To corrupt the classic "Summertime" tune, it's very much a case of Punchestown and the going is heavy. In fact to judge from yesterday, lets brutalise the song even more and say that the horses are barely jumping and the fences appear very high indeed!
All of which might be fanciful but in terms of finding winners today, the ground must play a major part in everybody's calculations. In the circumstances then, hardiness should become almost as important as class and in the context of the Stanley Cooker Champion Novices Hurdle, Archive Footage looks the have the perfect combination.
That may not have been the context which the Moyglare Stud Farm had in mind when breeding him. Being by Sadlers Wells out of an Irish 1,000 Guineas winner, Archive Footage was born to win a classic but has matured into the sort of tough dual purpose horse that his patrician breeding may not suggest.
The Dermot Weld-trained gelding has proved that by winning his last two handicaps on the flat, admittedly the last one was in the Cork stewards room, and before that went to Cheltenham as a leading contender for the Supreme Novices Hurdle.
Prominent at the top of the hill, Archive Footage faded to fifth, significantly with today's opponent Oonagh's Star four lengths in front of him. However, a major worry that the early pace would find Richard Dunwoody scrubbing Archive Footage along early was unfounded.
That worry had come from Fairyhouse in February where Dunwoody was hard at work after the second but the horse still plugged on to win, beating Oonagh's Star by eight lengths on that occasion. Today's half mile extra on this ground means the race is more likely to turn into that kind of slog than the freewheel around Cheltenham and Archive Footage is preferred to Oonagh's Star.
Charlie Swan has deserted the Liverpool winner Promalee for Oonagh's Star and bigger dangers could be a peak form Foxchapel King and the impressive mare Generosa. Archive Footage though is the selection.
All eyes will be on the possible future Gold Cup contender Boss Doyle in the £60,000 Heineken Gold Cup and although Tony McCoy's mount has to shoulder 12st, the limited handicap means that only three of the opposition are handicapped properly against him.
None of those three make particular appeal as a betting proposition but Boss Doyle is not a particularly big horse to carry topweight in these conditions and had a hard time winning at Aintree last month. Boss Doyle could make those doubts seem laughable considering this season's novice crop look exceptional but it may not be advisable to take too short a price.
Eton Gale is 8 lb out of the handicap but ran very well to three out in the Irish National until fading. This shorter trip should suit better and out of the handicap or not, the 21 lb he receives from Boss Doyle is a significant concession and makes him look a value alternative.
The Doncaster Bloodstock Bumper looks a cracking contest and although it may counter the previous argument about giving weight away on the ground, To Your Honour is the choice. Francis Flood looked a potential star with give in the ground earlier in the season and in the circumstances did well to finish fifth at Cheltenham behind Alexander Banquet. To Your Honour is one that should appreciate this surface and can beat Siberian Gale and Colonel Yaeger.
The jackpot, guaranteed for £40,000, will take a lot of winning with some difficult handicaps to sort out. Tryfirion was a fancied outsider in the Irish National only to be brought down at the first and has his chance in the Barrett Bloodstock Handicap Chase.
