The Punchestown Festival is upon us and runs from Tuesday 25 April to Saturday 29 April.
A host of top-class racing takes place with this being the final major jump racing festival of the year.
Here are Danny Archer's selections for the first day of the meeting...
3:40: Punchestown - Treo Elie 7/2.
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Looks a very tough race to call but these lad has being doing the business at Lingstown and might be able to switch that bank form to this.
4:20: Punchestown - Melon 11/8 and Bunk Off Early 12/1 Each Way (1/4).
Melon was second to Labaik at Cheltenham last time but might be able to reverse the form with that rivals who is very temperamental. That makes me keen to take him on with Mullins's charge.
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The Closutton handler also runs Bunk Off Early who was going pretty well in the Supreme but just didn't jump well enough on the whole. He should really be better than that and I think he remains a horse with enormous potential.
4:55: Punchestown - Roconga 7/2 and Light That 14/1 Each Way (1/5, 4 places).
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Rocoga won well on the flat in April to score by a neck and that should leave him fit and ready to go for this contest. 12th in a top class handicap on the flat in October, he might be able to take advantage of what looks a decent hurdles mark, given the last time he ran on the flat was at Killarney in August.
I was impressive with Light That's victory on the flat at Cork earlier this month and whilst hopefully this doesn't come too quick, he might be a decent each way play here.
5:30: Punchestown - Un De Sceaux 11/10 Punchestown NAP.
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It is evident that Fox Norton is a real threat but Colin Tizzard's charge has run since Cheltenham when scooting up at Aintree. Given more time off, Mullins' nine-year-old son of Denham Red was simply electric in the Ryanair over a trip many thought he wouldn't handle. That was an excellent performance and he is definitely going to be better reverting back to two miles in this cracking event.
6:05: Punchestown - Early Doors 9/4.
Very impressive when scoring by nine lengths at Punchestown in February. He looks a pretty exciting horse and this four-year-old son of Soldier Of Fortune should also appreciate this better ground.
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6:40: Punchestown - Anibale Fly 11/2 Each Way (1/4).
Unlike some of his rivals, Tony Martin's charge missed Cheltenham and therefore should be fresh for this event. An impressive winner of a Grade Three event at Naas in January, he was pretty disappointing when a warm favourite for a Grade Two at Navan but that race was a shambles as Acapella Bourgeois was also to get far too big a lead and he might be seen to better effect in this event.
7:15: Punchestown - Musical Slave 7/1 Each Way (1/5, 5 places).
Very interesting of Philip Hobbs to bring one over but he does like to target this Festival was a live wire and this unraced son of Getaway is by no means regally bred but it's just very interesting Hobbs run a bumper horse yet to race in the colours of McManus. He looks the interesting one in the lucky last.
24/5 Punchestown Win Double
4:20: Punchestown - Melon
5:30: Punchestown - Un De Sceaux
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