Marine Nationale set to start Punchestown countdown Barry Connell is optimistic it will be “all systems go” for the Punchestown Festival with Marine Nationale, who is due to recommence training on Monday. The dual Cheltenham Festival winner was ruled out of the defence of his Champion Chase crown with a setback, but is being lined up to return to the Punchestown equivalent he won so impressively last year. “He’s very bright and the plan is to start riding him out on Monday and it’s all systems go for Punchestown,” said Connell. “It was nothing serious, it was just the timing of it, three weeks earlier he would have been fine for Cheltenham, it was just one of those things. “He’s good again and will be back to defend his crown.” On course to join Marine Nationale at the popular festival is last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle runner-up William Munny, who has also had his fare share of injury woes, yet to be seen so far this season. “We’re hoping we’ll have William Munny there as well, he’s been on the gallops about a month now and we’re aiming him for the Punchestown Champion Hurdle.,” continued Connell. “He just tore muscles in his hind-quarters and he was so lame we thought it was something structural which it wasn’t. “It knocked him out for most of the season which is unfortunate because both the Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase cut up seriously and if we had a bit of luck we could have been there with leading contenders for both races.”
