Grade One John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase Guide 2023
Days: 215
Leading Irish-trainer Willie Mullins has five out of the six runners in the Grade One John Durkan at Punchestown on Sunday and the first of those is Appreciate It. The former 24-length winner of the Grade One Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival arrives here for his seasonal reappearance after finishing last term with a runner-up finish to Feronily in the Grade One Champion Novice Chase here over 3m in April.
After winning two chases at Naas and here at the beginning of 2023, he finished fourth in the Grade One Turners' at Cheltenham as well as finishing third in the G1 Gold Cup Novice at Fairyhouse in April. The nine-year-old can go well here but Galopin Des Champs looks the top pick of the Mullins runners.
Form: 13432View
Punchestown - November 26 2023
Punchestown 14:30
Age: 9
Weight: 11-12
OR: 160
Days: 190
The second of the Willie Mullins runners in the Grade One John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown on Sunday is Asterion Forlonge. The nine-year-old returns to fences here having finished last season with four successive runs over hurdles, where he won a 2m 4f Grade Two at Fairyhouse in April, ahead of stablemate Monkfish. He was then second in the Punchestown G1 Stayers', behind Klassical Dream but signed off with a tenth-place finish at Auteuil last time out.
He's yet to win over fences since 2021 and the gelding's last run over fences at this sort of level came when finishing seventh in the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Others are preferred here.
Form: 72120View
Punchestown - November 26 2023
Punchestown 14:30
Age: 8
Weight: 11-12
OR: 163
Days: 254
The current market outsider for this Grade One Chase over 2m 3f is once an extremely promising Stattler. The eight-year-old has been great over fences for Willie Mullins, winning a Grade Three Novice at Naas as well as scoring at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022, where he claimed success in the G2 NH Challenge Cup over 3m 5f in the hands of Patrick Mullins. He was eight lengths clear that day but after a couple of runner-up finishes at Tramore and Leopardstown (eight lengths behind Galopin Des Champs in G1 Irish Gold Cup), he was pulled up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup before the 11th fence and he hadn't travelled well at all.
He now makes his reappearance over a much shorter trip and despite being currently priced at 33/1, he still retains some of that hope that there is more to come from him. Not completely ruled out but others possess more backing.
Form: 1122PView
Punchestown - November 26 2023
Punchestown 14:30
Age: 7
Weight: 11-12
OR: 168
Days: 214
The only horse not trained by Willie Mullins in the John Durkan is Martin Brassil's Fastorslow. The seven-year-old make shis reappearance this term on the back of impressively beating Galopin Des Champs by just over two lengths in the Grade One Punchestown Gold Cup, backing up his impressive run in the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival in March, when finishing a neck behind winner Corach Rambler.
Apart from those two runs, over fences he has actually been pretty disappointing, but if continuing that remarkable improvement here, there's no reason why he cannot figure again and go close. You'd imagine Galopin Des Champs would be hard to beat for a second time, though. James Slevin does the steering.
Form: 25521View
Punchestown - November 26 2023
Punchestown 14:30
Age: 7
Weight: 11-12
OR: 179
Days: 214
Willie Mullins boasts five runners in the Grade One John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown on Sunday, with his eye-catching Galopin Des Champs the penultimate runner we have mentioned here. The seven-year-old arrives with a rating of 179, following wins in the in this event last term, the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown and the famous Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. That would've been his second Cheltenham festival winner if he hadn't of fallen at the last in the Grade One Turners' a year prior when on course for victory, as Bob Olinger picked up the pieces.
Despite finishing second to Fastorslow here at the end of last season in the Punchestown Gold Cup, this classy gelding is one they all have to beat on his seasonal reappearance. Paul Townend is on board.
Form: 11112View
Punchestown - November 26 2023
Punchestown 14:30
Age: 8
Weight: 11-12
OR: 163
Days: 215
The last of the Willie Mullins runners here in the John Durkan Memorial is Blue Lord. The eight-year-old begun well over fences for Mullins when winning his first three chases at Fairyhouse, Naas and Leopardstown before finishing third in the Arkle last March. He then took his next three races, including success in the Grade One Paddy's Rewards Club Chase over 2m 1f at Leopardstown last December by 11 lengths to Captain Guinness.
Blue Lord was then beaten by Gentleman De Mee in the G1 Dublin Chase when 1/4fav and disappointed punters by finishing eighth in the Ryanair at Cheltenham before finishing third in the G1 Champion Chase at Punchestown behind Chacun Pour Soi and Energumene last time out. He can do better on reappearance but winning this looks unlikely. Daryl Jacob is booked to ride.
