Punchestown Racecourse: Preview and Tips for Sunday’s Eight-Race Meeting

There’s more competitive racing at Punchestown this Sunday, with eight races on the card, featuring the Listed Grand National Trial and a Listed Novice Hurdle.

Read on for a preview of and tips for the Punchestown card, brought to you by Betano, who provide all the latest horse racing odds.

The first race of the afternoon is an extended two-mile rated novice chase (1.30). We have just five runners here, but it should be a reasonably competitive affair regardless. Paul Nolan’s I Am Lorenzo won his latest start and should handle today’s ground well. JP McManus’ Pure Steel, though, is probably the better qualified of the two on the ground and should bounce back from a poor showing over further last time.

Next we have a beginners’ chase run over two miles and seven furlongs (2.00). JP McManus has another chance in Shuffle The Deck, but Soldier In Milan was so close last time out at Gowran that he must be taken very seriously. Spread Boss Ted shouldn’t be overlooked either, if he can put his recent fall at Navan behind him.

The Listed Grand National Trial is next, run over three and a half miles (2.30). Gavin Cromwell’s The Lovely Man seeks a hat-trick, but is likely to find this a tougher test than his latest couple of runs. Given five pounds by his rider, Gordon Elliott’s Patter Merchant is interesting too, donning first-time cheekpieces. On a competitive mark, he could outrun his odds.

Race four is the Listed Novice Hurdle run over two miles (3.00). Zeus Power and Stede Bonnet seek hat-tricks each, with the former probably the most likely to do so successfully. Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy look to have a huge chance with Lazare de Star, though, who was only narrowly beaten last time out at Navan and aims next for the Cheltenham Festival.

The fifth race is a two and a half mile maiden hurdle (3.32). There are three newcomers here; Who’s Going, Shortt Fuse and Chisel Hill, of which the best on pedigree could be the former. Ksar Fatal should be competitive, as should Panjandrum, but the promising newcomer might just be worth an each-way play.

Next is a novice handicap hurdle run over two and three quarter miles (4.02). Kir looks able to run a big race, but Emmet McNamara’s West Of Bally - who won so convincingly at Limerick in November on heavy ground, could have another winning opportunity here, up in trip from last time.

A bumper follows (4.32). Soul Asylum is tried under Rules for the first time, having finished second in a point-to-point, while Little Ginger makes his racecourse debut. He looks the type to want further in time. Gain Cromwell’s Begorra Man ran a good race last time and wasn’t too far behind Kopek Des Bordes on hurdle debut. He could be the one to beat.

We finish off with a two-mile Challenge Race, run on the Flat (5.02). This is the sort of race which will be hard to predict, given the lack of obstacles, but the Katie Walsh-ridden That Danny Feeling could have a big chance, as his latest win came over two miles in a bumper. Along The Way could go well too.

Punchestown selections - Sunday:

1.30 - Pure Steel 

2.00 - Soldier In Milan 

2.30 - Patter Merchant 

3.00 - Lazare de Star 

3.32 - Who’s Going e/w 

4.02 - West Of Bally 

4.32 - Begorra Man 

5.02 - That Danny Feeling