Sunday’s racing tips: Galopin Des Champs to bounce back at Punchestown

There are four jumps cards in Britain and Ireland on Sunday. The action is headlined by the Grade 1 John Durkan at Punchestown and we have a trio of selections for the action in Ireland.

14.30 Punchestown - Galopin Des Champs @ 2/5

It’s a cracking renewal of this year’s John Durkan, with five of the six runners successful in Grade 1 company at some stage of their careers.

Fastorslow took the scalp of the likes of Gold Cup winner GALOPIN DES CHAMPS and Bravemansgame when winning the Irish version of the Gold Cup at this venue at the end of last season, but he has his work to cut out to confirm the form with the former, particularly over this shorter trip.

Galopin Des Champs was possibly over the top after his Gold Cup success at Cheltenham, but he has been successful over this sort of trip three times at Grade 1 level, including this race last year when making easy work of his reappearance assignment.

Fastorslow was no match for him that day when back in fifth and it would take a brave man to oppose him given his trainer’s typically strong start to the season.

Blue Lord is possibly the most interesting of the remainder. His jumping let him down in last season’s Ryanair, but he had previously given the impression this intermediate trip on testing ground is ideal and he might be the one to give his stablemate the most to think about.

Of the rest, Stattler needs further than this, Asterion Forlonge has looked anything from straightforward over obstacles and Appreciate It simply doesn’t look up to this level over the larger obstacles.

13:55 Punchestown - Lucid Dreams @ 4/1

The preceding race, the Grade 2 Craddockstown, is the chief support to the main event and, while Imagine is an odds-on favourite, he may be worth taking on with LUCID DREAMS.

John Ryan’s charge was last seen bolting up from a mark of 133 at Gowran Park to take his record to two from four over fences and he gave the impression that there could still be more to come this season.

He has a propensity to race keenly in the early stages, but he’s been freshened up since his Gowran Park success 70 days ago and, if he learns to settle better, he may be up to springing a minor upset in a race that is probably a bit more open than the betting suggests.

12.45 Punchestown - Quest With Speed @ 7/2

The three-mile handicap hurdle earlier on the card looks competitive, but it’s quite possible that QUEST WITH SPEED has more to give over this sort of trip.

He took his form to a new level in a maiden hurdle at Limerick last week and carries a 7lb penalty for that success.

Given the wide winning margin that day, he’s almost certainly to go up more when the assessor has his say and, having plied his trade in point-to-points earlier in his career, there’s a reasonable chance that he’s a smart stayer in the making over three mile plus.

Check out our other Horse Racing Tips here.