Punchestown Festival - day four

The Punchestown Festival continues for the fourth day when there are again two Grade One races on the card. So far the British trainers have cleaned up in the bug races, and Nicky Henderson´s Punjabi (Barry Geraghty) obviously has a great chance in the ACC Champion Hurdle at 17.20 CET. Not only was he a CD winner at this meeting last year, he ran on strongly to finish an excellent third in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, ahead of his two main Irish rivals today, Sublimity (John Carr/ Philip Carberry) and Harchibald (Noel Meade/ Paul Carberry). However the faster going today will be in favour of the two Irish runners so a reversal of the Cheltenham form is a definite possibility. There is certain to be an Irish winner in the 2 1/2 mile Champion Novice Hurdle at 17.55, where Fiveforthree (Willie Mullins/ Ruby Walsh) - third here over an inadequate trip on Tuesday - and Trafford Lad (Eamonn Sheehy/ Tom Doyle) should have the race between them. Fiveforthree has his rival more than 4 kengths behind when winning at Cheltenham, but again the form may not be upheld here. On the supporting card, Henderson´s German-bred Stellino (Tony McCoy) can take the novice hurdle over 2 miles at 18.30, but there is a huge field here, as in most of the other races.