Punchestown Tips Day 2

Welcome to our Punchestown Tips for Day 2! This page will be updated with our tips nearer the Festival’s starting date. We will be sure to keep you informed! Tips will be available for all of the second day’s races including the Grade One Novice Hurdle, the Punchestown Gold Cup and the Champion INH Flat race. For the time being set your eyes on our previews and review of the 2014 renewal of the Punchestown Festival! All you need for Day 2 in one place.

Overview

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3.40 Handicap Hurdle Series Final – Eight Til Late 14/1 EW at PaddyPower 

4.20 Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle – Identity Thief at 5/2 with Bet365 

4.55 Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle – No More Heroes at 3/1 with Bet365 

5.30 Punchestown Gold Cup – Djakadam at 9/4 with Bet365

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6.05 Champion INH Flat Race – Bellshill at 6/1 EW with Betfair 

6.40 Guinness Handicap Chase – Baby Mix at 14/1 EW with Bet365 

7.15 Punchestown INH  Flat Race – Champers on Ice at 10/3 with Bet365

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Punchestown Day 2 Tips

3.40 – Handicap Hurdle Series Final

Last year’s winner: Master Oscar 14/1
Distance: 2m 4f

2015 Preview: Master Oscar secured the opener for conditional jockeys back in 2014 and this year we will see another 25 runners and their amateur riders take to the starting tape in their bids to win their connections a slice of the €17,000 first prize.

4.20 – Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle

Last year’s winner: Le Vent D’Antan 3/1j
Distance: 2m 4f

2015 Preview: Elizabeth Doyle’s Le Vent D’Antan justified joint-favouritism to seal this 20f title last year. All of the last three triumphant mounts have been ridden by the same man – Davy Russell. It is touch and go as to whether Russell will turn out this year after breaking his arm back in March.

4.55 – Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle

Last year’s winner: Beat That 11/8f
Distance: 3m

2015 Preview: The betting for the Mirror Novice Hurdle is headed by Shaneshill, this season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle runner-up who stole this festival’s Flat race on this day last year. The six-year-old Willie Mullins charge is set to be joined by stablemate Black Hercules, also for the Wylie family, and Neptune Investment victor Windsor Park.  

5.30 – Punchestown Gold Cup

Last year’s winner: Boston Bob 5/2f
Distance: 3m 1f

2015 Preview: With Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Coneygree not slated to run again this season, all eyes will be on that event’s runner-up Djakadam. Also looking to follow in the footsteps of Boston Bob are Gold Cup third Road To Riches, last season’s Champion Novice winner Carlingford Lough and Betfred Bowl runner-up Ballynagour. Last year’s successful Mullins charge may also line up to defend his crown.

6.05 – Champion INH Flat Race

Last year’s winner: Shaneshill 5/1
Distance: 2m

2015 Preview: Disko will be looking to make a name for himself in this year’s Champion Flat race for the Gigginstown Stud team. Noel Meade’s one-time course victor is hoping to replicate the success of former winners Champagne Fever (2012), The Liquidator (2013) and Shaneshill. Meade has scored four successes in this event.

6.40 – Guinness Handicap Chase

Last year’s winner: Orpheus Valley 28/1
Distance: 2m 4f

2015 Preview: As is the case with many of these big field Punchestown handicaps, there has not been one winning favourite in the Guinness Handicap Chase in the past four years with those successful mounts tending to come from smaller yards. Thomas Gibney saddled Orpheus Valley last year with 2013 winner Klepht coming from the Thomas Mullins team. Something to consider this time around.

7.15 – Punchestown INH Flat Race

Last year’s winner: Fletchers Flyer 9/2
Distance: 2m 2f

2015 Preview: This event has been dominated by six-year-olds, Harry Fry’s Fletchers Flyer (2014) the last of three consecutive winners aged six. Perhaps the most memorable renewal of recent times was Flash Of Genius’ 24 length rout over OK Oscar back in 2013 though you would predict a more closely contested affair this season.

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Punchestown Festival Day 2 Tips

All of our Punchestown Festival Day 2 tips are 100% researched! Should we ever use the term “Non Runner No Bet”, we mean that you will get your money back should your selection not appear in the race in which it has been backed. They might show in a different race or not appear at all due to drying ground or injury.

Whilst most bookmakers will offer “NRNB” terms, always make sure to check, especially if you are betting with a smaller bookie – or William Hill!

Punchestown Festival Day 2 2014

Master Oscar (14/1) managed to snake his way from mid-division to take the opener on the second day of the 2014 Punchestown Festival. Always hugging the rail, it was a superb performance from his jockey Jody McGarvey who managed to keep Christy Roche’s charge in the race in spite of his tendency to hit flat spots between jumps. Flatfoot Boogie (20/1) held off both Go Paddy Go (16/1) and Memories Of Milan (20/1) in a photo for second.

The Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle kicked off a trio of consecutive winning favourites, this race’s being Le Vent D’Antan (3/1) for Elizabeth Doyle. A joint-favourite in the field of ten, the five-year-old was always on the premises, travelling well to take up a prominent position on the outside of the pack throughout the event. As his rivals began to tire following the second-last, the Goliath Syndicate mount would lead them home, extending to put six lengths between himself and Dessie Hughes’ Emperor Of Exmoor (16/1). The other joint-favourite Cheltenian (3/1) would just miss out on the runners-up position.

Nine lined up for the first Grade One of the afternoon, the Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle. In another victory for the punters, 11/8 favourite Beat That would give Nicky Henderson his second win of the Festival. The Lambourn charge would go to the last neck and neck with eventual second Don Poli (11/4) but would just have that little bit more left in the tank to secure the title. Lots Of Memories, a 7/1 shot, would round off the top three.

Both Willie Mullins’ charges Boston Bob and On His Own occupied the first two places in the betting at 5/2 and 4/1 respectively though it was the former that took home the Punchestown Gold Cup. His stablemate carved out the early running, only to be headed by Lyreen Legend (11/2), the eventual winner just getting his head in front over the last. Despite a sketchy run in, First Lieutenant (5/1) would be beaten into second by over three lengths with Long Run (6/1) back in third.

Shaneshill (5/1) made it a quick-fire double for the County Carlow trainer after seeing off Dermot Weld’s Champion Bumper victor and evens favourite Silver Concorde by two lengths. Silver Concorde didn’t disappoint himself in his bid to become the first horse since 2008’s Cousin Vinny to win both the English and Irish renewal and held on from Value At Risk (25/1) by a head to secure second.

Thomas Gibney’s Orpheus Valley (28/1) proved that age is just a number by scooping the Grade A Guinness Handicap Chase aged 11. One of two 11-year-olds in the field, Gibney’s star made all to finish just half-a-length clear of the 5/1 favourite Competitive Edge. Pass The Hat (11/2) finished a distant third.

Finally, the day came to a close with a victory for Harry Fry’s Fletchers Flyer, the 9/2 shout seeing off both Sub Lieutenant (9/1) and Totally Dominant (7/2f) in a bunch finish. All these placed horses featured prominently throughout, the Derek O’Connor ridden Fletchers Flyer just holding on close home.         

Last updated 22nd April.