Angus McNae's top tips for Thursday: Bacardys looks a good bet at Punchestown

The Punchestown Festival this week has been superb, and I have two selections from there on Thursday and also one from Redcar and Chelmsford as well.

Firstly, a word on the Qipco 2000 Guineas which will be live on Racing TV this Saturday. I firmly believe that Ten Sovereigns is the fastest horse in the race, but his stamina for eight furlongs has to be taken on trust and he may just be a sprinter.

That said, it is interesting to ask if he can he stretch his speed?

If he is going to, then his best chance may be to let him bowl along in front. The Rowley Mile very much favours front-runners and prominent racers, and if he can establish a lead, he may be hard to peg back.

Trying to hold him up and conserve his energy may be counter-productive because he could race keenly and making all could be a surprise tactic that allows him to get his rivals off the bridle a long way out.

Bizarrely, such tactics may see him win even if he doesn’t really stay a mile.

His stable companion, Magna Grecia, looks sure to run well too, as does Royal Marine. They are both very solid, but it would be great to see Ten Sovereigns blow them all away from the front.

I have four selections for the action on Thursday. Best of luck.

This horse looked a shade unlucky not to win last time out here at Redcar. He was held up and travelled strongly, but when he was first asked for his effort, he was hampered and lost momentum.

Given that he then ran on strongly and wasn’t beaten far in second place, he looks sure to go well again here.

I think it is significant that connections changed tactics with him last time and similar hold up tactics will surely be employed again. He is a good wager at 9-2.

In 2017, Bacardys won the Grade One Champion Novice Hurdle here at Punchestown where he beat the likes of Finians Oscar, Death Duty and Kemboy.

Since then, he has to some extent lost his way over fences. That said, there are two bits of evidence to suggest he retains his ability. He would probably have been placed in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2018 had he not fallen at the last.

Then in the same race this year he had no chance of winning having been held up a long way off the pace. However, he travelled well and ran on strongly past beaten horses.

That will have served as a good confidence booster and back at a track that he goes well at, he rates a decent bet at 7-1.

On his debut for Willie Mullins after a three-year absence, this horse was sensational when winning at Naas.

It was an exhilarating performance. He made all, jumped superbly and won by 36 lengths.

He is now pitched in very deep against the JLT and Arkle winner from this year’s Cheltenham Festival, but there is a chance that he is an exceptional talent and I can see him bowling along in front and being very hard to catch.

At 5-1, he is a good bet.

This filly broke the juvenile track record at Lingfield last season and did so easily. She is clearly very useful, holds a Commonwealth Cup entry and this Listed race looks to be a suitable starting point.

She is drawn wide in stall 14, but I think she has enough speed to overcome it. She is trading at about 11-4 and I think that would be more like 5/4 if she had been better drawn.

She is good value to land this Listed prize.