The racing action continues in County Kildare today, with a total of eight races on day two of the Festival, including the prestigious Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup at the famous Punchestown track.
First off is the Adare Manor Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle at 14.30, followed by the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series Final (15.05), Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle (15.40), Grade 1 Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle (16.15), Grade 1 Race And Stay At Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race (16.50), Grade 3 Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Steeplechase (17.25), Grade 1 Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup (18.05) and the Weatherbys GSB Irish EBF Mares Flat Race (18.35).
Get ahead of the game with our betting tips for the races, as well as the best new customer offers available from UK betting sites.
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Punchestown Festival – Day 2 betting tips
2.30 Punchestown – Aguellid
Owner JP McManus knows exactly what it takes to ready a horse for this Punchestown contest, having watched his charge Thanksforthehelp land this exact race last year, so on that basis alone AGUELLID deserves the utmost respect.
The five-year-old has proved himself an extremely genuine and progressive sort this season, particularly since switching to the Philip Hobbs and Johnson White yard, culminating in a career-best victory in an 18-runner maiden hurdle at Wincanton in February. He also boasts highly encouraging consistency over the smaller obstacles, having finished a close second on both of his previous starts at Wincanton and Hereford earlier in the winter.
He arrives here making his highly anticipated handicap debut and clearly possesses plenty of unexposed potential, so he could be very well treated off his opening mark and has to be of major interest to kick off day two of the festival in style.
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3.40 Punchestown – Bunting
Tony Bloom’s BUNTING is a classy dual-purpose performer who possesses a wealth of back-class, having run a brilliant race to finish third in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket last autumn, and looks primed for a huge run in a trappy renewal of the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle.
Now dropping down in grade after contesting fiercely competitive premier handicaps at Leopardstown and the Cheltenham Festival over the winter, this marks a highly significant easing in class for the Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old. Operating off a mark of 134, there is every chance he has been somewhat overlooked by punters at around the 7/2 mark, especially with the drying spring ground expected to suit his profile perfectly.
He shaped with plenty of promise when fourth in a hot Leopardstown handicap over Christmas, and while stable jockey Paul Townend has opted to ride the unexposed Soir De Garde today, securing the tactical brilliance of Danny Mullins in the saddle is a massive positive for a horse more than capable of bouncing back to winning ways on day two of the festival.
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4.50 Punchestown – Boycetown
The Gavin Cromwell-trained BOYCETOWN already boasts crucial experience at this track, and he looks to have plenty in his favour in the Grade 1 Race And Stay At Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race.
The five-year-old grey gelding has been a highly progressive force in the bumper sphere this season. Having shown early promise with a solid second-place finish here at Punchestown in November, he really came into his own at Down Royal over Christmas, securing a dominant 18-length victory that marked him out as a horse with serious potential.
Stepping up to the highest level, he continued to run exceptionally well in elite company this spring, achieving a career-best performance when an excellent fourth behind The Mourne Rambler in the Grade 1 Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival last month. Sent off at 22/1, he stayed on manfully up the hill and notably clocked the fastest final furlong of the entire field.
He arrives here aiming to bridge the three-length gap with his Cheltenham conqueror, but the drying ground and a return to a familiar track should suit the son of Capri perfectly. With legendary amateur jockey Derek O’Connor booked to take over the ride, he has to be of major interest at a very backable each-way price on day two of the festival.
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