Preview of Monday's racing at Punchestown

Punchestown Racecourse hosts its latest card on Monday afternoon with a seven-race offering for punters heading to the Kildare track.

Racing gets underway with a 16-runner maiden hurdle at 1.10pm before the action comes to a close four hours later at 4.10pm when a big field of 22 look set for the off in the 0-100 rated handicap hurdle.

Read below to discover the latest tips and a full preview of Punchestown's card on Monday courtesy of BoyleSports, who offer the latest Cheltenham odds ahead of the Festival in March.

The opening contest on Monday (1.10) is a maiden hurdle over the two-mile trip and Closutton maestro Willie Mullins could get the card off to a flier with Karbau, a French recruit that was fourth of 18 in a Naas novice hurdle on Irish debut 42 days ago and is very much of interest with improvement on the cards. Stablemate Zillow rates the next best, fourth of 23 in a Leopardstown novice hurdle last time out and Mullins won this race last year with Anotherway.

Race two of the afternoon (1.40) is a seven-runner handicap hurdle for four-year-olds, again held over the two-mile distance around Punchestown. Slurricane looks the one to beat here, a winner over eight furlongs on the Flat that was a creditable second of 14 in a juvenile hurdle at Fairyhouse when last seen and makes his handicap debut here for trainer Ross O’Sullivan.

The very rare sight of a Qatar Racing silk over Jumps will be seen in race three at Punchestown (2.10) when Familiar Operation takes to the track for trainer Gordon Elliott. A winner of four of her nine starts in bumpers and successful on two of three starts for Elliott since moving to Ireland, she will be competing at a higher level than this in the future. That said, Mullins has also declared Maughreen for this one, a winner of a 12-runner bumper at this track last January so holds clear and obvious claims to go well and with sights potentially set on the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March and her dam was a half-sister to the hugely successful Champion Hurdle winner Faugheen.

Mullins has yet another strong hand in race four on the card (2.40) when Port Joulain lines up in the two-mile and three furlong maiden hurdle, a lightly-race winner that was third at Leopardstown 20 days ago and looks the one to beat despite his career not quite going to plan just yet. Mullins was also victorious in this race last year with Billericay Dicky.

The Colm Murphy-trained Goraibhmaithhagat looks the way to go in the two-mile and three furlong novice hurdle at 3.10 off the back of a win in a 16-runner novice hurdle at Navan on National Hunt debut 51 days ago and should improve even further, while the penultimate race on the Punchestown card (3.40) can go the way of Bridie’s Beau for the Gavin Cromwell yard, stepping up in trip having not been knocked about when landed a fifth of 18 in a Limerick handicap 31 days ago.

Finally, the Monday afternoon card comes to a close at 4.10 when a massive field of 22 head to the start for the 0-100 rated handicap hurdle over the two-mile and seven furlong distance. Preference in the finale heads the way of Master Of The Sums, up in trip for his handicap debut having finished a fine third at Limerick last time out 29 days ago.

Punchestown selections - Monday 

1.10 - Karbau 

1.40 - Slurricane 

2.10 - Familiar Operation 

2.40 - Port Joulain 

3.10 - Goraibhmaithhagat 

3.40 - Bridie’s Beau 

4.10 - Master Of The Sums