Willie Mullins: the key 2023 Punchestown festival contenders for the champion trainer
Willie Mullins has been the dominant force at the Punchestown festival for several years and enjoyed 14 winners across the five-day extravaganza last year. Here we run through his leading contenders for the big upcoming meeting . . .
Impaire Et Passe
There was talk of next year’s Champion Hurdle for Impaire Et Passe after his impressive victory in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last month.
The Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned five-year-old will bid to extend his unbeaten record to five at the Punchestown festival. He has entries in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle (4.15) on Tuesday over 2m and Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle (6.00) over 2m3½f on Friday and will be a warm order in whichever race he contests.
Impaire Et Passe beat stablemate Gaelic Warrior in the Ballymore and the runner-up is entered in the 2m3½f event and the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle over 3m on Wednesday, while Supreme second Facile Vega is entered in the same two races as Impaire Et Passe.
Energumene
This star two-miler will bid for a repeat success in the William Hill Champion Chase (5.25) on Tuesday off the back of a ten-length victory in the equivalent race at the Cheltenham Festival.
Energumene, owned by Tony Bloom, is 2-2 at this meeting and posted his best Racing Post Rating in this race last year – a figure he matched last month.
Mullins is seeking a fifth straight win in this €300,000 race having struck with Un De Sceaux in 2018 and 2019 and Chacun Pour Soi in 2021.
Sir Gerhard
This dual Cheltenham Festival winner was back to form when a half-length second to stablemate Flame Bearer in the WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse this month.
He is one of five entries for Mullins in the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase (6.35) on Tuesday – and there are only seven entries in total.
The Cheveley Park Stud-owned eight-year-old does not have a great record at this meeting, however, with odds-on defeats in the Champion Bumper and Champion Novice Hurdle in the last two years.
Galopin Des Champs
The Cheltenham Gold Cup hero will rightly be prohibitive odds to land the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup (5.55) on Wednesday, whether Gold Cup second Bravemansgame is permitted to run or not.
Galopin Des Champs, owned by Audrey Turley, ran out a brilliant winner of the festival showpiece last month, and on the strength of that form, it would be a surprise if he does not land a seventh Grade 1 in this event.
His best performance over hurdles came in the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle at this meeting in 2021 and another dazzling display is anticipated.
Monkfish
Arguably the most interesting of Mullins’ star squad for the big meeting. The Albert Bartlett and Brown Advisory winner returned from a mammoth 713-day break this month when a highly encouraging second to stablemate Asterion Forlonge at Fairyhouse.
They could reoppose in the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle (5.25) on Thursday, with dual winner Klassical Dream another high-profile entry for the Closutton stable.
El Fabiolo
No Grade 1 is a tap-in but Arkle winner El Fabiolo looks to have a straightforward task in the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase (6.35) on Thursday that has attracted just five entries.
El Fabiolo beat the potentially reopposing stablemates Saint Roi and Dysart Dynamo last month, while Indiana Jones and Turners second Notlongtillmay have plenty to find on ratings.
State Man
There is no Constitution Hill in State Man’s way at Punchestown and the Champion Hurdle runner-up contests the Punchestown equivalent (5.25) on Friday.
Mullins has won this race a record eight times, including four times with Hurricane Fly from 2010 to 2013, and he is responsible for four of the top five in the ante-post betting, with Vauban, Sharjah and Echoes In Rain among possibles.
State Man is 2-2 at Punchestown, most recently winning the Morgiana Hurdle on his first start this season.
Lossiemouth
The Triumph Hurdle winner will bid for back-to-back top-level wins in the Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle (5.00) on Saturday – a race Mullins has landed seven times in the last ten editions.
Lossiemouth led home a 1-2-3-4 for Mullins in the Triumph and she should be confirming the form, albeit she may have to prove her liking for genuine spring ground having not ran on a quicker surface than yielding.
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Read more . . .
'He's in great shape' - Galopin Des Champs gets green light for Punchestown Gold Cup (£)
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Published on inPunchestown festival
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