Dunguib to take on Quevega in Ladbrokes.com World Series Hurdle
Published:He may have won eight of his 13 career starts in rules races but Dunguib is the horse that has never lived up to his billing.
A 10 length victory in the 2009 Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival left everyone talking about Dunguib, but with just one win in his last four starts, the Philip Fenton-trained eight-year-old has gone off the boil.
Entered for two races at the Punchestown Festival, connections of Dunguib have decided to aim for the Ladbrokes.com World Series Hurdle and the eight-year-old is a 10/1 chance to register his third victory in six runnings at Punchestown.
Three-time Cheltenham Festival winner Quevega stands between Dunguib and a return to winning ways and the seven-year-old mare is 8/11 to make it four wins on the spin in Thursday’s feature race.
Quevega has won 10 of her 17 starts in rules races and after making it a hat-trick of Cheltenham Festival wins, has gone down in many people’s history books as one of the greatest Cheltenham horses.
The Willie Mullins mare will defend the World Series Hurdle title she won last year by three lengths from Bensalem, and as odds-on to win, will take all the beating.
Dunguib’s best form has come on the Irish racecourses and a return to home soil will prove beneficial to the eight-year-old, and trainer Philip Fenton believes the step-up to three miles will be no problem.
“We’re very happy with him and hopefully the step up to three miles will suit,” said Fenton.
“He’s long enough campaigned over hurdles and I’m sure he will be going over fences next season.”
It seems this is Dunguib’s last chance to repay the faith shown in him by punters over the years before he goes chasing and at 10/1, Dunguib could prove the great each-way value of the race.
A £10 stake on Dunguib winning the World Series Hurdle would return £110. Sign up here to take advantage of a free Punchestown Festival bet worth up to £30.
