Punchestown Festival Day 1 Tips

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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:

Punchestown Festival Day One Betting Tips

Here’s our Punchestown Day 1 Tips:

Punchestown Mares Novice Hurdle (Listed)

The first race of the Punchestown Festival takes place at 3:40 pm and is the Punchestown Mares Novice Hurdle (Listed) race.

  • To win – Nikini
  • EW – The Model Kingdom

Willie and Patrick Mullins team up with  NIKINI and although you may have to forgive the latest Cheltenham performance she looked a good prospect previous to that and is taken to regain the winning thread here.

Bective Stud Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) Tips

The second race of the Festival takes place at 4:15 pm and is the Bective Stud Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) race.

  • To win – Facile Vega
  • EW- 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 3 in the market but it could be the Gordon Elliott trained Found A Fifty who could give the selection most to think about.

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.

  • To win – Glan
  • Each bet – Brazil

A very open looking handicap with many in with chances. A chance is taken on GLAN for Gordon Elliott and L Dempsey. They will have to overcome a long absence to land this but the horse has performed well when fresh in the past.

Champion Chase (Grade 1) Tips

The 4th race takes place at 5:25 pm and is the Champion Chase (Grade 1) race.

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.

  • Our Punchestown Champion Chase tip is Energumene to win.
  • Our each-way bet is 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 5th race takes place at 6:00 pm and is the Goffs Land Rover Bumper race.

  • To win – Speculatrix
  • Alternative – Farland

A very difficult bumper race to predict with many horses making their belated debuts. A chance is taken on the course and distance winner SPECULATRIX to remain unbeaten and make it 2 from 2.

Champion Novice Chase (Grade 1) Tips

The 6th race takes place at 6:35 pm and is the Champion Novice Chase (Grade 1) race.

  • To win – Sir Gerhard
  • Each win – Classic Getaway

Journey With Me is sure to have plenty of admirers for Henry De Bromhead and Racheal Blackmore but SIR GERHARD is the option to land the spoils here. Although not appearing to stay the trip at Cheltenham a return to an easier track should play to his strengths.

Cross Country Chase Tips

The 7th race takes place at 7:10 pm and is the Cross Country Chase race.

  • To win – Vital Island
  • Main danger – War Call

VITAL ISLAND is a confident selection to make it back-to-back wins in this event and is well clear of his rivals on the RPR figures.

Punchestown Flat Race Tips

The 8th and final race takes place at 7:45 pm and is the Punchestown flat race.

  • To win – Dollar Nolimit
  • Each-way – Tom Pepper

DOLLAR NOLIMIT is obviously held in high regard having held a grade 1 entry for Wednesday and it seems a much safer option to take his chance in this sphere against apparent lesser rivals.

Betting at Punchestown on Day 1

If you are looking to bet on Punchestown Day check out these great betting sites:

  • bet365 Punchestown Offer

    bet365 logo
    BET £10 GET £30
    bet365 is a market leading sportsbook bookmaker with amazing offers on the 5 day Punchestown Festival in Ireland.

    Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. #AD Registration required.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Betfred Punchestown Offer

    betfred logo
    BET £10 GET £40 IN FREE BETS
    Betfred have an amazing sign up offer for Punchestown Festival punters who are betting on the 5 day Irish event.

    New 18+ UK customers only. Register using the promo code WELCOME40, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £30 in Free Bets and £10 in Free Spins (50x20p) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Free Bet stakes are not included in any returns. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required. #AD Full T&Cs apply.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • BetVictor Punchestown Offer

    betvictor logo
    GET £40 IN FREE BETS
    BetVictor is a very popular bookmaker providing many offers and deals during the Punchestown Festival, home of the National Hunt.

    18+ New Customers only. Opt in, bet £20 on Horse Racing, 1/1+ odds in 7 days, no cash out. Get £40 in Free Bets on set markets valid 7 days. Debit Card / Apple Pay payments only. begambleaware.org | Please Gamble Responsibly.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Betfair Punchestown Offer

    betfair logo
    BET £10 GET £30
    The world’s biggest online betting exchange is offering specials for the Punchestown Festival with competitive welcome offers for the races in Ireland.

    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. #AD Please Gamble Responsibly.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • BetUK Punchestown Offer

    betuk logo
    BET £10 GET £30 IN FREE BETS
    BetUK is providing new customers with excellent offers on the five-day Punchestown festival in what is expected to be a corker in Irish racing!

    New customers, Deposit & Place a Bet within 7 days, and settle a £10 minimum bet at odds of 4/5 (1.8) or greater, to be credited with 3x £10 free bets: 1 x £10 Horse racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder and 1 x £10 Football. #AD Stake not returned.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • BoyleSports Punchestown Offer

    boylesports logo
    BET 10 GET 20 IN FREE BETS
    The BoyleSports Punchestown Festival betting offers £30 free bets to new customers for upcoming meeting in Ireland.

    New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. #AD T&Cs apply.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Coral Punchestown Offer

    coral logo
    GET £20 IN FREE BETS
    Take advantage of Coral’s Punchestown betting offer where racegoers will be treated to five fabulous days of quality National Hunt racing.

    18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 1x £20 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. #AD Restrictions apply.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Ladbrokes Punchestown Offer

    ladbrokes logo
    BET 5 GET 20 IN FREE BETS
    Claim competitive free bets and Punchestown offers with leading bookmaker Ladbrokes and gets one step ahead at the upcoming Festival.

    18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £/€5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x £/€5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. #AD Restrictions apply.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • LiveScoreBet Punchestown Offer

    livescorebet logo
    BET £10 GET £20 IN FREE BETS
    The Livescore bet 10 get 20 in free bets bonus is a great betting promotion for Punchestown punters with a qualifying bet for the Irish Festival.

    New members. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook, placed & settled at 1.5 min odds within 14 days of sign-up. Win part of E/W bets. 2 non-withdrawable £10 Free Bet Tokens: accept in 7 days, valid for 7 days from crediting (ex. E/Ws & Multiples), stakes not returned. **UK and Irish horse racing win/each-way bets placed after 9am on race day. Max enhancement £50k/day. Bet Responsibly. #AD BeGambleAware.org. 18+.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • SkyBet Punchestown Offer

    skybet logo
    BET £5 GET £30 IN FREE BETS
    Sky Bet Punchestown offers are available for new and existing customers at the Punchestown Festival this year.

    NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. FIRST SINGLE & E/W BET ONLY. 5P MINIMUM STAKE. 3 X £10 BET TOKENS. FREE BET STAKES NOT INCLUDED IN RETURNS. FREE BETS EXCLUDE VIRTUALS. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. NO FREE BET EXPIRY. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER T&CS APPLY. 18+. #AD BEGAMBLEAWARE.ORG

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Unibet Punchestown Offer

    unibet logo
    GET £30 FREE BETS + £10 CASINO
    If you are looking to earn some extra winnings from the National Hunt races at Punchestown, Unibet have some fantastic offers.

    18+ begambleaware.org. New customers only. Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus if first racing bet loses. Wagering: sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), casino 50x. Sports bonus must be wagered before using the casino bonus. #AD Bonus expires 7 days after opt-in.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Virgin Bet Punchestown Offer

    virginbet logo
    BET £10 GET £20 FREE BETS
    If you are a new Member of Virgin Bet, you will be eligible for a free bet offer for the 5 day Punchestown Festival.

    *New members. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook, placed & settled at 1.5 min odds within 14 days of sign-up. Win part of E/W bets. 2 non-withdrawable £10 Free Bet Tokens: accept in 7 days, valid for 7 days from acceptance (ex. E/Ws & Multiples), stakes not returned. Bet Responsibly. #AD BeGambleAware.org. 18+.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Paddy Power Punchestown Offer

    paddypower logo
    £20 Money Back Free Bet
    Get the best Paddy Power Punchestown free bets and betting offers available for new customers for the home of the National Hunt.

    The Paddy Power free bet sign-up offer for new customers allows you to place a £20 bet and get the money back in cash if it loses. #AD

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Parimatch Punchestown Offer

    parimatch logo
    BET £10 GET £30
    Parimatch is offering new customers exciting free bet bonuses for the highly anticipated five-day Punchestown Festival.

    18+ New Customers Only. Opt-in, bet on Horse Racing within 7 days of registration. Get your stake refunded up to £30 in Free Bets for set markets if your bet loses (odds 3.00+). Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments only. Offer valid from 16:00 UK time 04/08/2023. begambleaware.org | #AD Please Gamble Responsibly

    Full T&C's Apply

  • William Hill Punchestown Offer

    williamhill logo
    BET £10 GET £30 IN FREE BETS
    William Hill will offer free bet promotion for new customers at all 28 races at the Punchestown Festival.

    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. #AD

    Full T&C's Apply

Summary of Punchestown Day 1 Tips

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 April 2024 and start as you mean to go on.

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