Punchestown Festival: third day

May Day is not a bank holiday in the British Isles so there are the usual low level Thursday Cards in the U.K., but there is also the Punchestown Festival going into its third day with another excellent card and some huge fields. Main Feature is the Grade One World Series Hurdle over 3 miles at 18.30 CET, which gives us another rare opportunity to admire the wonderful mare Quevega (Willie Mullins/ Ruby Walsh), whose record is almost unprecedented: since being defeated here in the Champion Hurdle over 2 miles in 2009, she has been switched to longer distances and has not lost a single race since. She has only run twice a year in that period, in the mares hurdle at the Festival and this race, winning easily every time. We expect her to win again, but the opposition is stronger than usual this time. Not only does Mullins have two more runners in the race, but there are also two strong raiders from the U.K., At Fishers Cross (Rebecca Curtis/ Tony McCoy) and Fingal Bay (Philip Hobbs/ Richard Johnson). The latter won the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham, but the former looks stronger and is one of the best 3 mile hurdlers around. However we cannot see him giving 7 lbs sex allowance to the mare and hope that she keeps up her amazing sequence.

The other Grade One is the novice chase over 2 miles at 19.40, and once again Mullins holds two of the aces with Champagne Fever (Walsh) and Felix Yonger (Paul Townend). Charlie Byrnes is also double-handed here and no doubt fancies his chances with Trifolium (McCoy), but he is held on Aintree form by Balder Success (Alan King/ Wayne Hutchinson), who is in great form and can complete a fourtimer.

Philip Hobbs can take the cross-country at 17.50 with Duke of Lucca (Tom O´Brien), who finished fourth at Cheltenham - several of these behind- and then won over the conventional fences at Aintree. Quantativeeasing (Enda Bolger/ Nina Carberry) ran badly at Cheltenham, but is very well treated at the weights now and could be the danger for a team that always does well in these events. The handicaps look extremely difficult, but Nicky Henderson and Barry Geraghty are in such great form that we cannot resist a small wager on Tanks for That at 17.15.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Pivot Bridge - Macnicholson - Usa
2. Race: Ned Buntline - Mallowney - Rupert Lamb
3. Race: Duke Of Lucca - Uncle Junior - Quantitativeeasing
4. Race: At Fishers Cross - Fingal Bay - Bog Warrior
5. Race: Inis Meain - Moonlight Boy - Our Man Zebo
6. Race: Champagne Fever - Balder Succes - Trifolium
7. Race: Urticaire - Vicky De L`oasis - Florishwells D`ete
8. Race: Kauto Grand Mogol - Most Peculiar - Champoleon