The centre piece of the 5 day Punchestown Festival in Ireland is the Guinness Gold Cup which will be run over 3 miles 1 furlong this evening at 18.05 pm. It looks a fairly open race with Notre Pere (pictured) the likely favourite. He will definitely stay the distance in the rain softened going as will Snowy Morning who ran a really good race in the Aintree Grand National. His trainer, Willie Mullins, stated before the National that “Snowy Morning had been alloted too much weight, but the run should put him spot on for Punchestown”. Snowy Morning ran second to Neptune Collonges in this race last year after finishing third in the 2008 Aintree Grand National. David Casey who seems to get on well with him takes the ride. Air Force One is the only course and distance winner in the field but he has been rather disappointing since his fine run against Madison Du Berlais in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury last November. Notre Pere should win but at the odds Snowy Morning makes more appeal as an each way bet.