The Punchestown Festival has been providing us with some fantastic racing all week, but I'm particularly looking forward to Friday’s Grade 1 ACC Bank Champion Hurdle, which gives SUBLIMITY the chance to silence his doubters and prove that his Champion Hurdle win last season was no flash in the pan. I believe he can.

In hindsight, John Carr’s horse put up a great effort in defence of his Champion Hurdle crown, eventually coming home fourth behind Katchit, beaten some seven lengths. Heavy rain prior to, and on the day of the race, appeared to turn the ground much worse than the official ‘good to soft’ and he struggled close home because of it. What’s more, with all the training skill in the world, it would have been very difficult to have a big horse like Sublimity at his peak for a championship race on the back of one run in 12 months, so he will have come on for that run. His trainer certainly thinks so, saying last week:

"He breezed over five furlongs twice and everything went well. It should have left him right for Punchestown on Friday. He’s ready and I’m happy with him."

At the start of the week, ground conditions were again looking like being an issue, but my man at the track reports that the track is "drying out" after the forecast rain stayed away, which will be perfect for the selection. On a sounder surface, his superior flat speed (he won two Listed races) will be a potent weapon and I’m confident he can restore his reputation by beating his six rivals, which include the hard-to-win-with Harchibald and Nicky Henderson's Punjabi, who finished one place ahead of him at Cheltenham, but was ridden for a place.

Staying with the Champion Hurdle, and I see that Noel Meade’s JERED is trading at 14/1 (bet365, Paddy Power) for next year’s renewal after romping home in the Champion Novices’ Hurdle on Tuesday. The six-year-old is getting better with every run and, if going the same route as his stablemate Harchibald (Fighting Fifth, Christmas Hurdle, Champion Hurdle), he could be value at half those odds. The Newcastle race is going to be typically uncompetitive, so it’s not impossible to see him going to Cheltenham unbeaten, in which case he could even go off favourite. Punters should help themselves to the 14’s as he is a great trading tool at that price.

Recommended Bets:

Punchestown Friday: Sublimity 5pts @ best morning-line price
2009 Champion Hurdle - Jered 3pts @ 14/1 bet365, Paddy Power