BE HOPEFUL & JUST FOR A LAUGH HA-HA-HA!

Though most people do not care a jot about the names given to racehorses, it is a subject that I believe that should be subject to debate. Firstly, great horses usually have sound names, not funny or disrespectful names. Frankel, Brigadier Gerard, Dancing Brave, Grundy, to name but four. Away from that division of naming, what makes my blood boil is the replication or reuse of great but not classic winners of the past. At present, John Gosden has a leading Derby hope by the name of Morris Dancer. A horse of this name is indelibly linked to Paul Mellon and Ian Balding, a great old handicapper who won - guessing here - over 20-races and gave a lot of young jockeys their first winner. This is one name that should have been allowed to die with the original Morris Dancer. Today, David Menuisier introduces a horse to the racecourse by the name of Be Hopeful. A horse of this name was trained by Peter Walwyn and like Morris Dancer was a grand old handicapper that raced into his teens, winning as many races as Morris Dancer and launched Walwyn on his way to becoming a Derby winner trainer and helped many a young jockey on their way. Again, this is another name that should have been allowed to die with the original Be Hopeful. Both Morris Dancer and Be Hopeful could be translated into another language. It is not as if there is not enough languages in the world that could be used for naming purposes. Horses, obviously, do not know the name humans give to them, as we do not know if horses give each other names. It would be, though, a small mark of respect to their memory for what in life they gave to the humans around them, as well as the greater public, to allow, when it is merited, for their names to remain in racing history solely attached to them.

It may be sacrilegious to suggest it but Punchestown is slowly becoming a better quality fixture than the Cheltenham Festival without losing one iota of its quirkiness. For instance, the most acclaimed meeting in the Irish racing calendar begins with the Ladies Cup, a 3-mile race over the Punchestown banks. This race is worth only 11,000 Euros to the winner and provides Gordon Elliott with his best chance of training a winner all week with Willitgoahead. Fountain House, a 7-times point-to-point winner, is his only danger.

The 2nd race on the card is the best chance for a British-trained winner of the week with 9-runners. My tip for this is the Faye Bramley trained Almuhit, ridden by Harry Cobden.

The 3-40, outside of the bumper races, is, in my opinion, the best opportunity of seeing a female rider in the winners' enclosure with the Willie Mullins trained, Anna McGuiness-ridden, Karbau.

The 4-15 is the first true Elliott versus Mullins clash in which I fancy the Noel Meade trained Blake. Since the December meeting at Leopardstow, I have been convinced there is a big race in Blake and this is the last chance saloon for him as far as I am concerned.

The 4-50 is another Elliott versus Mullins clash and on this occasion my fancy goes to Oscar's Brother who was ejected from the Aintree National at the Chair but before that looked a rising star. This is his chance to twinkle on a big heaven-like stage.

If you back the winne of the 5-25, the first of the many bumpers at the Festival, you either are in the know or you were born under a lucky Milky Way. I will chance my arm with the current second favourite, a half-brother to Santini, the Gavin Cromwell trained Bacharach, named after, I guess, one of the great American composers of modern song and racehorse owner.

The 6-05 is a humdinger of a Mullins wealth-fest, with only Marine Nationale standing in the way of Willie Mullins finishing the day at the top of the leader board. Even if Marine Nationale wins, Mullins will pocket on behalf of his owners over 100,000 Euros if all his four runners complete. Personally, I think Majborough will redeem himself.

What I said about the 5-25 applies to the 6-35. Black Corton won 14-races, today his half-brother Mr. Ragstone takes his first baby steps on his racing career. Patrick Mullins rarely gets on the wrong one but here, with crossed fingers, I suggest will be one of those rare days, with Jodie Townsend on the Closutton second string.

Now you know what will not be winning, your chances of a winner or two at Punchestown are many-fold improved. No need to thank me, the pleasure is all mine.