Horse Racing Tips: Punchestown Festival Day Three

The Punchestown Festival continues with two more Grade One races, one of which looks a formality for the favourite and one which might not be quite so straightforward.

With that in mind, we’ve decided to concentrate our efforts on the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle and unearthed what we believe is a value-for-money selection.

 

5:25 Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle

A winner of five of his six attempts at, or beyond, 3 miles, Flooring Porter is chasing a Grade One hat-trick after making all to win the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival; with 6lb in hand of his rivals on official ratings, he looks the one beat, albeit that his odds are plenty short enough. None of the horses that finished behind him at Cheltenham, namely Beacon Edge, The Storyteller, Bacardys and Fury Road, can really entertain much hope of reversing the form, but a few of the others are definitely worth a second look.

Ronald Pump, for example, has a 151-day absence to overcome, but was only beaten half a length by subsequent Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse when last seen in November. He was good enough to finish second in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2020 and has won over 3 miles on the prevailing going, so has plenty going for him if fit and ready to do himself justice after five months off.

The mare Heaven Help Us made all to win the ultra-competitive Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and could conceivably improve again for stepping up to 3 miles over hurdles for the first time in her career. She needs to because, even in receipt of a 7lb allowance, she has nearly a stone to find with Flooring Porter on official figures; a place may be as much as she can hope for on this occasion.

Willie Mullins saddles four, arguably the most interesting of which is Klassical Dream. The winner of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival, Klassical Dream hasn’t been seen in public since trailing in last of five behind stable companion Sharjah in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown the following December. Of course, he has all sorts of questions to answer, attempting three miles for the first time, in a first-time hood, after such a long absence but, granted that he was as short as 7/2 for the 2020 Champion Hurdle at one point, a forward showing would be no great surprise.

Selection: Ronald Pump (6/1 with Paddy Power)

 

6:35 Ryanair Novice Chase

Energumene is unbeaten in four starts over obstacles, including the Grade One Irish Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown in February, and cannot sensibly be opposed. He is officially rated 6lb superior to his stable companion Janidil and already holds a verdict over Captain Guinness, whom he beat by 8½ lengths,with plenty in hand, on identical terms in a novice chase at Naas in January. He won a point-to-point on good going and a ‘bumper’ on yielding going earlier in his career so, while underfoot conditions are slightly faster than those he’s experienced lately, he shouldn’t be unduly inconvenienced.

Selection: Energumene (4/9 with Paddy Power)

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