Al Boum Photo and Kemboy on course for mouthwatering Punchestown clash

Al Boum Photo will bid to land the Cheltenham and Punchestown Gold Cup double but will have to fight off stern competition, including from within his own stable, with trainer Willie Mullins revealing impressive Aintree winner Kemboy is also an intended runner.

Al Boum Photo, the horse who ended Mullins’ Cheltenham Gold Cup hoodoo, is reported to be in rude health, as is Kemboy, a wide-margin winner of the Betway Bowl at Aintree last week.

Mullins said: "Punchestown is always a very important meeting for us and all being well Al Boum Photo and Kemboy will pitch up there for the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup and I hope to have other runners in that race also.

"Al Boum Photo is in great shape after Cheltenham and this is certainly his prime target now. We were very pleased with Kemboy at Aintree last week and he looks fit and well since he came back from there so we’ll take our chance at Punchestown."

On the remainder of his Coral Punchestown Gold Cup challenge, Mullins added: "We have also entered Bellshill, Footpad, Killultagh Vic, Pairofbrowneyes, Pleasant Company and Yorkhill and I would certainly imagine a few more of them will run as there aren’t too many more opportunities for them for the remainder of the season."

Outside the Mullins brigade, Henry de Bromhead is charting a path towards the race with Monalee, last seen finishing a slightly disappointing fourth in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.

Outlining why Monalee ran below par at the festival, De Bromhead said: "He came home sore from Cheltenham, he is in good form now, but I just don’t think he ran his race there.

"I think his best runs have been over three miles and he has got some very good form in the book. He gave Anibale Fly seven pound at Gowran Park and finished in front of Al Boum Photo a couple of times and it’s definitely exciting to be going back for the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup with him. We are very much looking forward to it."

Mullins mob-handed in Champion Chase

Douvan: could return at PunchestownCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Last year’s BoyleSports Champion Chase winner Un De Sceaux is in line to defend his crown in the €300,000 feature on the opening day of the Punchestown festival.

Mullins could also call upon Douvan – who has yet to race this season – Min, Footpad and Great Field in the two-mile championship race on April 30.

The trainer said: "Douvan started his fast work this week and we’ll see how he progresses between now and Punchestown but it would be nice if we could get him back there.

"Great Field is back and seems to be in good form in himself so if we can get him to Punchestown we’ll be doing our best to do that."

He added: "Min should be fine after Aintree. That was a very pleasing performance from him last week. Footpad has disappointed us this season and we will monitor him as things just haven’t gone right for him. We’ll keep an eye on his progress but we are happy to let them all take their chance at Punchestown if we can."

Defi has Punchestown aim

Defi Du Seuil produced one of the best performances of the week at Cheltenham when winning the JLT Novices' Chase and, despite being forced to miss Aintree, he could run in the Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown, according to trainer Philip Hobbs.

He said: "Defi Du Seuil is grand and has a couple of options in Ireland. We’ve entered him at Punchestown and he is also in on Easter Sunday [at Fairyhouse].

"He’s in good form and it was very much a help to see Colin Tizzard's horse, Lostintranslation, winning at Aintree last week. I’m happy with him at the moment."

Other races of note include the Herald Champion Novice Hurdle, the opening Grade 1 of the week, which could feature Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Klassical Dream.

The opening Grade 1 on day two is the Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle in which Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle winner Minella Indo tops the field.

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