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Punchestown Saturday preview & tips: Timeform best bets
By Adam Houghton
19:50 · FRI April 30, 2021
Adam Houghton outlines the Timeform view on the action on the fifth and final day of the Punchestown Festival.
Punchestown Festival tips: Saturday May 1
Concertista in 3.20 Punchestown
Willie Mullins has been utterly dominant at Punchestown this week and looks to hold another strong hand in the Coolmore Kew Gardens Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle (15:20), the first of two Grade 1 events on the final day of the meeting.
Mullins is responsible for four of the nine runners as he seeks an eighth success in the race since 2010, including the 2019 runner-up Stormy Ireland, who has returned to her former stable after a spell with Paul Nicholls which included a few tries over fences. She proved at least as good as ever on her first start back in Ireland when winning a Grade 2 contest at Fairyhouse last time, making all the running to beat the smart French Dynamite by a length and a qua
UPDATED 12:17PM, MAY 1 2021
Thunder Moon has maintained his place as the clear favourite for this afternoon s Qipco 2,000 Guineas Stakes, with the Joseph O Brien-trained runner now as short as 7-2 for the first Classic of the season in Britain.
He was sharing 4-1 favouritism with Mutasaabeq and Wembley earlier this morning, but the lightly raced son of Zoffany appears the clear pick for Saturday s Group 1 feature at 3.40. His two main market rivals are 5-1 shots.
The World Pool, which is open for every race at Newmarket today, is currently putting Wembley as the favourite at odds of 5.17.
Coral, meanwhile, reported earlier this morning the majority of interest was for Mutasaabeq. He was cut to 9-2 favourite with them, but is currently 5-1.
PUNCHESTOWN TIPS: The best bets for Day 1 of Punchestown
Tuesday, April 27, 2021 );
A tricky opener to dissect but I like the trajectory of
SCHOLASTIC (9/1) for Joseph O Brien. He was eight lengths down on Cheltenham Boodles winner Jeff Kidder when they met in Fairyhouse at Easter, finishing ahead of stablemate Busselton. A couple of weeks ago, he travelled to Cheltenham and finished second to Her Indoors having met with some trouble in-running and been short of room when the race was developing two out. He also has good course form having beaten Jeff Kidder here last September. He was also second behind subsequent Triumph Hurdle winner a month later on the same track on similar ground. That will do for me.
UPDATED 2:36PM, APR 25 2021
Irish champion jockey Paul Townend will make a timely return to the saddle on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival after being booked to ride in each of Tuesday s three Grade 1s, providing a huge boost for the Willie Mullins team ahead of the biggest week in Irish jump racing.
Townend has been sidelined since injuring his foot after falling from Egality Mans at Fairyhouse earlier in the month, an injury which forced him to miss the Grand National meeting at Aintree, but he has been declared fit to ride at the five-day extravaganza.
The 30-year-old’s return comes at the perfect time as he is coming under increasing pressure from Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National winner Rachael Blackmore in the race to be Ireland’s leading jockey this season.