Thousand Stars (left): could run in 2m or 3m hurdle at Punchestown
PICTURE: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)Thousand Stars given options at Punchestown
NEXT weeks's Punchestown festival is on the agenda for Thousand Stars who finished second to Oscar Whisky for the second consecutive year in the John Smith's Aintree Hurdle on Saturday.
After running second on the Aintree Hurdle a year ago, Thousand Stars went on to finish runner-up to Hurricane Fly in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown and he may again clash with his stablemate, the recently deposed champion hurdler, on April 27.
The alternative for dual Grade 1 winner Thousand Stars is the mile longer Grade 1 event on the previous day which is the target for Quevega who is owned like Thousand Stars by the Hammer & Trowel Syndicate.
Trainer Willie Mullins said on Sunday: "We'll see how he is later in the week but the plan is to run Thousand Stars, in either the three-mile Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle or the two-mile Rabobank Champion Hurdle. He's such a consistent horse and showed that again on Saturday.
"Theend of season plan for him remains the French Champion Hurdle which he won last year."
Seabass, who finished third under Katie Walsh in the John Smith's Grand National on Saturday, is "most unlikely " to run at the five-day Punchestown festival, according to his trainer Ted Walsh.
"Seabass seems fine after Aintree and while I'd never say never, it is most unlikely that he will run at Punchestown. Apart from Punchestown he has no other entries coming up, so I'd imagine he'll be going on his summer holidays, " Walsh said.
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