RONAN GROOME: Horse-by-horse guide to Grade 1 John Durkan Chase

No one can say today’s Grade 1 John Durkan Punchestown Chase (3.00) is not an excellent renewal. 

You have the Gold Cup winner. You have the Ryanair Chase winner. You have the Brown Advisory winner. You have the last two Grand National winners. You have the previous two winners of this race. You have 16 Grade 1 wins between the runners combined.

You have what we are crying out for all the time in jumps racing outside of Cheltenham.

But, in many ways, this is a somewhat strange contest in many respects, with all but two of the field – Heart Wood and Senecia – making their seasonal debut. And, of that group of nine, seven are trained by Willie Mullins. So, you have a bit of a conundrum.

Among the duo not trained by Mullins and making their seasonal debut is Inothewayurthinkin – who also has the dubious situation of running as a second string here, with Mark Walsh riding Fact To File. 

Fastorslow, the Punchestown specialist who took this two seasons ago, returns off the biggest gap of all following his season-ending injury last term, but his trainer depicted the general outlook for all involved when he said he’d be delighted if his horse finished in the first four. 

As deep as the race is, in many ways, it revolves around the front two – Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior – clashing again for the first time since they faced off in a match at the Dublin Racing Festival. Despite there being just two runners, there was a ferocious gallop set on that occasion, and it was Fact To File who dealt with it best, Gaelic Warrior well held when departing at the last.

Susannah Ricci’s horse is better than that and proved as much by winning the Arkle on his next start. Of course Fact To File won the Brown Advisory, and has since won the Ryanair Chase. While most of his rivals here will have their sights set on going up in trip, including Gaelic Warrior, he is very much the kingpin of this intermediate distance.

That makes him the one to beat, today at least. Then we can go back to talking about races and clashes like this down the line, which likely won’t happen. And that’s jumps racing.

Horse-by-horse guide:

Fact To File: Announced himself as a top grade performer in open company with a hard fought half-length win over Spillane’s Tower here 12 months ago setting him up for a big season. Gold Cup was the plan then for this Brown Advisory winner, but he was well held twice by Galopin Des Champs when back up to three miles for Leopardstown Grade 1 contests – the general train of thought was his cruising speed was blunted there. Imperious then when back to intermediate trip of the Ryanair Chase with smooth nine-length success bringing his rating into 170s. No show when connections decided to roll the dice by going back to 2m here for Punchestown festival, but that can be excused. Gold Cup could still be on the cards this year, but for now, this trip will play to his strengths and proven ability to perform here on seasonal debut is significant.

Fastorslow: Grade 1-winning run at Punchestown came to an end when fourth to Fact To File here last season (beaten six and a half lengths) and injury at home ended his season soon after. At his best he has multiple notable scalps over Galopin Des Champs to his name, but questionable whether he retains that sort of class, coming back off a setback.

Gaelic Warrior: Remember when he faced Fact To File in a match race at the Dublin Racing Festival two seasons ago? Down and out there (falling at the last when well held by his stablemate in a no-holes-barred affair), but back to his best next time at Cheltenham when a class apart in the Arkle at Cheltenham. That in itself is a fine microcosm of Gaelic Warrior and last season wasn’t too dissimilar – disappointing twice at Leopardstown before showing top class form again when three lengths too good for Grey Dawning at Aintree. That form looks alright now. The difference there was the trip – back up to three miles for first time since he won a Grade 1 novice hurdle in superb fashion at the Punchestown Festival – and that gives rise to potential King George bid (current favourite for that contest). This intermediate trip poses no problems as a starting point and owner at least should relish another go at Fact To File.

Grangeclare West: Grand National third off a mark of 163 before fifth in a Bet365 Gold Cup off 168 – both commendable efforts, but both coming over marathon trips. Even his Grade 1-winning form as a novice chaser came at 3m, so this distance should be on the tight side, for all that he has a very good record fresh.

Heart Wood: Nine-length second to Fact To File in last season’s Ryanair Chase remains his best form and essentially he needs to show a lot more here. He does at least have a run to his name, having taken a Grade 3 contest at this course here last month on seasonal debut. He’ll need to make that fitness count because this is a different league.

I Am Maximus: First and second in last two Grand Nationals and Aintree has to be his primary target again. He did win the Drinmore at the beginning of his second season over fences but he was essentially an open horse competing against novices in a race that worked out well for him. Needless to say, this is a lot tougher.

Inothewayurthinkin: While you can make a case for a below par performance for Galopin Des Champs, this seven-year-old was an excellent winner of the Gold Cup in March, powering away from the dual champion up the hill for a seven-length win. Given his age and lightly-raced profile, there is a real prospect of more to come but the combination of Cheltenham and spring may well be key to him – his progress was gradual before lifting off at the Festival last term and it was much the same in his novice chase year. You get the feeling connections would be more than happy with a mid division finish, and no surprise if a gradual build up to Cheltenham was the order again.

James Du Berlais: A talented sort at this intermediate trip but mostly at handicap chase level. He has always been a powerful traveller and has the engine to keep with these but it’s hard to see him involved at the business end.

Lecky Watson: Of the Willie Mullins quartet that took on the Brown Advisory, he was the least fancied, but he came out on top in what was a steadily run contest, taking advantage of what may well transpire to be a below average renewal with Ballyburn chief of the disappointments thus far. Back in trip now, he finds himself having to prove himself again against some better fancied stablemates.

Nick Rockett: Grand National winner off  a mark of 163 means his connections can have legitimate hopes he can become a real Gold Cup contender this term, not least given he only has nine starts over fences to his name. The drop back in trip is a natural concern and like his stablemates, it speaks of this contest as a stepping stone rather than a real early season target.

Senecia: A surprise package last season, not least with the manner of her win over El Fabiolo at Navan. Found out however against at the highest level since and this would require monumental performance first time out.

Conclusion:

This will be intriguing to see how the market develops but as of now, Fact To File looks the right favourite, given he proved himself capable of a strong performance when running here first time out last season. Of the longer shots, it wouldn’t surprise me if Grangeclare West outperformed odds of 33/1 – he is a talented sort on his day and has a good record off a break.

Intent on a big run?

Elsewhere on Punchestown the two-mile Grade 2 Craddockstown Chase (14.27) looks a decent, if trappy affair, with Westport Cove and Fleur In The Park the prime contenders, for all that there is very likely to be smarter Arkle prospects coming out in beginner chases in the next few weeks, to go alongside the standard setter Kopek Des Bordes.

The Pertemps Network Group Handicap Hurdle (13.52) presents a more palatable betting puzzle, for all that the nature of these qualifiers (finish-in-the-top-four-and-you’re-in) doesn’t exactly inspire confidence you’ll 100% be getting all the bang for your buck.

That said, plenty of these look like win-now projects, not least the hugely expensive Staffordshire Knot, for whom it’s probably best to keep the momentum going after a reasonably respectable third on seasonal debut in the Brown Lad off 3lbs lower at Naas. He certainly has a chance, with the rise in trip a likely aid, but this race may well just revolve around Intent Approach – the Charles Byrnes-trained, J.P. McManus-owned six-year-old who can run here off a mark of 115.

Returning off a 528-day spell on the sidelines, he was well held, but not disgraced on both of his starts this term, the latest when he was notably cold in the betting for his latest start at Clonmel, finishing a 13-length third to Jeriko De Baune. Previously, he was deftly ridden to land a touch at Down Royal, very much giving the impression that there was plenty more to come, and the potential of that performance gives rise to much hope he can go on to better things still.

So far, he has been warm in the betting for this contest, a 4/1 shot this morning, but wagering will begin in earnest much closer to 1.52 and that will separate that wheat from the chaff. He’s worth keeping a close eye on.