's finale, the Group Three www.totegoracingclub.com Amethyst Stakes.
The Dermot Weld-trained five-year-old ran out a facile course and distance winner on his seasonal bow and is bidding to record a fourth Pattern-race success of his career before going on to tackle bigger prizes.
Action gets under way at 2.35 with the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Auction Maiden, in which Catalpa Sail aims to make it third time lucky having been hampered when making his challenge at Dundalk last time out.
Bravely Fought attempts to defy top weight in the Property Properly Handicap following his success at Cork last week.