Gigginstown giants poised for Punchestown

Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud will bid to round off the Irish season on a high at next week’s Punchestown Festival with leading contenders in most of the big races.

The five-day Festival runs from Tuesday, April 28th through to Saturday, May 2nd.

Gigginstown’s colours have prevailed in the Bibby Financial Serives Punchestown Gold Cup twice before with War Of Attrition (2006) and Sir Des Champs (2013) and the owners look to have a bright chance of making it win number three this year.

Eddie O’Leary, racing manager to his brother, has confirmed that Cheltenham Gold Cup third Road To Riches is likely to be joined in the Grade 1 event next Wednesday, April 29, by Don Cossack, an easy winner of the Melling Chase at Aintree.

“All being well, the plan is the Bibby Financial Services Ireland Punchestown Gold Cup for Road To Riches. He had a hard race at Cheltenham but he’s fine again now and is ready to go,” said O’Leary.

“There’s every chance that Don Cossack could go for the Gold Cup as well. He’s come out of Aintree very well. It’s the case with both him and Road To Riches that if they tell us they want to run then they will.”

The outstanding novice Don Poli, unbeaten in three starts over fences this season, is set to have his first start since winning the RSA Chase at Cheltenham in the Growise Champion Novice Chase on Tuesday, April 28th. Trainer Willie Mullins could also saddle Vautour, winner of Cheltenham’s JLT Chase for owner Susannah Ricci.

“Don Poli is entered in the Bibby Financial Services Punchestown Gold Cup but he’s more than likely to go for the novice race,” said O’Leary. “Hopefully he’s a good horse but the novice is where we’ll go. If Vautour runs, he runs, but we’ll just worry about our own horse.”

Gigginstown has huge strength in depth among its novice hurdlers, and is likely to be particularly well-represented in the three-mile Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle on Wednesday, April 29th.