While the UK jumps season may be done and dusted, horse racing fans look forward to one more iconic jumps meeting with the superb Punchestown Festival, a five day festival of top-class horse racing in Ireland in April.
The first day of the Festival is always packed with famous horses, jockeys and trainers who have often already competed at one – or both – of the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree Grand National Festivals.
It is a chance for the elite to turn out for a final time before the curtain comes down on the Irish jumps racing season.
There are three Grade One races on Tuesday’s card, including the William Hill-sponsored Punchestown Champion Chase over two miles. We’ve gone through thee eight races to pick our top Punchestown Festival day 1 tips:
The first race of the Punchestown Festival takes place at 3:40 pm and is the Punchestown Mares Novice Hurdle (Listed) race.
Willie Mullins has the favourite, in the shape of Dinoblue. However, we fancy Party Central trained by Gordon Elliot to strike.
Slightly disappointing at Cheltenham we expect Party Central to bounce back on home soil. We also think that Willie Mullins’ second string, Grangee, will run a big chance and we fancy her to chase the selection home.
To win – Party Central 11-4.
EW – Grangee at 7/2.
Expect Party Central to get the party started at Punchestown under Davy Russell. Winner of 5 of her 9 races, she’s a tough mare who knows how to win.
The second race of the Festival takes place at 4:15 pm and is the Bective Stud Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) race.
The top 2 in the market, Sir Gerhard and Desert Dynamo have scared most of the opposition away. Sir Gerhard has roared back to form in the recent months and was a great winner of the Baring Hurdle at Cheltenham. Desert Dynamo was still full of running when falling there in the Supreme Novices and losing his unbeaten record.
It is difficult to split the two but Sir Gerard seems a spring horse and we fancy his class to come to the fore.
To win – Sir Gerhard 8/13
An intriguing clash of two great horses, we think Sir Gerard’s confidence will be high and he’ll have too much pace for Desert Dynamo. Flooring Potter won’t be far behind.
Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) Tips
The third race takes place at 4:50 pm and is the Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) race.
A tricky handicap hurdle, with a large field is always difficult to be confident about. However, most of these look pretty exposed and we fancy Ardla under a light weight to go in. Mike Halford is a shrewd trainer and the horse has been freshened up. At much bigger odds Clifton Warrior could do well for Henry De Bromhead.
To win – Ardla – 5/1
Eash bet – Clifton Warrior 16-1
A trappy handicap, you’ll need luck in winning but we fancy Ardla may have more up his sleeve and win. Mike O’Connor claims a valuable 5lbs on Clifton Warrior which could see him grab a place.
Champion Chase (Grade 1) Tips
The 4th race takes place at 5:25 pm and is the Champion Chase (Grade 1) race.
The big question horse racing tipsters are asking is “Can Energumene back up his victory at Cheltenham or can track specialist Chacun Pour Soi reverse the places?”. We think Energumeme will strike.
Only 5 horses have stood their ground and we expect Chacun Pour Soi to go hard from the front but tee it up for the current Champion Chaser.
Our Punchestown Champion Chase tip is Energumene to win – 8/11
Only a 5 horse race and realistically only a 2 horse race on ratings. 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 5th race takes place at 6:00 pm and is the Goffs Land Rover Bumper race.
A really tricky race with 16 unraced horses we have gone for Caldwell Potter who is in excellent hands with Gordon Elliott and riden by the superb Jamie Codd. Rocco Bay has been receiving good reports from the Mullins yard as the big trainers are set to go head to head again.
To win – Caldwell Potter 7/2
Alternative – Rocco Bay 7/2
With no form to go it’s tricky but Caldwell Potter and Rocco Bay are expected to fight it out. Much is taken on trust and reputation. Caldwell Potter is a tentative selection.
Champion Novice Chase (Grade 1) Tips
The 6th race takes place at 6:35 pm and is the Champion Novice Chase (Grade 1) race.
Many considered Bob Oblinger a fortunate winner at the Cheltenham Festival when seemingly held in second. That said, the name of the game is jumping and he took his record to 7 wins out of 8 runs. This is easier than his Cheltenham assignment and we expect him to come out on top and cap a superb season in style. The others have too much to do.
To win – Bob Oblinger 6/5
Each win – Fury Road 15/2
Bob Oblinger should cap a fine season and maintain his unbeaten chasing record.
Cross Country Chase Tips
The 7th race takes place at 7:10 pm and is the Cross Country Chase race.
A unique race, where fences, hurdles and banks are jumped we fancy the up and coming Goodbye Sam to win. De Nordener is trained by the superb Edna Bolger who often dominates this races and is difficult to pass over.
To win – Goodbye Sam 4/5
Main danger – De Nordener 7/2
Goodbye Sam may have a touch of class about him and is expected to come out on top. De Nordener will be will primed to pick up the pieces in the favourite fails to live up to expectations.
Punchestown Flat Race Tips
The 8th and final race takes place at 7:45 pm and is the Punchestown flat race.
The last is a tricky one, with all the favoured runners never having ran yet. Firm Footings looks to have be laid out for this by Gordon Elliott and is a tentative vote.
To win – Firm Footings 4/1
Each-way – Summer Gale 12/1
The final race is tricky, we expect Firm Footing to come out on top hailing from a stable strong in bumpers and NH flat races.
Betting at Punchestown on Day 1
If you are looking to bet on Punchestown Day check out these great betting sites:
The Coral Punchestown betting offers centre around the welcome bonus when you sign up. There are excellent free bets and betting offers available.
18+ Eligible UK+IRE players. Paypal & some deposit & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + T&Cs apply.
888sport is always very reliable for best odds guaranteed offers and has loads of Punchestown free bet offers this year.
New customers only – Minimum deposit of £10 using deposit code 30F – A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 placed on any sports market – Minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5) – Free bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days – Free bet stakes not included in returns – Deposit method and withdrawal restrictions apply.
Betfred will be providing an array of betting offers for Punchestown such as free bets and non runner no bet money back.
New UK customers only. Register using the promo code BETFRED60, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £20 in Free Bets to be used on Sports, £10 in Free Bets to be used on Lotto and 50 Free Spins (20p per spin) credited within 48 hours of bet settlement. Further £20 in Free Bets credited 5 days after settlement. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required.
There will be many Punchestown free bets and betting offers available at Ladbrokes who are known for their dedication to horse racing since forming in 1902!
18+ New UK+IRE customers. Paypal and certain deposit types and bet types excluded. Min £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply.
Plenty of amazing welcome offer bet credits available from William Hill who sponsor the 17:25 WILLIAM HILL CHAMPION CHASE at Punchestown on Tuesday 26 April 2022.
New customers using Promo code H30 only, Min £10/€10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 2 x £15/€15, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions apply.
If you are looking to earn some extra winnings from the big races at Punchestown, Unibet have some delightful offers for both new and existing customers.
BetVictor is one of the top horse racing betting sites that offers plenty of betting offers and free bets at Punchestown Festival.
18+ New customers only. Deposit, opt in and place a £10 qualifying bet on Horse Racing at odds of 2.00 or greater within 7 days of opening a new account; excludes cashed out bets. Receive 3x £10 Horse Racing Free Bets, valid on set events only at odds 2.00 or greater. Plus, a £10 Slot Bonus, selected games, wager 20x to withdraw a max of £250. Bonuses expire in 7 days. Card payments only. T&Cs Apply. Please Gamble Responsibly.
Betfair offers outstanding betting offers for existing and new customers, with free bets, sign up bonuses, price boosts and money back refunds.
New Customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly.
New Paddy Power users should take advantage of the current Punchestown Festival offer, which offers new sign-up customers £60 in free bets when they stake £10 on any race at the top-class meeting.
New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any market at odds of min 2.0 (EVS) and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using cards will qualify for this promotion.
The Punchestown Festival is the most prestigious horse racing event in Ireland’s National Hunt Season, and it takes place over five days, from Tuesday to Saturday.
Many consider it to be the Irish equivalent of the Cheltenham Festival, and it follows a similar format.
Stay ahead of the curve by following our top Punchestown tips for day 1 in March 2023 and start as you mean to go on.
2023 Punchestown Festival Related Articles
If you have enjoyed this Punchestown Festival page, here are some other articles related to Punchestown betting you may also like:
As the Founder of British Racecourses, I have a life-long passion for horse racing and have loved the sport as long as I can remember. I am also a keen racehorse owner and have worked in the gambling industry for several years. I set up British Racecourses with the desire to share my passion for racing with other like-minded people.
A number of excellent free bets and betting offers are available for Punchestown Festival at bet365 when you sign up today!
