Rematch on! Bravemansgame given green light for Punchestown

Bravemansgame has been given clearance to run in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday with Bryan Drew confirmed as the sole owner.

The Paul Nicholls-trained gelding, most recently seen finishing second in the Cheltenham Gold Cup to Galopin Des Champs, who he is due to meet again, was previously under the joint-ownership of Drew and John Dance.

Dance founded Vertem Asset Management, a prominent sponsor within racing, but that firm is one of three trading names of WealthTek LLP, which was ordered to cease trading by the Financial Conduct Authority due to “serious regulatory and operational issues coming to light”.

As a result Bravemansgame was prevented via a court order from running at Aintree, but Dance’s share has now been sold to Drew and he is able to run again.

A statement from the British Horseracing Authority read: “The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today informed the British Horseracing Authority that it has agreed to the sale, following an independent valuation, of Mr Dance’s 50 per cent share of Bravemansgame. The gelding was previously owned in partnership by John Dance and Bryan Drew, and has now been sold into the sole ownership of Bryan Drew.

“As a result Bravemansgame is now able to be declared for races, including the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup at Punchestown on Wednesday.

“The BHA remains in dialogue with the FCA and Mr Dance regarding the status of Mr Dance’s other horses.”

Drew told the Racing Post: "It’s been a very long weekend. I didn’t sleep much last night thinking about it. Ultimately, I had to get Bravemansgame out of this situation because I’ve got a top-class racehorse in the prime of his career who isn’t able to run.

"I don’t understand what’s going on with the [Dance] situation but what I feared was getting to the autumn and we hadn’t resolved it. The horse isn’t racing for his owners or the racing public. The situation where the horse was in limbo was massively unfair to me and Paul, and I was desperately keen to get out of it."

He added: "There’s still a little bit of paperwork to do between now and Wednesday but I’m confident we’ve got a deal in place now, which is good news. The change of name at Aintree was administrative only, so there wasn’t a sale transaction whereas now there has been."

Bet365 make Galopin Des Champs 30-100, with Bravemansgame 6-1.

Nicholls said on Monday: “We schooled Bravemansgame this morning and he was good. He’s fresh and well and we’re looking forward to travelling.

“He appeared to recover quickly from Cheltenham but I think the extra 12 days will have done him good from when we had planned to run at Aintree. A lot of our horses are in really good form at the moment so it will have done him good.

“As long as you have the right horses, Punchestown is worth going to and it’s been good for us since Sporazene and Le Roi Miguel.

“Bravemansgame has never been away overnight before. It’s his first time travelling to run so hopefully he takes to that okay. Shantou Flyer is travelling to keep him company. They will stay at Punchestown and hopefully they settle down well. We’re really looking forward to it.”

There are six runners in all and Envoi Allen is no back number either. While Henry de Bromhead’s eight-time Grade 1 winner was below par in the King George won by Bravemansgame, he had started his campaign with victory over three miles in Down Royal’s Ladbrokes Champion Chase and was back to his very best when registering a third Cheltenham triumph in the Ryanair Chase under Rachael Blackmore.

Shark Hanlon saddles Galway Plate and US Grand National winner Hewick, who bypassed a possible engagement in the Aintree Grand National after falling two out when still in contention in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Hanlon will be praying for no more rain between now and Wednesday to see his charge to best effect.

The declaration of Bravemansgame adds real star power to proceedings, with Nicholls long having proven his ability to pounce for the major prizes at Punchestown when he decides to make the trip.

It is 20 years since he got off the mark at the Punchestown Festival, emerging from the 2003 week with a brace of winners courtesy of Le Roi Miguel and Sporazene.

Remarkably, from a select representation, the Manor Farm Stables trainer has won the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup three times previously, Clan Des Obeaux prevailing in thrilling fashion in 2021 to completement the back-to-back triumphs of Neptunes Collonges in 2007 and 2008.

The field of six is completed by Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow, a progressive chaser last seen when failing by just a neck to give four pounds to subsequent Aintree hero Corach Rambler, and Fury Road, who came a cropper at the second in Liverpool but finished third in the Irish Gold Cup in February behind Galopin Des Champs and filled the same slot in the Savills Chase at Christmas.

“Fury Road didn’t get very far at Aintree but seems to have come out of it very well,” said trainer Gordon Elliott recently. “He’d a cracking run against Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown in February and is a horse that likes nice ground. His Leopardstown showing would entitle him to give a good account.”

A field of nine go to post for the first Grade 1 of Wednesday’s eight-race card, the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle for young stayers, with the 152-rated Gaelic Warrior asked to step up to three miles by Willie Mullins having stayed on strongly behind stablemate Impaire Et Passe in the Ballymore at Cheltenham.

Paul Townend rides Rich Ricci’s German-bred gelding, with Danny Mullins on board the other Closutton runner Embassy Gardens, who is owned by long-standing Punchestown sponsors supporters, Sean and Bernardine Mulryan.

The Noel Meade-trained Affordale Fury is assured of staying, as evidenced by his fast-finishing second in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle at Cheltenham while local trainer Oliver McKiernan is represented by Kalanisi Star and Harry Des Ongrais will be saddled by Henry de Bromhead. Course winner and Pertemps Hurdle runner-up Salvador Ziggy and Favori De Champdou represent Gordon Elliott.

“Salvador Ziggy won his maiden hurdle in Punchestown in the first few weeks of the new season back in May and has done nothing but improve since,” declared Elliott. “He ran a tremendous race in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham. He’s stepping from handicapping to a Grade 1 but his rating (145) and his progression suggests he’s well worth his place and the trip will be right up his street.

“Favori De Champdou just didn’t run his race at Cheltenham having done everything right prior to that so we’re just drawing a line through that and hoping he’ll bounce back.”

A Dream To Share will look to live up to his name once more by completing a Cheltenham-Punchestown double in the Grade 1 Race And Stay At Punchestown INH Flat Race, with 18-year-old Leaving Cert student John Gleeson maintaining his partnership on the horse trained by John Kiely, who will be 86 next week.

The JP McManus-owned son of Muhaarar puts his unbeaten record on the line against four Willie Mullins horses, including Rath Gaul Boy, which he defeated in Roscommon on debut in May 2022. Pat Taaffe is on board with Patrick Mullins selecting last month’s impressive Gowran Park victor Tullyhill, Jody Townend getting the leg up on It’s For Me and Derek O’Connor booked for Western Diego.

No Time To Wait (Jamie Codd) and King Of Kingsfield (Harry Swan) represent Gordon Elliott, with nine going to post.

State Man heads a field of eight still in contention to run in Friday’s Paddy Power Champion Hurdle, with Willie Mullins also including Vauban, Echoes In Rain and Sharjah among the acceptors.

Gordon Elliott could run Zanahiyr, who has been third in both the Cheltenham Champion and Aintree Hurdles of late, and Pied Piper, last seen just touched off in the County Hurdle.

The list is completed Henry de Bromhead’s consistent Ballyadam and the Lorna Fowler-trained Colonel Mustard, who has some top-class novice hurdle form and has just found one too good for him giving away weight in his last two outings, most recently in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr on Saturday.

The Mullins-trained Impaire Et Passe will be returning to Punchestown for the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle, after recording an impressive success in the Moscow Flyer Hurdle in January. The Munir & Souede-owned gelding bolted up in the Ballymore at Cheltenham subsequently and is the one they all have to beat again. There are 12 possible runners, with Champ Kiely the likeliest other Mullins contender.

Recent Aintree handicap winner, Fennor Cross is another potential runner for the upwardly-mobile John McConnell yard, while Joseph O’Brien’s High Definition remains entered.

Colm Murphy’s Cheltenham Mares’ Chase winner Impervious is among ten still standing in the Grade 2 Hanlon EBF Glencarraig Lady Mares’ Chase, along with her nearest rival at Prestbury Park, Allegorie De Vassy and her Closutton stablemate Elimay, a runner-up in the race last year. Also included is Gordon Elliott-trained Riviere D’etel, who fell when just making ground last month at Cheltenham.