Paul Townend: Klassical Dream the one to beat at Punchestown
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Paul Townend rode three winners at 12/1, 15/8 on day two at Punchestown and he has two more on Thursday.
The Ladbrokes ambassador is on Klassical Dream and Blue Lord, and he spoke to us about their prospects and those of their rivals.
He is obviously a very good horse, albeit not the most straightforward in the world. He travelled really well at Cheltenham but didn’t find a lot going up the hill.
I think Punchestown suits him a lot better. He won this race very impressively last year. I think the race will suit him as well as the track.
Paisley Park finished in front of him at Cheltenham but he has to travel to Ireland now and he’s a ten-year-old. Sire Du Berlais was a good winner at Aintree. However, on ratings my horse has the ability to win, if you can forgive him for disappointing at Gowran and not finding much at Cheltenham.
He deserves to be favourite and hopefully he can behave himself. If everything goes right, he’s the horse they have to beat.
He was a Grade One winner earlier in the season and then he was third in the Arkle at Cheltenham where Gabynako was second. There’s not a lot between these two. He was ridden differently at Cheltenham. Gabynako came from off the pace and I suppose picked up the pieces.
Gentleman De Mee adds a lot of spice to the race. He likes to get on with it in front which he did at Aintree and he is an improving horse who goes a gallop and should make it a straightforward race.
Saint Sam unseated early in the Arkle but ran a cracker behind Blue Lord at Leopardstown before that. Haut En Couleurs ran well in the Arkle for a long way but finished weakly so he’s on a bit of a retrieval mission.
