Punchestown Tips Today: Tuesday Best Bets from Architect

World Of Dreams, 0.5 pts E/W, 20/1, 6 places 

Trainer Anthony Honeyball has enjoyed great success at this meeting, and I really like the chances of WORLD OF DREAMS (best price 20/1), who should be a lot sharper from his pleasing comeback third at Ludlow. 

This promising eight-year-old won two of his three bumper starts and ran well to finish fifth in the Grade 2 bumper race at the Aintree Festival three years ago before embarking on a hurdles campaign.
 
The following season, he made a winning hurdles debut at Fontwell before finishing a respectable second to the 128-rated Stag Horn when attempting to give the winner plenty of weight. 

He then resumed winning ways with a smooth success at Plumpton over two and a half miles and caught the eye for much of the race on his return from a mammoth absence last month behind a couple of today’s rivals.

The handicapper has surprisingly dropped his mark by 3Ib, and I have no doubt he’s thrown in here with a mark of 112. Ben Godfrey has tasted success three times when he's partnered him, and his mount makes plenty of appeal at the odds. 

Six places are generally available.

Firefox, 0.5 pts E/W, 8/1

The first Grade 1 race of the Punchestown Festival is the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle, and although FIREFOX (best price 8/1) has work to do to reverse form with Slade Steel and Mystical Power, the return to a right-handed track could enable Gordon Elliott’s charge to do just that. 

Slade Steel and Mystical Power finished first and second in the Supreme when he finished third, but the six-year-old didn’t get the clearest of runs and did well to snatch third place. He then renewed rivalry with the latter at Aintree and was only denied by half a length, hitting the line strongly.

I think the comparison in price between himself and the top two in the market is too large because he’s not that far behind the pair on form. His record going right-handed reads three wins from three starts, including a two-and-a-half-length defeat of Willie Mullins’ top-class Ballyburn. 

Rare Edition, 0.5 pts E/W, 18/1, 6 places 

The Listed Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle has attracted a massive field, so plenty of luck will be needed. However, given the British-trained runners at this fixture, my interest is drawn to Charlie Longsdon’s RARE EDITION (best price 18/1).

This seven-year-old has won five of his 10 starts, and a line can be drawn through his latest showing, where he never looked comfortable over the two-mile, three-furlong distance. He is better judged on his form over two miles.

His only two poor runs on this trip were in Grade 1 company at the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals. His form over this trip below that exalting level reads 11131, and his seven-length defeat of the 148-rated Rubaud at Kempton in 2022 proved he is capable of reaching a mark in the high 140s.  

In his penultimate outing at Kempton, he gave over a stone in weight to his rivals, returning as a comfortable winner. Incidentally, he is eligible to compete in this race from only a pound higher mark, and Jonjo O’Neill Jr. is an interesting jockey booking. 

This has presumably been the target since his latest run, and unlike last year, he has skipped the two big British festivals. With five places generally available and the conditions in his favour, he looks like a decent each-way bet, with six places widely on offer. 

Kings Hill, 0.5 pts E/W, 22/1, 6 places

The Gilligan’s are overdue a victory at this venue, and that might happen with KINGS HILL (best price 22/1), despite the race being fiercely competitive.

This five-year-old didn’t shape too badly when down the field behind Firefox and Ballyburn on his hurdles debut and improved upon that outing to finish a keeping-on fourth at Leopardstown next time out.

He then made the most of an easy opportunity at Thurles before he was thrown into the lion’s den in the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, where again, he ran well in defeat considering he was the outsider of the field. 

Just 11 days ago, he came close to a second hurdle success when he only just failed to concede lumps of weight to Cheerful Chap on his handicap debut. A 4Ib rise doesn’t seem excessive given how close he went last time.

This lightly-raced, open-to-improvement youngster has already shown that he’s a horse going places, especially with Grade 1 form in his locker, so with a bit of luck, I can see him running very well. Six places are generally available. 

Koukeo, 0.5 pts E/W, 14/1, 4 places

The Goffs Defender Bumper is wide-open, to say the least, but it’s interesting to see Jonjo O’Neill’s KOUKEO (best price 14/1) make his stable/racecourse debut in Ireland rather than Britain. Jonjo doesn’t send many over to the course, but when he does, they are worth a second look. 

It’s even more intriguing to see his son, AJ, booked to ride, who has partnered 13 winners from 45 rides as an amateur under rules. That is an extremely impressive strike rate, so although we don’t know too much about this French import, it would come as no surprise to see a big run at double-figure digits.

Four places are widely available.

Saint Sam, 0.5 pts E/W, 16/1

The first two home in the Champion Chase, Captain Guinness and Gentleman De Mee, will renew rivalry in the Grade 1 William Hill Champion Chase. However, both of them engaged in a gruelling battle, and they might be vulnerable here.

Dinoblue is a very high-class mare and won at this meeting last year. She has improved since and is probably the one to beat, but at a higher price, I’m more interested in her stablemate, SAINT SAM (best price 16/1), who is overpriced.

This seven-year-old is a high-class front-runner on his day and has won four times this season from the front, all of which have been over further. He’s not had many goes at the highest level, and he was running well at this meeting last year before a bad mistake at the second last. 

He did too much too soon when pulled up last time out, having been sent off as the favourite, and the drop back to two miles here will suit his positive style of racing. Danny Mullins is riding with lots of confidence and has claimed two major races for his boss the last couple of weekends. 

The likelihood is that he will get a fine tune out of this horse, and if you look at the ratings, you will notice he is the second highest-rated horse in the field, only one pound lower than Captain Guinness but 5lb higher than Dinoblue. If those ratings are justified, he should be in the mix. 

Three Card Brag, 0.5 pts E/W, 16/1

The Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase has the potential to be a cracker! Monty’s Star ran well to finish second to Fact To File in the Brown Advisory, while Spillane’s Tower won the Gold Cup Novices' Chase at Fairyhouse last time out. In fact, every single runner has strong form to their name and cannot be ruled out. 

That being said, the freshest horse in the field is Gordon Elliott’s THREE CARD BRAG (best price 16/1). With the exception of Spillane’s Tower, he is the only horse to have skipped Cheltenham last month. He had the option of either running in the National Hunt Chase or the Brown Advisory, but his trainer has purposely saved him for this race instead. 

He ran below par at this meeting last year after running well when fifth in the Albert Bartlett, but he has looked like he could be an even better chaser, having only found one too good in each start. Monty’s Star had his measure last time out, having previously been in front of Henry de Bromhead’s charge on his chase debut, but the first-time headgear is an interesting application.

He’s better than what he showed the last day, and although Jackie Kennedy prefers American Mike, Sam Ewing is a very reliable substitute. He is open to plenty more improvement, and the four-month break could be what the customer has ordered, as all of his best form is when he’s fresh. At a very juicy price, he’s one to merit consideration. 

American Mike, 0.5 pts E/W, 11/1

Jack Kennedy has opted for AMERICAN MIKE (best price 11/1) in this race, and despite the seven-year-old’s jumping falling to pieces in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase last time out, Gordon Elliott’s talented charge is fancied to resume his progress. 

The key to this horse is either being ridden prominently or front-run, as all of his wins, particularly his last three, have been from the front. He beat Brown Advisory winner Fact To File very easily on his chase debut, and that form alone underlines the talent he has. 

He ran no sort of race next time out when he finished a distant fourth in the Faugheen Novice Chase behind Gaelic Warrior, but he relished the step up to three miles when landing the Grade 2 Ten Up Novice Chase in good style in his penultimate start. 

That form has been positively advertised since, with third, Minella Cocooner, and second, Nick Rockett, subsequently finishing first and third in the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown. As well as that, the fourth, Favori De Champdou, has subsequently won a Grade 3.