Rachael Blackmore on the Punchestown Festival: Exclusive verdicts on the early Grade 1s

All looks set for another exceptional week of National Hunt racing at the Punchestown Festival.

It's a week that so many people love and keep coming back to. There is a summer vibe around. Good weather is always a big help there, but you also have most of the best National Hunt horses lining up. There are 12 Grade 1 races, there are the cross country races, the bumpers, the handicaps, even the charity race! There's a lot happening, and there's a lot of excitement packed into every day.

Clerk of the course Brendan Sheridan, manager Richie Galway and all the team in Punchestown do such a brilliant job with the ground. They have such a vast area to cover with 11 racing lines or tracks to look after, but you know that beautiful jumping ground will be produced.

There was a lot of success from British-based horses last year and there is a strong entry from British trainers again this year. The foreign raiders add a lot to the week.

The champion trainer title talk between Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins will be mentioned early in the week, Gordon is ahead going into Punchestown, but I feel that talk could end fairly quickly for Gordon, as he has said himself. Willie is so strong at Punchestown, it's hard to see Gordon being able to maintain his lead until later in the week. 

Rachael on Tuesday at the Punchestown Festival

Connell can claim Champion Chase

There are just five runners in the William Hill Champion Chase (Punchestown, 18:05), four of them trained by Willie Mullins, one trained by Barry Connell, but it still should be a great race. 

Connell's horse Marine Nationale won this race last year. He hasn't had the season that connections would have hoped for this time, it was a pity that he had to miss the Champion Chase at Cheltenham, but he is reportedly in great form now and all set for his bid to defend his Punchestown title. It is interesting too that he will wear cheekpieces in a race for the first time.

Il Etait Temps was impressive in winning the Champion Chase at Cheltenham and he has won three of his four races this season. Majborough would be a major contender too if he could put in a smooth round of jumping. It should be a cracking race, but current favourite Marine Nationale may just be able to see off the Willie Mullins contingent.

Sober to secure Champion Novice Hurdle

There are two other Grade 1 races on the opening day. I like Sober in the PRL Champion Novice Hurdle (Punchestown, 16:15). His Cheltenham run was disappointing but, if you can forgive him that, he goes there with a big chance.

El Cairos ended up running on well in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, but he never looked a likely winner. Skylight Hustle fell at the third last flight in the Turners Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham after racing quite freely.

Sober is a high-class horse on the flat, he won the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, and he was good in winning the Moscow Flyer Hurdle at Punchestown in January. He has to bounce back from his Cheltenham run, but I think that he is the one I would like to be on.

Open Champion Novice Chase but Kitzbuhel is my pick

The other Grade 1 race on the Tuesday, the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase (Punchestown, 16:50), looks very competitive. Cases can be made for plenty of them.

Kitzbuhel did very well in Cheltenham to keep his head in front of Final Demand. I think that he will be able to do the same here, although it's unlikely he will get to make all again.

Fleur In The Park was very good at Fairyhouse in winning the Grade 1 WillowWarm Gold Cup, getting home by two and three-quarter lengths from Kappa Jy Pyke, who lines up here again.

Oscars Brother unseated at The Chair in the Grand National but, if he is none the worse for that, he could play a big part. He was five and a half lengths behind Kitzbuhel in Cheltenham, when he looked to be staying on well at the line.

Predators Gold comes into it too, he was still travelling well in the WillowWarm Gold Cup when he fell at the second last fence, where Western Fold was hampered and unseated. But Kitzbuhel is the Brown Advisory Chase winner, and he is the one they all have to beat.

Rachael on Wednesday at the Punchestown Festival

Mullins set for Gold Cup one-two

The Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup is the feature race on Wednesday (Punchestown, 18:05). Again, it's a small field and, again, it's four Willie Mullins horses against one other, Gavin Cromwell in this instance, who trains Inothewayurthinkin, the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner. But, as with the Champion Chase, it doesn't lack for intrigue as a contest.

Gaelic Warrior was so good in Cheltenham. Paul kept him restrained and produced him beautifully to run out a very impressive winner. It all looked very easy.

We unfortunately didn't get to see Fact To File at Cheltenham, so he comes here without having run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He finished five lengths in front of Gaelic Warrior when he won the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February, but Gaelic Warrior finished in front of him in the King George at Kempton over Christmas, and in the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown in November, when just a neck separated the pair of them in a fantastic renewal of that race.

There may not be much between the two of them again here. Hopefully both horses run their races, it will be a great race if they do and, if they do, Gaelic Warrior may just have the measure of his old rival again.

Now read Katie Midwinter's Tuesday tips at the Punchestown Festival