The racing action heads to County Kildare on Tuesday, with a total of eight races on day one of the Festival, including the prestigious William Hill Champion Chase at the famous Punchestown track.
First off is the Kildare Hunt Club Cross Country Chase at 14.30, followed by the Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Final (15.05), Listed Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle (15.40), Grade 1 PRL Champion Novice Hurdle (16.15), Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase (16.50), Goffs Defender Bumper (17.25), Grade 1 William Hill Champion Chase (18.05) and the Willie Coonan Memorial 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.
Punchestown Festival betting offers & free bets
There’s a whole range of racing to look forward to at Punchestown today, and that means you should sign up to some of the best betting sites now. The sign-up offer from BetMGM is one that always stands out with a strong offering of £40 in free bets from a stake of just £10.
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Punchestown Festival – Day 1 betting tips
2.30 Punchestown – Fountain House
Ian McCarthy knows exactly what it takes to ready a horse for the Punchestown banks, having watched his charge land the Bishopscourt Cup at this meeting last year, so on that basis alone FOUNTAIN HOUSE deserves the utmost respect.
The eight-year-old has proved himself an extremely genuine and reliable sort this season, particularly in the point-to-point sphere, winning his last three consecutive starts to boast a brilliant overall strike rate of nine wins from 14. He also has crucial experience over this unique specialist course, having encouragingly finished second in this exact race back in 2024.
He arrives here seeking a four-timer and clearly relishes these cross-country fences, so he is already a proven operator at this specific test and has to be of major interest to kick off the festival in style.
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3.40 Punchestown – Murcia
Willie Mullins’s MURCIA is a former Grade 1 winner who possesses undeniable class, having landed top-level honours at Aintree last spring, and looks sure to be thereabouts in a typically competitive renewal of the Listed Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle.
Now operating off a mark of 139, this undoubtedly requires a return to her absolute best, but there’s a strong chance the five-year-old mare has been somewhat underestimated by bookmakers around the 6/1 mark, especially with the drying spring ground expected to play heavily to her strengths.
She showed glimpses of her old self when fifth at Fairyhouse at the start of the month, and it looks highly significant that stable jockey Paul Townend has actively chosen to partner her over other well-fancied stablemates today.
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4.50 Punchestown – Oscars Brother
The Connor King-trained OSCARS BROTHER already boasts a perfect record over fences at this track and he looks to have plenty in his favour in the Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase.
The eight-year-old has been the ultimate fairytale story for his two-horse yard this season, running some mighty races in staying company. He secured a dominant win in the Grade 2 Florida Pearl Novice Chase here at Punchestown in November—a victory that prompted legendary owner JP McManus to purchase him—and followed it up with another commanding Grade 2 strike at Navan in February.
He arrives here having unseated his rider in the Grand National at Aintree just over a fortnight ago, but that marathon test was perhaps too much of an examination at this stage of his career. Dropping back down to three miles in novice company and returning to a course he clearly relishes, he has to be of major interest with the trainer’s brother, Daniel King, maintaining his ever-present partnership in the saddle.
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