Punchestown 17:50 - Djakadam 7/1 - 1pt e/w
The headlines from day one of the Punchestown Festival were dominated with Paul Townends’ remarkable mistake aboard Al Boum Photo in the Growise Champion Novice Chase.
He’s booked to ride four on day two of the festival and all eyes will be on him as he gets back to work after a horrid day at the office.
He rides Killultagh Vic in the Punchestown Gold Cup for Willie Mullins - but it’s another one from that stable that we want to be with in the race.
Djakadam is a grand old boy at nine and seems to have been around an age already.
Hes run to a fine level of form this term, with an opening second to Sizing John in the John Durkan at this course being followed by an abortive effort at Leopardstown, a third in the Irish Gold Cup and a fifth in the Cheltenham version.
He travelled sweetly in third behind the runaway 1-2 Native River and Might Bite for a long way, only fading into fifth quite late on into the business end of things.
There’s no shame in being bested by a pair like that and he’s back into a much more open affair on more suitable ground late this afternoon.
His form figures at the County Kildare venue read: (4212122). He’s available at around the 7/1 here and, as high-class and consistent as he is, that rates as a right each-way bet.
He should come in the first trio at the very least and reward each-way backers and, hopefully, avoid the kind of late afternoon drama around Punchy we saw there yesterday.
