Punchestown Festival: Day Three Betting Tips

The Punchestown Festival continues on Thursday with another top-class day of action, including the Champion Stayers’ Hurdle.

The bumper eight-race card runs from 15:40 to 19:40 and our expert has assessed the action with selections in each race.

15:40 - Handicap Hurdle

Mark Walsh will have had the pick of the JP Mcmanus runners and he’s opted to ride Nara for trainer Henry de Bromhead but one of the other runners in the green and gold hoops may be worth chancing at likely bigger odds.

Holly is the horse in question. She was only narrowly denied by Brentford Hope, who boosted the form by chasing home a very well-handicapped sort here earlier in the week, and there’s a decent chance this mare will appreciate a return to the quicker ground with three of her five wins coming on good to soft.

She’s looked progressive of late and if she finds any further progress, she may be capable of defying a 3lb rise.

Selection: Holly

16:15 - Handicap Chase

Blood Destiny is the early favourite for this, but he may prefer slower ground than what’s likely, and Saint Roi might be capable of outrunning double-figure odds.

He chased home a promising French recruit for Paul Nicholls when runner-up at Aintree last time, and he’s still feasibly treated here, despite a 2lb rise. Drying ground will suit, and his rider is good value for the 5lb he can claim in this contest.

Selection: Saint Roi

16:50 - La Touche Cup Cross Country Chase

Vital Island won this contest last year and while there are some classy sorts in this year’s renewal, he may be capable of going back-to-back with experience over this course and distance often vital.

The veteran won on similar ground to what he’ll encounter here last year and while he was pulled up last time out, all his better form is on quicker ground than what he had that day.

Selection: Vital Island

17:25 - Novice Chase (Grade 1)

It’s hard to get away from the claims of Gaelic Warrior after his impressive success in the Arkle when last seen at the Cheltenham Festival.

He had shown vulnerabilities in the jumping department prior to that run but was much better, producing a career best in the process and going right-handed should suit him even better here against just three rivals.

He gets the vote of Paul Townend over stablemate Il Etait Temps and Willie Mullins’ stable jockey rarely gets it wrong.

Selection: Gaelic Warrior

18:00 - Champion Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

The feature race of the day sees Teahupoo bid for back-to-back Grade 1s after his Cheltenham Festival success in the British equivalent of this race, but there are doubts about whether this quicker ground will see him in the same light. He’s opposable at odds on, and the one to take him on with could be Sire Du Berlais.

He was unsuited by the slow gallop behind Teahupoo at Cheltenham but he should appreciate these conditions and he’s fresher than some of these having just his third start of the campaign.

Selection: Sire Du Berlais

18:35 - Handicap Hurdle (Listed)

This looks competitive, but the British raider, Kilbeg King, looks capable of giving the visitors another success this week.

He ran a respectable race at Aintree over fences when last seen, and a return to timber from a 6lb lower hurdle mark may help him get his head back in front.

Selection: Kilbeg King

19:05 - Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Listed)

Casa No Mento is another horse trained in Britain that might be capable of springing a surprise.

She was impressive when bolting up at Chepstow last time and would have won by further without a mistake at the last. She’s on an upward curve at present and is entitled to come on for that first run of 2024.

Selection: Casa No Mento

19:40 - INH Flat Race

Willie Mullins has enjoyed an excellent season in bumpers, even by his own high standards, and Port Joulain may be hard to beat in the finale.

He bolted up in a point before winning a bumper in the style of a smart horse at Gowran subsequently. That was on heavy, but there’s hope in his breeding that a quicker surface will suit (half-brother to Horacio Apple’s), and Patrick Mullins has ridden two of the last three winners of this race for his father (Ballyburn and Dysart Dynamo).

Selection: Port Joulain