16:20 Punchestown - Paloma Blue 5/1 - 1pt win
The esteemed pair of Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins take their battle for the Irish Trainers’ Championship to County Kildare this afternoon, where this year’s Punchestown Festival gets underway.
Their respective colours almost cover some of the cards at the venue and their ongoing arm wrestle will dominate many of the headlines that will come from it. It’s one from another Irish stable, however, that’s drawn our attention today and makes out bet of the day.
Henry De Bromhead sits down in fourth on that total prize money table and hasn’t had a bad season himself in the shadow of those two giants of his trade.
He sends Paloma Blue into Grade 1 battle in the Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at 16:20.
His six-year-old was last seen when bolting off ahead of the rest in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on ground that was softer than ideal, racing freely but still managing to be in contention at the business end of affairs, finishing a three-lengths third behind Summerville Boy and the re-opposing Mengli Khan.
If the superlative Davy Russell can manage to put a bit of smacht on this free-going sort early on, with the ground set to suit his style a whole lot better today, then he’s forecasted to go very well indeed at odds of around 5/1.
An single point investment is advised and with Getabird at a silly price in around even money, Paloma Blue's price should hold out throughout the afternoon and offer us a decent little bit of value.