The Punchestown festival - and indeed the jump season - is coming to an end today with some great horses racing in Kildare. Here are Irish jockey, Paul Townend's pick of the day.
Yesterday saw State Man power to victory in the Champion Hurdle, with Townend aboard. State Man had gone head to head with the great Constitution Hill many times, but with that horse staying in the UK, it was State Man's race to win.
Paul Townend's picks for Day 5 of Punchestown
The first Grade 1 race of the day is the Mares Champions Hurdle race. Townend believes Echoes In Rain and Brandy Love are the two big favourites. However he still can't choose who will be the winner of this race:
Brandy Love and Echoes In Rain, there was nothing between the two of them in Cheltenham. The race wasn't run to suit either of them. Nothing between them on the line only the fact Brandy Love can probably improve a little bit more than Echoes In Rain. The track will probably play in to Echoes In Rain's strengths more than Brandy Love's. I won't be making that call until very close to the time.
The final Grade 1 race of the week is the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle. It was clearly easier to choose the winning horse in this race as Paul Townend goes for Lossiemouth as the uncontested favourite. Willie Mullins' horse has won three out of his four races this year. Paul Townend will ride her and hope to get her fifth season win:
I picked Lossiemouth [for Cheltenham] and she was just far superior to the rest. I think that she's probably the best juvenile around. I'm not worried about her getting free at Punchestown, she's pretty versatile. A good one to round off the week.
SEE ALSO: "I Don't Know Why He Said It" - Davy Russell Responds To Michael O'Leary Dig
