2022 Punchestown Day 2 Preview and Tips – DS
2022 Punchestown Day 2 Preview and Tips
We got a lovely winner on Day 1 with Mighty Potter. He won quite easily despite drifting all the way out to 20s from 10s. Highstreet Roller showed up well for a long way but his lack of a recent run told. Unfortunately, Act Of God was hampered and unseated. Let’s hope we can get another winner on the board on Wednesday. Check out Dave Stevos’ 2022 Punchestown Day 2 preview and tips below.
5.20 – Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)
The first Grade 1 on Day 2 of Punchestown is this 3 mile hurdle for the Novices. The market is headed by The Nice Guy for Townend and Mullins. A surprise winner of the Potato Race at Cheltenham, this horse is now 4/4. He likes good ground, he stays the distance and once Cheltenham hasn’t left a mark, he should be thereabouts.
At a much larger price, Good Time Jonny should not be written off. Tony Martin campaigned his fella brilliantly to land a huge pot at Leopardstown in February. After the race Martin was adamant that his horse would swerve Cheltenham and head to either Aintree or Fairyhouse because the track doesn’t suit him. Guess where the son of Shirocco turned up next?!
The owners must have overruled the trainer and Good Time Jonny headed to the Albert Bartlett. He finished well beaten behind The Nice Guy but I would not read too much into that effort. This horse has already run well in a bumper at Punchestown and two of his four wins have come going right handed. If he can return to the form he showed at Leopardstown, Good Time Jonny could sneak into the money at odds of 33/1.
2022 Punchestown Day 2 Tip: Good Time Jonny e/w @ 33/1 (4 Places)
5.55 – Punchestown Gold Cup (Grade 1)
I cannot believe that the bookies have priced up Tornado Flyer at 16/1 for this race. Willie Mullins’ King George winner was pulled up at Cheltenham but I wouldn’t hold that against him. He is a far better horse when going right handed. That is evidenced when you look at his form. Yes, he won a couple of races going left handed, a Novice G3 at Navan and a Beginners’ Chase at Naas. Overall though, his form figures going left handed read 3P11P35543P. Going the opposite direction they read 11142251.
Six of those RH runs came at Punchestown where he has a record of 11425. He has never run over further than 20f at this track but the way he finished off behind Allaho in the John Durkan suggested that this sort of trip around here would suit him. He proved he got 24f at Kempton in any case so I am not worried in the slightest about his stamina. Willie Mullins’ charge also proved at Kempton he is a proper Grade 1 chaser when he has his conditions and everything looks right for him today. At odds of 16/1, Tornado Flyer is a cracking each way bet.
2022 Punchestown Day 2 Tip: Tornado Flyer e/w @ 16/1 NAP
7.05 – Handicap Chase (Grade A)
The one that looks most overpriced to me in this 21f handicap chase is The West’s Awake. Trained by Eddie O’Grady, this 11yo son of Yeats has likely been lined up for this race. He needs good ground so once he didn’t take to the National Fences in the Becher, O’Grady put him away for the Winter.
The West’s Awake made his reappearance in a handicap chase at Wexford four weeks ago. He didn’t wear his usual blinkers and he trailed in 6th of 8 behind Revelyn Pleasure, to whom he was giving almost 2 stone. He is way better off at the weights with that rival now. With the usual blinkers reapplied, he can turn that form on its head.
This horse has a decent record around Punchestown. Like Tornado Flyer, he is at his best going right handed and all six of his career victories have come going in that direction. His course form figures read 10193 and he is 2lbs lower than when finishing 3rd here in May 2021. He has yet to win at beyond 20f but his efforts in the 22f Galway Plate and 24f Kerry National showed he stays that far. The only time he has had good in the ground description at Punchestown he won, so hopefully he can repeat the trick on Wednesday. At odds of 25/1, The West’s Awake is the e/w pick.
