Wednesday Review

The unbeaten Calyx hadn't been seen since winning the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer. Returning from an absence of 316 days in the Group 3 Pavilion Stakes over the same course and distance, the Kingman colt produced another blistering display beating his six opponents by upwards of four lengths. His connections had toyed with the idea of running him in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday but elected to keep him over sprint trips and the decision was vindicated with a very smart performance. John Gosden suggested afterwards that the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at the Royal meeting will be next. Not surprisingly, he is now a short price ante-post favourite for the six furlongs event.

Kemboy provided Willie Mullins with his third Grade 1 win of the Punchestown Festival on day two when getting the better of stablemate and Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo in the Punchestown Gold Cup. The pair produced a thrilling spectacle over the final three fences with Ruby Walsh's mount emerging on top by two lengths with twenty two lengths back to the third The Storyteller. The seven year old missed the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury earlier in the season due to travel problems and he unseated his rider at the first at Cheltenham. Otherwise, he has enjoyed a faultless campaign.

One Jump Ahead was also amongst the winners on the second day of the meeting. Elimay (5/2) is featured in the French Revolution section and the daughter of Montmartre finished sixth in the mares' hurdle at Cheltenham last month. The diminutive grey ran her rivals ragged in the two and a half miles hurdle under Mark Walsh winning by seventeen lengths. Bought for €310,000, it will be interesting to see whether she will stay over timber next term because she isn't the biggest.

Minella Indo (5/1) completed the Cheltenham/Punchestown double by outstaying his rivals in the Grade 1 novice hurdle for Henry De Bromhead. The ex-pointer had won the Albert Bartlett NH at Cheltenham and he stayed on powerfully here to beat old rival Allaho by a couple of lengths. Featured in Declan Phelan's Irish Pointers in OJA, he is a terrific prospect for chasing next winter. Carefully Selected ran a blinder in third considering it was only his second run over hurdles.