Paul Townend can’t wait to get back on Energumene at Punchestown festival
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The Punchestown Festival starts on Tuesday and Ladbrokes ambassador Paul Townend spoke to us about the prospects for his four rides on the opening day.
When Willie Mullins goes to Punchestown everything has a chance. I start the festival by riding Night And Day. She missed Cheltenham and then ran too freely at Fairyhouse with Daryl Jacob, but she gained more jumping experience and I think the drop back in trip will suit her here.
🏆 Novice Hurdle
🏆 Champion Chase
🏆 Champion Novice Chase@Ladbrokes ambassador @PTownend and Gold Cup winner @92Bryan92 gave us the racing line ahead of day one at Punchestown Festival. pic.twitter.com/0BOhJjCLLN— Ladbrokes (@Ladbrokes) April 25, 2023
We will probably ride her a little bit differently. I am hoping and expecting a better run on Tuesday and if she can do what she shows us at home she will put up a nice performance.
Patrick [Mullins] rides Nikini, and Willie also has Saylavee running but both were disappointing on their last runs so I have gone with Night and Day.
We were disappointed he got beat at Cheltenham, but Marine Nationale was very good on the day. Hopefully this is a nice opportunity for him to get back to winning ways. He beat a few of these at Cheltenham and all is going positively at home.
Gordon Elliott’s horse, Found A Fifty, was disappointing at Aintree as was Oliver McKiernan’s No Looking Back. This comes very soon after and they have to leave disappointing runs behind them.
Energumene put his Clarence House run behind him at Cheltenham and was so impressive. Like last year, he is bidding to follow up that win with another one here. I can’t wait to get back on him and hopefully he is going there in as good as form as he went to Cheltenham.
BACK TO BACK! 😮
The real ENERGUMENE is back and he means BUSINESS to secure his second @Betway Champion Chase #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/EXBidth3gs
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 15, 2023
Gentlemen De Mee comes here as a fresh horse and was so good at the Dublin Racing Festival. He comes off the back of a little setback that ruled him out of Cheltenham and he should inject a bit of pace in the race.
Blue Lord has been very disappointing since winning at Christmas.
Appreciate It takes on Sir Gerhard again like he did at Fairyhouse. It will be interesting to see if Fairyhouse has left a mark on them. Sir Gerhard beat Appreciate It that day but I think there is very little between them. Sir Gerhard has disappointed at Punchestown the last couple of years. Appreciate It wears a tongue tie and I think it will be a help. It was very hard to choose between them and I just hope I have gone with the right one.
