Mullins aims superstars at Punchestown Grade 1s

The Jumps are back at Punchestown Racecourse this week for the Premiere Weekend, with Saturday’s eight-race card including a belting renewal of the Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle.

Racing at the County Kildare track kicks off at 11.30am with a three-year-old maiden hurdle, the Grace 1 contest on the card arrives at 2.10pm and the action comes to a close at 3.25pm with a ten-runner bumper.

Read below to discover the latest tips and a full preview of Saturday’s card at Punchestown courtesy of BoyleSports, who offer the latest Irish Horse Racing odds throughout the season.

It’s an early start on Saturday as a big field of 22 runners will tackle the opening three-year-old hurdle (11.30) over the two-mile and 148 yard trip. Slurricane has made a positive start in this sphere for trainer Ross O’Sullivan, second of seven in a juvenile hurdle at Down Royal three weeks ago and is likely to improve further here. Its Bilbo is an interesting recruit from France and now in the hands of Henry De Bromhead and should offer plenty, while Flat winner Naturally Nimble makes a Jumps debut for Joseph O’Brien off the back of winning a 16-runner maiden at Navan 77 days ago.

Closutton maestro Willie Mullins could get off the mark for the day in race two (12.00) with Zillow in the two-mile and three furlong maiden hurdle, another interesting recruit from the French ranks having been a winner of the Sanctus Stakes at Saint-Cloud in October 2023 when last seen and snapped up for a hefty €300,000 and in such good hands, makes plenty of appeal on Irish debut.

A superbly competitive beginners’ chase marks race three on the card (12.30) over two miles and two furlongs where last season’s leading novice hurdler, Ballyburn, makes a debut over fences for the Mullins team. The winner of the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and Grade 1 novice hurdles at Leopardstown and Punchestown, Ballyburn has all the hallmarks to make for a superb chaser and is quite clearly the one to beat heading over the larger obstacles for the first time this weekend.

The Grade 2 Florida Pearl at 1pm is a bit of a let-down, with just three runners battling it out for the €21,899 top prize, they all come from the Gordon Elliott yard and all owned by Gigginstown. Stellar Story gets the marginal nod here, last year’s Albert Bartlett winner at Cheltenham and is the choice of stable jockey Jack Kennedy Law Ella shaped well as if ahead of her mark when second at Listowel last time out and rates the selection race five of the day (1.35) for the Gavin Cromwell team and should get the job done ahead of the in-form Walnut Beach, with two wins from five runs this season.

The feature race of the day is the Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle at 2.10pm and it is shaping up to be an absolute belter as eight runners take on the two-mile and 148 yard trip for the €90,000 top prize. Reigning champion State Man has lost only once in 13 starts since joining Willie Mullins and that was to superstar hurdler Constitution Hill in the 2023 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham so is the one to beat here. Plenty of eyes will be leaning towards stablemate Lossiemouth however, another with just one defeat on her resume and that was way back in February 2023, since going on to win easily in Grade 1s for her own sex at Cheltenham in the Mares’ Hurdle and a Grade 1 at this course when last seen in May to add to a Triumph Hurdle win at Cheltenham last year so State Man will face an incredibly stern test of his credentials.

Away from the Mullins yard, the very progressive Jezki Hurdle winner Brighterdaysahead is the clear best of the rest for the Elliott team, with only one defeat on her resume as well and that was in the Dawn Run at Cheltenham in March.

After the Lord Mayor’s Show sees the final two races of the day, with the handicap hurdle at 2.50 up first and that can go the way of Billy Lee Swagger, a promising course winner that was fourth in a handicap hurdle contest here 24 days ago with something left in the tank, while the finale on the card (3.25) looks to be all about the Elliott-trained Jacob’s Ladder, a bumper winner at Down Royal 22 days ago and looks a very good Jumps prospect in the making.

Punchestown selections - Saturday 

11.30 - Slurricane 

12.00 - Zillow 

12.30 - Ballyburn 

1.00 - Stellar Story 

1.35 - Law Ella 

2.10 - State Man 

2.50 - Billy Lee Swagger 

3.25 - Jacob’s Ladder