While the UK jumps season may be over, horse racing enthusiasts have one more iconic jumps meeting to look forward to: the Punchestown Festival, a five-day festival of top-class horse racing in Ireland held in April.
The first day of the festival always draws a crowd of famous horses, jockeys, and trainers who have often already competed at either the Cheltenham Festival or the Aintree Grand National Festival.
It is an opportunity for the elite to make one final appearance before the curtain comes down on the Irish jumps racing season.
Tuesday’s card features three Grade One races, including the William Hill-sponsored Punchestown Champion Chase over two miles.
Here are our top tips for day one of the Punchestown Festival:
Punchestown Festival Day One Betting Tips
Here are our betting Tips for the first day at Punchestown:
| Meeting | Time | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Punchestown (IRE) | 15:40 | Night And Day |
| Punchestown (IRE) | 16:15 | Facile Vega |
| Punchestown (IRE) | 16:50 | Telecon |
| Punchestown (IRE) | 17:25 | Energumene |
| Punchestown (IRE) | 18:00 | Predators Gold |
| Punchestown (IRE) | 18:35 | Journey With Me |
| Punchestown (IRE) | 19:10 | Jet Fighter |
| Punchestown (IRE) | 19:45 | Ninth Loch |
Our list of selections above provides one betting tip in each race for Tuesday racing at Punchestown races.
The expert tips have been taken from Punchestown Day 1 tipsters at British Racecourses.
Punchestown Mares Novice Hurdle (Listed)
The first race of the Punchestown Festival is the Punchestown Mares Novice Hurdle (Listed) race, which starts at 3:40 pm.
To Win – Nikini
Each Way – The Model Kingdom
Willie and Patrick Mullins team up with Nikini. Although her latest performance at Cheltenham may need to be forgiven, she looked like a good prospect before that and is expected to regain the winning thread here.
Bective Stud Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) Tips
The second race of the Festival is the Bective Stud Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) race, starting at 4:15 pm.
To Win – Facile Vega
Each Way – Found A Fifty
All eyes will be on the Paul Townsend mount Facile Vega to land this Grade 1 champion novice hurdle. Willie Mullins saddles the first three horses in the market, but the Gordon Elliott-trained Found A Fifty could give the selection the most to think about.
Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) Tips
The third race of the day is the Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) race, starting at 4:50 pm.
To Win – Glan
Each Way – Brazil
This is a very open-looking handicap, with many horses in with a chance. We take a chance on Glan for Gordon Elliott and L Dempsey. They will have to overcome a long absence to win, but the horse has performed well when fresh in the past.
Champion Chase (Grade 1) Tips
The fourth race of the day is the Champion Chase (Grade 1) race, starting at 5:25 pm.
The Punchestown Champion Chase horse racing event is the equivalent of the Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase in Ireland and is always a quality affair.
To Win – Energumene
Each Way – Blue Lord
Energumene is a confident selection to show why he is the champion and why he is held in such high regard by Mullins.
Goffs Land Rover Bumper Tips
The fifth race of the day is the Goffs Land Rover Bumper race, starting at 6:00 pm.
To Win – Speculatrix
Each Way – Farland
This is a very difficult bumper race to predict, with many horses making their belated debuts. We take a chance on the course and distance winner Speculatrix to remain unbeaten and make it 2 from 2.
Champion Novice Chase (Grade 1) Tips
The sixth race of the day is the Champion Novice Chase (Grade 1) race, starting at 6:35 pm.
To Win – Sir Gerhard
Each Way – Classic Getaway
Journey With Me is expected to attract a lot of attention with Henry De Bromhead and Racheal Blackmore in the saddle. However, SIR GERHARD is the prime choice to win this race. Although he struggled to stay the distance at Cheltenham, returning to an easier track should favor his strengths.
Cross Country Chase Predictions
Race 7, set for 7:10 pm, is the Cross Country Chase.
Top Pick – Vital Island
Main Challenger – War Call
VITAL ISLAND is a confident selection to secure back-to-back wins in this race and outclasses his opponents in the RPR figures.
Punchestown Flat Race Predictions
The 8th and final race, scheduled for 7:45 pm, is the Punchestown flat race.
Top Pick – Dollar Nolimit
Each-way Bet – Tom Pepper
DOLLAR NOLIMIT is undoubtedly a promising contender, as evidenced by his Grade 1 entry for Wednesday. It appears to be a safer bet for him to compete in this arena against comparatively weaker rivals.
Punchestown Festival Free Bets
Summary
Our team has carefully analysed the Punchestown race card for the opening day to provide the most reliable tips for Punchestown races.
We trust that you enjoyed our free predictions for today’s Punchestown races and wish you good luck with any bets you place.
