Two Grade 1 Hurdles headline the fifth and final day of the Punchestown Festival.
Two Grade 1 Hurdles headlines the fifth and final day of the Punchestown Festival with the running of Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle (3.50pm) and the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle (5.00pm).
The 2m 3f Grade 1 Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle is the first highlight at 3.50pm where Love Envoi has been a star mare for her UK connections. She ran an excellent second behind Honeysuckle in the Grade 1 David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and has every chance of returning to winning ways. Echoes In Rain was behind Love Envoi at Cheltenham when fourth but looked impressive in the Grade 3 Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas prior to winning by ten lengths and this seven-year-old is a previous course winner. Epatante was a good third in this contest twelve months ago has been in consistent form this season including a fourth of six tackling the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle. Brandy Love has been lightly raced this campaign but cannot be dismissed for Willie Mullins.
The final Grade 1 of the week at Punchestown is the 5.00pm, the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle over 2m with trainer Willie Mullins aiming to continue his dominance. It is an intriguing eight-runner line-up with the Mullins-trained Lossiemouth heading the betting after an excellent victory in the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. He beat the re-opposing stablemate Gala Marceau by over two lengths however she did have her measure over Lossiemouth at the Dublin Racing Festival in February in the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle. The pair both had shown plenty of promise in France before their eye-catching performances this season in Ireland. Zarak The Brave could also feature for the Closutton-based team while Enjoy The Dream looks next best following success at Fairyhouse in Grade 2 company. Nusret is not discounted after a good third in the Aintree Grade 1 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle.
The action begins at 2.35pm with the final cross-country chase of the week, this time over 3m 1f. There are multiple non-runners who competed earlier in the week. Birchdale represents a yard who do very well in this sphere and three runs back this nine-year-old posted a smart fourth in a Grade A handicap chase at Leopardstown at the Dublin Racing Festival. Three By Two makes obvious appeal turning out quickly having won a course and distance cross-country event on Tuesday. Plan Of Attack has plenty of cross-country experience and could be interesting.
