Three betting selections for Road to Cheltenham on Day 3 of the Punchestown Festival including his NAP of the entire festival.
16:15 Punchestown
It’s Day 3 at the 2025 Punchestown Festival and here are my three best bets ahead of what looks a competitive day of jumps action...
Fifth in the 2025 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, Park Of Kings is a worthy favourite for this race – heading here off the back of another decent performance at Aintree earlier this month.
The Paul Nolan stable has been quiet enough in recent days, with just three runners at Punchestown in the early part of the week. However, Park Of Kings is likely one of their main hopes for this year’s Festival.
The trip will suit him and he won’t be inconvenienced by the quicker ground. In addition, he will also have the services of Mark Walsh in the saddle and I’m expecting him to go close if he puts his best foot forward.
16:50 Punchestown
My NAP of the whole week – Sixandahalf will do the business for Gavin Cromwell in the Listed Mares Novice Hurdle. She runs off level weights with the likes of Karamoja and Karoline Banbou and she can go one better after finishing second at Cheltenham.
Keith Donoghue is mad about her and the ground will be right up her street. She looked the winner all over at the Festival but was pipped late by the staying on Air Of Entitlement and – at risk of tempting fate – I can’t see lightning striking twice.
She is Cromwell’s best chance of the week and he had a winner on Day 1, which bodes well for her chances. She comes here fresh after missing her engagement at Fairyhouse and I think she’ll take the world of beating.
18:35 Punchestown
I think Ksar Fatal may be the best of Willie Mullins’ bumper horses and I’m hoping to see Patrick Mullins come there swinging in the closing stages. He’s by Bucks Boum so the nicer ground shouldn’t be a problem.
Having said that, it was bottomless at Gowran Park when he won impressively in March and that was over 2m2f so he may be a horse that wants further in time. A real prospect for the future, I’m hoping he can stamp his class on the rest of the field.
The yard have a decent record in this particular race and they often run a nice one in it, with Yorkhill, Dysart Dynamo and Ballyburn all prevailing in previous renewals. It would be nice to see owner Tim O’Driscoll record another Punchestown Festival success after the now-retired Redemption Day’s Grade 1 triumph at last year’s meeting.
