- Rachael Blackmore has five rides on the opening day of Punchestown Festival
- Her first ride of the day is Upping The Anti in the Full Circle Series Final
Rachael Blackmore is excited by the start of the Punchestown Festival, and she has five rides on the opening day.
Upping The Anti in the competitive Full Circle Series Final is the 34-year-old jockey’s first ride in the day, with Slade Steel and Captain Guinness among her other horses.
The Betfair ambassador reveals some insight into her rides at Punchestown Festival on Tuesday.
Betfair ambassador Rachael Blackmore has five rides at Punchestown Festival on Tuesday
Punchestown Tuesday
3.05 – Upping The Anti
The Punchestown Festival starts on Tuesday and I’m really looking forward to it! It’s always a great meeting.
I ride Upping The Anti in the new Full Circle Series Final, and I hope that he can go well. It’s obviously a really competitive race, but he is in good form, and he should appreciate being back on nicer ground than the heavy ground that he encountered at Navan last time. His hurdles mark is far lower than his chase mark, and I hope that he can be competitive off it.
3.40 – Slade Steel
This is obviously a very good race, the first four from the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle are all here again.
It’s going to be a different type of race to the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Punchestown is very different to Cheltenham, but Slade Steel came out on top at Cheltenham and I hope that he can do so again. I don’t think that he’s ever going to be flashy, but he’s a tough horse, he was really good in Cheltenham, and he came out of the race in great form.
Whatever rain Punchestown gets will help him, but everyone in Knockeen is happy with him and we’re hoping for another good run.
4.15 – Jasko Des Dames
This is another very competitive race, but we’re hoping that Jasko Des Dames can go well.
He was a little disappointing at Naas the last day, but he seems to be in great order since. He doesn’t have a lot of experience for a race like this, he has run just three times over hurdles, but he jumps well, he schools well, and running on a nicer surface should help him. He ran well in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown in January, over this course and distance, and we’re hoping that he can run well here again.
5.25 – Captain Guinness
I’m really looking forward to riding Captain Guinness again in the Punchestown Champion Chase.
He gave us an incredible day in Cheltenham, it was brilliant for everyone, to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase, and for him to gain his first Grade 1 win. He has come out of the race in great form too.
It’s obviously a very good race, but he’s such a consistent horse, and hopefully he can put up another big performance.
Her Tuesday rides include Slade Steel, Jasko Des Dames, Captain Guinness and Monty’s Star
6.00 – Monty’s Star
Monty’s Star ran really well in Cheltenham to finish second in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. It was a great run, we were as happy as you can be when you finish second, and he has come out of the race really well.
We’re very much looking forward to getting him back here. He won his beginners’ chase at Punchestown in December, he jumped really well that day and we’re hoping that he can do so again. He has raced just three times over fences, and we’re hoping that there is more to come from him.
