Punchestown Festival 2025 Day 1 Betting Tips and Predictions

Ciaran has been through the big races on day 1 of the 2025 Punchestown Festival and picked his best bets as well as a quick look at the handicaps. As we examine the cards for the last spring festival of the year, it should be noted that Punchestown can often throw up some funny results. Some horses have been to multiple festivals and have just been chucked in here before their summer break. Others are just gearing up for a summer campaign. As you would expect, Willie Mullins is the man to follow. He has won 112 grade 1s at the festival since 2000 (The nearest challenger has 12) and he has won 73% of grade 1 contests in the last 4 years (no other trainer has won more than once in any year). However, these are not always his first string so there may be some value lurking. Here I will look at the graded races and nominate some horses to follow and give a couple of handicap selections on the opening day.    

4:15 2M Novice Hurdle

The first graded contest of the week sees the 2 winners of the Cheltenham and Aintree 2m hurdles lock horns again with the unbeaten KOPEK DES BORDES (4/9) taking on the much improved Salvator Mundi again. The difference between the 2 at Cheltenham was 18 lengths, and while I think it will be closer than that here, I don’t see the places being reversed. The rest of the field are a bit of an irrelevance and while at 4/9, I wouldn’t be recommending a single, I would confidently put up the fav as a cornerstone of any multis.  

4.50 3M 1f Novice Chase

Ballyburn-ed me badly when I put him up as my NAP of the Cheltenham festival and on his jumping that day, I couldn’t back him again here at a short price regardless of how talented he may be, Conversely, I wouldn’t have backed Lecky Watson with stolen money on that occasion and while he got the job done, I won’t be backing him here. IMPAIRE ET PASSE (5/1) was imperious at Aintree and having skipped Cheltenham should arrive here in decent order. That day he easily dispatched the Arkle winner and the 6th that day (Mark of Gold) won a handicap off top weight at the weekend. The step up in trip is a slight unknown, although I see no reason he won’t stay, and Punchestown is not the stiffest of tests of Stamina in any case.   

18.00 2M Champion Chase

It must be rare for the Cheltenham Champion Chaser to arrive at the Punchestown equivalent and not be favourite but that’s how impressive FACT TO FILE (Evens) (NAP) was in winning the Ryanair. Willie has tried this trick before, with Allaho being easily beaten by Energumene when trying to drop down in trip and make all but I am not sure Marine Nationale is in the same league as Tony Bloom’s horse. I am excited to see what JP McManus’ exciting 8-year-old can do here. With the current Gold Cup winner in the same ownership, I see the 2m route as more likely than a step up in trip if they want to go for a more blue chip festival race but surely a win here is vital if that is to be a possibility.      

Handicaps

In the 3.40, I am sure there is a big race in IRISH PANTHER (11/1) who has been there or thereabouts in some big 2m handicap hurdles this year. He didn’t shine in the County hurdle but perhaps that leaves him well handicapped. And speaking of well handicapped, IBERICO LORD (14/1) runs here off just 140 having being supplemented for the Champion Hurdle last year. If he is in good order and the money comes, he is certainly worth keeping on side. In the 3.05 TIMMY TUESDAY (8/1) ran a great race in Aintree before getting chinned late on, so a step back in trip may suit. Josh Williamson takes off 7 pounds to negate the small rise in weights from that day and he may try to make all like he attempted to do on that occasion.  

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