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Punchestown Festival Form Guide: Schindler's can Hunt rivals in Kerrygold Champion Chase

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Irish racing expert Johnny Ward breaks down the Punchestown betting for you

Punchestown cannot be said to make the same appeal as Cheltenham, but it would not surprise me if it eventually took precedent on the itineraries of the majority of Irish trainers - essentially because of prize money.

The pots on offer over the week are pretty amazing for National Hunt: for example, whereas the Champion Bumper in Cheltenham boasted £28,510 for the winner, the Punchestown equivalent has a prize fund of €110,000. As is often the case when there is a load of money on offer, the fields are small. Of course, this has nothing to do with the prize fund - yet the three Grade Ones on Tuesday have attracted 25 declarations accumulatively.

To be fair, it could be worse, though it is not easy to get too excited about the feature Kerrygold Champion Chase on day one, which is in essence a race for the Queen Mother also-rans. Because Punchestown is so close to Aintree, it will inevitably suffer in terms of in particular overseas raiders: in this instance, Master Minded and Voy Por Ustedes are kept at home.

Given the monstrous effort by the former at Cheltenham, it is hard to remember off the top of one's head where any of the other horses finished. For the record, Fair Along was third, Schindlers Hunt fourth, Newmill fifth, Twist Magic a desperately disappointing sixth and Mansony tailed off throughout, eventually pulled up. All five run on Tuesday, and all have a chance of some sort.

This is a curiously difficult race to solve. Mansony is not a very quick horse in terms of two-mile chasing and would have much better prospects if the ground were softer. Yet, it is taxing to envisage him not running his race and he did come home in front 12 months ago.

Twist Magic would certainly be favourite if he had not run at Cheltenham. But, to paraphrase Tony McCoy, he did run at Cheltenham and that effort was sufficiently dismal to put you off him, particularly if he heads the market. The better ground, however, will probably help.
Schindlers Hunt had no chance of winning at Cheltenham - he was going far too fast up front, and furthermore was only sharing the lead. In the circumstances, I felt he ran very well and he is a confident choice to reverse form with Fair Along after his success at Fairyhouse last time. In my mind, he is the most likely - or least unlikely - winner.

Newmill's trainer John Murphy has had a year to forget and - for whatever reason - this is no longer the horse that left his foes demoralised in this event two years ago. There is a case for saying that he is an attractive price, but the yard form over the course of 2008 would be considerably off-putting.

The Ellier Developments Hanover Reach Champion Novice Steeplechase is another race that is certain to split punters. Pomme Tiepy will potentially be favourite but I doubt this ground is ideal for her. Air Force One, a longer price than Willie Mullins' filly (who fell) in the Royal & SunAlliance, was beaten 24 lengths and is accordingly opposable.

Notre Pere ran very well in the Irish National, but just may be more of a proposition on softer. Therefore, it is tempting to side with Fingeronthepulse - rated the best horse in the race bar Sky's The Limit - even if all his wins have been on yielding or softer. Edward O'Grady's grey is hard to fancy on recent form and over this three-mile trip.

In the vcbet.com Champion Novice Hurdle, it is a shade surprising that Made In Taipan is back going left-handed after he veered like a drunk at Fairyhouse last time behind Jered. Noel Meade's classy charge might be the value choice with Fiveforthree dropping back in trip.

My idea of a horse at big odds on Tuesday is Sizing Africa in the Gain Horse Feeds Handicap Hurdle. He has plenty of experience and is handicapped on his form on ground softer than he would want. He remains capable of better.