Punchestown Tips Day 5

Welcome to our Punchestown Tips for Day 5! 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 final day’s races including the Mares Champion Hurdle and the Four-Year-Old Juvenile Hurdle. 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 5 in one place.

Punchestown Day 5 Tips

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2.30 Cross Country Chase – Federici at 10/1 EW with Bet365

3.10 Punchestown Handicap Chase – Vasco Du Mee at 25/1 EW with Bet365

3.45 Mares Champion Hurdle – Annie Power (win) / Katie T without the favourite

4.25 Champion Four Year Old Hurdle – Fiscal Focus at 10/1 EW with Bet365

5.00 Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase – Aupcharlie at 20/1 EW with Bet365

5.35 Setanta Sports Handicap Hurdle – Arbre De Vie at 11/2 EW with Bet365

6.10 K Club INH  Flat Race – Nambour at 9/4 with Bet365

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Overview

2.30 – Irish Field Chase

Last year’s winner: Sizing Australia 6/1
Distance: 3m

2015 Preview: Sizing Australia secured back-to-back Field Chases last year when beating off Enda Bolger’s 7/4 favourite Be Positive by a neck. Whether or not the now 13-year-old will turn out again this season, trainer Henry De Bromhead, who seems to have got the measure of this race, should be watched.

3.10 – Punchestown Handicap Chase

Last year’s winner: Unoccupied 14/1
Distance: 3m 1f

2015 Preview: Always a high quality chase with former winners including the likes of now regular cross country chaser Uncle Junior (2011) and this season’s Scottish Grand National runner-up Goonyella (2013). Regularly one of the most enjoyable races of the Festival.

3.45 – Mares Champion Hurdle

Last year’s winner: Annie Power 1/6f
Distance: 2m 2f

2015 Preview: Annie Power may well be back to defend her title in the Mares Champion Hurdle following her fall in the Cheltenham Festival’s mares hurdle. Her options are, however, open. An odds-on chance regardless, her nearest market rivals are Boylesports Hurdle winner Katie T and Vincent O’Brien fifth Analifet.

4.25 – Champion Four Year Old Hurdle

Last year’s winner: Abbyssial 15/2
Distance: 2m

2015 Preview: Nicky Henderson’s Hargam remains among the declarations for the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle after disappointing spectacularly in the Cheltenham equivalent. Fellow Gloucestershire entrants that could line up here include Stars Over The Sea (also 4 y-o Hurdle), Petite Parisienne (Triumph Hurdle) and Top Notch (also Triumph Hurdle).

5.00 – Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase

Last year’s winner: Chartreux 13/2
Distance: 3m 1f

2015 Preview: Gigginstown are to be two-handed in the Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase according to racing manager Eddie O’Leary. The most likely of their charges to be declared for the 3m 1f chase are Empire Of Dirt and Rogue Angel.  

5.35 – Setanta Sports Handicap Hurdle

Last year’s winner: Deep Trouble 16/1
Distance: 2m 4f

2015 Preview: Connections of Ask Vic are apparently sweet on their horse’s chances in the Setanta Handicap Hurdle. A second behind Albert Bartlett winner Martello Tower at Cork, the Supreme Racing Club will be looking for withdrawals but are confident he will run. At the top of the weights at the time of writing are the likes of Wicklow Brave, Cheltenian and Flaxen Flare.  

6.10 – K Club Flat Race

Last year’s winner: Uncle Danny 9/2
Distance: 2m

2015 Preview: Always a tough one to call with many of the field making their racecourse debuts. Despite this the race is enjoyed by punters as they look to find a future star. Get your notebook at the ready!

6.45 – Punchestown Private Charity Sweepstakes

Last year’s winner: He’llberemembered 9/4f
Distance: 1m 7f

2015 Preview: Part owner, trainer and sometime jockey Paul Fahey saddled the winning favourite, He’llberemembered, in last year’s Punchestown charity Flat race. Will the punters get another winning market leader this time around?

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Punchestown Festival Day 5 Tips

All of our Punchestown Festival Day 5 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 5 2014

Aged 12-years-old, reigning Irish Field Chase champion Sizing Australia (6/1) was one of the oldest participants in the opener but managed to secure back-to-back titles by seeing off the favourite, Be Positive (7/4), by a neck. Whilst Sizing Australia took up a less prominent position than the favourite, he took the unorthodox cross country jumps in his stride. Completing the first three was 14/1 shot Theroadtocroker after top weight Keep On Track (4/1) fell two-out.

A total of 19 runners lined up for the second, the 3m 6f handicap chase. The winner was the front-running Unoccupied (14/1), Phillip Enright giving Eddie O’Grady’s eight-year-old a confident ride. Dessie Hughes’ Hunting Party (12/1) kept on but could only reduce the deficit to just over a length-and-a-half, squeezing out 11/2 favourite Storm Survivor by a nose.

Willie Mullins’ Annie Power (1/6) showed why she was the odds-on favourite in the Mares Champion Hurdle, putting seven lengths between herself and runner-up Jennies Jewel (25/1). As expected the Mullins/ Ricci family charge set the terms and showed her class to make all with ease. The event was made less competitive with the withdrawal of Annie Power’s stablemate and future Cheltenham Mares Hurdle champion, Glens Melody.

Mullins completed a quick-fire double as 15/2 chance Abbyssial took home the Grade One Four Year Old Hurdle. In what seemed to be a theme of the day, Abbyssial was happy to set the pace and ran out the victor when extending magnificently when turning into the home straight. JP McManus’ Plinth (25/1) failed to land a glove on the winner in second, reducing the deficit to just six lengths, as Fox Norton (12/1) rounded off the first three. Gordon Elliott’s Tiger Roll (13/8) could only manage seventh.

Indeed it wasn’t a fantastic day for the punters, 7/2 favourite Heaney missing out on the plaudits in the Grade B Pat Taaffe when finishing in fourth. The winner of this 2m 1f handicap chase was the grey Chartreux, a 13/2 shot. The Tom George charge’s prominent position meant that he could capitalise on the fall of long time leader Brass Tax (14/1) six-out and go on to fend off the dangerous looking Grand Jesture (7/1) who would take second. Tony Martin’s 10/1 shot Wrong Turn would be a distant third.

It was Anthony Honeyball’s turn to saddle the favourite to no avail in the Grade B Setanta Sports Hurdle, Regal Encore (5/1) completing outside of the four places. The winner came from the yard of Ben Case, the Noel Fehily ridden Deep Trouble (16/1) sticking seven lengths between himself and his nearest rival Bally Longford (also 16/1). The hold-up horse was an anomaly amongst most of the day’s winners as he made up enough ground to come from the back of the field in the early stages to jump the last in front. The always prominent Bally Longford would hold off top weight Un Temps Pour Tout (11/1) by a head with 9/1 chance Blacklough back in fourth.

Uncle Danny (9/2) provided some bettors with some light relief in the penultimate – the 2m Flat race – though 3/1 favourite Blair Perrone looked fiery and failed to show in the places as a result. Uncle Danny was another to run on late to feature, closing down the four length gap opened up by long time leader Boru’s Brook (20/1) going into the home straight to win by over three lengths. Uncle Danny would hold the result after a stewards enquiry. Gordon Elliott’s 4/1 shot Attribution would just miss out on second by three-quarters-of-a-length with Noble King (14/1)  in fourth.

Part owner, trainer and jockey, Paul Fahey guided his He’llberemembered to victory in the final race of the Festival. The 9/4 favourite and top weight was always prominent and hit the front just following the turn for home. The nosebanded charge would see off the likes of Takeyourcapoff (7/1) and Liberty’s Gift (8/1) who would take the remaining places.   

Last updated 24th April.