NAP of the Day: Quids in with Quiryn?

It was nice to bounce back from one of the worst NAPs - and as the father of a nine-month-old I know all about those - of my career on Tuesday with a winner at Pontefract just 24 hours later.

I'm returning to Punchestown in search of another one on Thursday, with the flat still very much at the forefront of my mind. Sort of.

One of the big eye-catchers from last month's Cheltenham Festival, at least for me, was QUIRYN in the Champion Bumper.

Willie Mullins' four-year-old son of Arc hero Sottsass was sixth of 21 at HQ, just four lengths off the pace, despite racing enthusiastically on the front end for Paul Townend.

Considering the way he went about things, plus the age and inexperience factor, I thought it was a fine effort. He'd have been easily forgiven for dropping away a lot earlier than he did.

It's very early days, but that form is holding up. The winner, The Mourne Rambler, was just touched off by the ninth-placed With Nolimit in the Grade 1 here at Punchestown on Wednesday, with Boycetown (fourth in the Champion Bumper) back in third.

Also working out well is Quiryn's debut at Naas at the start of the year, when bolting up by nine lengths under Patrick Mullins, who's back on board on Thursday evening. I suspect the only reason the Grand National-winning jockey, who plays a leading part in the training of the bumper crop at Closutton these days, didn't ride him at Cheltenham was because he couldn't do the weight of 10st 11lbs.

Apache Peak, runner-up to the selection at Naas despite a weight advantage of seven pounds, has since finished third in a Listed bumper at Listowel worth €20k to the winner. The third-placed Hartford was fourth of 18, just three-and-a-half lengths off the Mullins-trained winner Delamotte, in County Kildare on Tuesday. Quiryn wasn't beating trees, then.

If able to contain himself a bit better, and providing he's none-the-worse for those Cheltenham exploits, he's got a huge chance of getting back into the winners' enclosure in the final race on Day 3 of the Punchestown Festival.

His nearest rival according to the betting is stablemate Look Me, who took out a nice race at Fairyhouse in February before finding just one of 19 rivals too good in a Grade 2 at Aintree's Grand National Festival. The fact Patrick has brushed him aside, seemingly without too much thought, is telling.

At least that's what I'm inferring from Mullins junior's comments to Sporting Life this week. He said: "I thought he was my best chance of the week... I'd like to think he'd take a bit of beating."

Me too, Patrick. Me too.

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