Gordon Elliott at Punchestown: Five runners on day one of the festival

Mount Benbulben needs to improve his jumping says Gordon

With five runners on the opening day of the Punchestown festival, Gordon Elliott will be hoping for a good start to the week, in particular from one of his stable stars, Mount Benbulben in today's grade one champion novice chase...

16.55 Punchestown - Shrapnel/Beef to the Heels

Shrapnel ran a nice race at Downpatrick at the start of this month, beating his main market rival, and Willie Mullins trained Rattan by six lengths at the finish. He stayed on very well under pressure that day, and he is definitely a better horse on better ground but it was nice to get his head back in front. It might not have been the strongest race that day, but he did it as well as could be expected and I'd be hopeful he's come on for that confidence boosting victory. However, the good ground was a major factor then and with soft ground forecast here I'd just be a bit worried that it might take its toll come the finish. His mark has been left unchanged at 137, which I think is fair for what he has achieved. Davy Russell had the choice of three and he has chosen this horse, and if the ground doesn't get too soft in the meantime I'd like to think he has a good each way chance in what looks an extremely competitive race.

Beef to the Heels is tough, honest sort of horse who will relish the forecast conditions but his form has just tailed off a bit of late. He won a very competitive handicap hurdle here in November on soft ground under a power packed ride from Jane Mangan off a mark of 123. He went up 8lbs for that win and may have just been a shade outclassed in his two subsequent runs at Fairyhouse in December, and then again at the start of this month. He's been dropped a pound to a mark of 130 for those two defeats and he looks handicapped to what he has achieved, the same as Shrapnel. Neither looks overly well treated in regards to their marks, but with conditions set to suit this horse a bit better than our other runner and with Jane Mangan booked I'm hoping he can put those two disappointing runs behind him and bounce back to form.

18.05 Punchestown - Wrath of Titans

He won his point-to-point at Lingstown in March very impressively under Jamie Codd, where he was always prominent and stretched away from the field in taking fashion. He officially won that race by a distance on the day, but it's hard to know how strong the form actually was until it pans out but it was a very taking performance visually. He's been doing everything right at home since then, suggesting that he has quite a bit of ability and I think he is a really nice horse.

He's a very nicely bred individual, and is a half-brother to both of Dessie Hughes decent performers Thunder and Roses and Shirley Casper who both won over two miles plus so I'd be hopeful he'll stay further in time. Whatever he does today will be a bonus, as I think he will be a nice horse once he steps up in trip and goes over a fence. Jane Mangan is booked to take the ride, and I'm hoping she can continue her recent good run of form for the owners, on a horse with good each way claims if overcoming his inexperience under rules.

18.40 Punchestown - Mount Benbulben

He ran well in the Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse at the end of March, and was only beaten 5 lengths in the end behind our other horse Realt Mor. He could never really get on terms with the winner on the day, who was given a superb front running ride by Davy Condon, and he never touched a twig. The same couldn't have been said about this horse, and his jumping was a bit sketchy all the way around and the mistake he made two fences from home put paid to any winning chance he may have had. He has a huge engine, but his jumping can just let him down at crucial times in his races and it's something he'll need to improve on to be competitive today.

Prior to Fairyhouse, his win at Thurles was very impressive and he was foot perfect that day and he showed us just how good he can be. He has a marked preference for going right handed, and he was in the process of running well here last November in beginners' chase, when he was bang there with a real chance when eventually paying the penalty at the third last after a bad mistake. This race looks like living up to its Grade One status and he face some very strong competition, with the likes of Willie Mullins' pair Back In Focus and Boston Bob, Tony Martins' reopposing Dedigout and Dessie Hughes' RSA runner up Lyreen Legend in opposition. Retained rider Danny Mullins is booked to take the ride, and if his jumping improves he goes into this race with a good chance of sneaking into a place and taking his share of a very nice pot.

19.15 Punchestown - Very Wood

He was due to run at Thurles at the start of the month and then again at Gowran Park a week later, but the ground had just dried out too much for him on both occasions but he looks to have conditions to suit today. He finished second in a point-to-point here at the beginning of February, and was only beaten a head close home by a rallying winner on the day. He'd looked quite good that day, and he went on to win his next point at Oldtown in March when quickening away from the field nicely to land it by four lengths. He goes well at home, and he's done everything right up to now and he's only a four year old and is still learning, but I'm in no doubt that he will make a cracking three mile chaser once he goes over a fence.

As with our other bumper horse earlier on the card, you can never really tell how strong the point-to-point form is until it all pans out, but I was very impressed with his Oldtown win and if he can improve on that here I'd expect him to run well. He's a horse we like a lot, but this looks a strong race with the likes of Western boy, some hawk and Draco already having a run under their belts and setting a decent standard. We have Jane Mangan booked to take the ride, and I'd be hopeful of him running a nice race and having a decent each way chance, with conditions set to suit.