Punchestown 2006

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Punchestown 2005

Murphy Unveils Strong Raiding Party Among Punchestown Entries
20/04/06

The Punchestown Festival, which commences on Tuesday, April 25, and hosts top-class jump racing through to Friday, April, 28, will see Ferdy Murphy field a strong team in an attempt to capture further Festival glory.

The Yorkshire-based handler is no stranger to success at the prestigious Irish National Hunt Festival, which this year carries record prize money of 2.289 million euros.

"We had a Grade One winner last year and Joes Edge was second in the Grade One Betfair.com Novices Handicap Chase after winning the Scottish National. The rest of the horses we took there ran really well.

"Our horses train on and are running well at the end of the season so it suits us to go to Punchestown, and obviously it's really good prize money.

"Postage Stamp was the first Punchestown Festival winner we had and then we've had two other Grade One winners so it's been lucky for us."

Murphy sent Postage Stamp to collect a Grade Three handicap chase in 1995 and Paddy's Return carried off the Grade One Champion Stayers' Hurdle two years later, while Carlys Quest captured the same prize last season.

At Cheltenham in March, Murphy saddled Hot Weld to victory in the National Hunt Chase and the progressive seven-year-old may yet bid for a Festival double in the four-mile 50,000 euros Ellen Construction Conyngham Cup on Friday, April, 28.

Murphy revealed today: "Hot Weld is in the Scottish National, but we'll keep his Punchestown entry at the moment.

"The forecast is for heavy rain at Ayr on Saturday and if the ground went soft he wouldn't run, he'd go for the race at Punchestown where we also have Dolmur entered. We'll definitely have a runner in the Conyngham Cup one way or another.

"If Hot Weld goes for the Conyngham Cup, then Richard Harding will ride. The horse is absolutely bouncing and did a brilliant piece of work this morning.

"We'll have about 12 entered for the Festival, and at the moment the ground will have a bearing on whether they go. Most of them would handle soft, but a couple would want good ground so they won't go unless it dries up."

Last year's Punchestwon hero, Carlys Quest, is reported in great form ahead of a repeat bid in the 200,000 euros Grade One Whitewater Champion Stayers' Hurdle.

The 12-year-old defeated Kadoun by nine lengths in the three-mile contest last term and returns after a useful effort in the Liverpool Hurdle behind Mighty Man at Aintree last time, with his trainer confident of another bold show.

Murphy said: "Carlys Quest will run in the stayers' hurdle he won last year.

"He is bouncing and ran a blinder at Liverpool on a track that doesn't suit him. He finished sixth in a Grade Two there and we were delighted with him as there were some very good horses behind him. The course was too fast for him.

"He was flying at the finish so if we get a bit of soft ground at Punchestown and a good gallop, he'll run a big race again."

Murphy is also looking forward to running his exciting French import New Alco in the 55,000 euros Tattersalls (Ireland) Ltd Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase on Thursday.

The five-year-old has never been out of the first two in six starts for Murphy, winning twice. His last outing saw him finish second to Mon Mome in a two and a half mile novices' handicap chase at Aintree, but he steps up to three miles and one furlong at the Punchestown Festival, a move which his trainer believes will be to his benefit.

The trainer commented: "The step up in trip will suit New Alco. We've played around with him at two, and two and a half miles, but he wants three miles. The ground would make no difference with him over that trip. Soft is probably better but he handles anything."

Murphy's challenge on the Thursday could also include the in-form mare Ile Maurice who has won three starts this term, including a three-mile handicap hurdle at Bangor on March 25. She is entered in the 27,000 euros Chronicle Bookmakers at the Sporting Emporium Handicap Hurdle, along with stablemate Aces Four who has secured wins at Ludlow and Ayr this term.

The trainer reported: "Both are in good form. If the ground is good then Aces Four will run and if it is soft Ile Maurice will take her chance, depending on how they come out of their respective races at Ayr and Cheltenham this week."

Also that day, the 18,000 euros Kildare Traders/Clairefontaine Racecourse (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race could see the unraced pair Magnolia Drive and Supreme Builder line up, although the latter could contest the 100,000 euros Paddy Power Champion INH Flat Race on Wednesday.

Murphy revealed: "Magnolia Drive definitely runs, then he goes home to his owners, Mr and Mrs O'Rourke, for the summer. They live in Naas and we stay with them for the meeting.

"Supreme Builder is in at Ayr on Saturday but he's unlikely to run there. He'll go to Punchestown providing he gets in."

Murphy's Punchestown Challenge could kick-off with Spring Breeze in Tuesday's 75,000 euros Evening Herald Handicap Hurdle.

Murphy said: "Spring Breeze will run in the two and a half mile handicap hurdle. We ran him over three miles when he was sixth behind Ile Maurice at Bangor last time, and he's won over two at Haydock, but two and a half in good ground would be ideal for him."

He continued: "Green Ideal will run in the two and a half mile S M Morris Handicap Chase on Wednesday.

"High Day will run in the Blue Square 1800 905050 Handicap Hurdle that day providing it doesn't come up soft. Good to soft would be alright and good to yielding would be fine.

"He was travelling very easily when he made a mistake three from home in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham. He seems to be in real good order and I couldn't be happier with him."

Punchestown's famous pre-Festival track walk will take place at 4pm on Friday (April 21) when many trainers with runners and jockeys riding in next week's big races are likely to be at the course.

They will be joined on the walk by Clerk of the Course Joe Collins, Racecourse Manager Dick O'Sullivan, Racing Manager Richie Galway and Track Manager Sean Ryan. The track walk will be followed by dinner in the nearby Killashee House Hotel in Naas at approximately 7pm.

Janet Williamson, Punchestown's PR Manager, said today: "The annual pre-Festival track walk will give trainers and jockeys the opportunity to see that the ground is in peak condition at Punchestown. It also gives us the opportunity to tweak any minor glitch that may come to our attention on the afternoon. We have found this to be a very helpful exercise in the past and hope that many trainers and jockeys can make it. All are welcome to join us for dinner afterwards in the Killashee House Hotel."

The ground at Punchestown is currently YIELDING. There is an unsettled forecast for the next few days with six to eight millimetres of rain forecast for Saturday night.

This year's Irish National Hunt Festival boasts record prize money of 2.289 million euros and runs from Tuesday to Friday next week, April 25 to 28.