Punchestown Day 1 Tips: Jake Price's Three Best Bets for Tuesday

15:40 Punchestown

Disaster struck when KHRISMA made her Handicap debut at Kelso 38 days ago, where she made a horrible mistake at the penultimate flight and quickly was pulled up by Nico de Boinville. I think it is a hugely positive move to see Harry Cobden get the chance on her this time however, as he is the perfect type of Jockey who can sit and wait on this strong traveller, and hopefully he will time his challenge to perfection.

You only have to go back twelve months to when she ran a belter at the 2025 Punchestown Festival, where in the 2m Novice Hurdle she stayed on very strongly to finish just three-parts of a length behind Casheldale Lad (152). Admittedly she was in receipt of a stone at the weights that day, but it still means she has plenty in hand off her current unchanged mark of 128 – the same mark which saw her sent off 5/4f at Kelso last time.

Obviously, this race is much stronger than anything she has contested so far this season, but equally she has been cleverly campaigned with a big Handicap in mind. Whilst Plan A was obviously the William Hill Hurdle, a setback paved way for that, and instead connections have had to look towards these Spring races instead. Considering she was near favourite for the County Hurdle against most of these before not getting in however, she has to have strong claims only carrying 10st5lbs.

KHRISMA 1pt Win @ 6/1

16:15 Punchestown

We saw in the Supreme at the Cheltenham Festival that the current bunch of Irish two-mile Novice Hurdlers are by no means a vintage crop, with El Cairos’ fifth placed effort the best the away team could garner. With most turning up again here I am certainly not afraid to look away from the traditional form lines, and a horse who really interests me is LE LABO for Joseph O’Brien.

Joseph has enjoyed a fantastic season with the likes of Home By The Lee, Talk The Talk and Zeus Power, and this lad has always been thought of as an extremely talented youngster – even being sent off 4/1 for the Grade 2 Bumper at Aintree last season where he admittedly flopped. This season has all been about getting him jumping however, as on hurdles debut in November he very disappointingly unseated at the first flight.

Everything looked back on track at Cork a few weeks later when he returned for a 2m1f Maiden Hurdle, as coming down to the final flight he was easily lengthening away from Kazansky (138) in the style of a nice horse – but he just lost his footing on the landing side of the hurdle and came down. There is little doubt that he was going to look impressive in victory that day however, and he all but lost his Maiden tag.

That Maiden tag was finally shed at Naas in March, where he stepped up in class for the Grade 3 Kingsfurze Novice Hurdle. It wasn’t a strong renewal by any means, but Blake (138) lined up and was understandably sent off the 11/10f following some brilliant runs in graded company. What I loved was the turn of foot LE LABO showed to go from last to first down the outside of the field though, and he dug in deep under Johnny Gleeson to score by a neck.

He has been left fresh since having been a non-runner at the Fairyhouse Festival which hopefully will give him the edge over that form line from 23 days ago, and if showing improvement for the better ground at Punchestown, I think he is more than capable of winning a race like this.

LE LABO 1pt Win @ 4/1

18:05 Punchestown

Perhaps for my sins I have never warmed to Marine Nationale, and whilst he will inevitably have ground conditions in his favour for the Punchestown Champion Chase, his preparation of being beaten miles at the Dublin Racing Festival before picking up an injury cannot be optimum. Instead, I want to side with another horse who loves these conditions in IL ETAIT TEMPS.

Last Spring this Willie Mullins charge returned from a 359-day break to absolutely bolt up in the Grade 1 Celebration Chase at Sandown, lowering the colours of odds-on favourite Jonbon and springing a minor surprise in the process. It was a brilliant effort after such a long absence, but this season he has reached new heights in the two-mile Chase division.

Having returned early in the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase he prepared for a crack at the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown with ease, and when turning up for his big day he once again demolished the UK contingent on decent ground at Sandown. Things ultimately did go wrong at Ascot for the Clarence House where he took a bad fall, but I am happy enough to put that down to the Soft conditions, as he really did not look comfortable jumping out of that ground.

It has to be said that Willie Mullins put in one of the training performances of the Cheltenham Festival in order to get him back just 53 days later to win the Grade 1 Champion Chase in tremendous style, but once again I do believe that a big contributing factor was the quicker ground. In fact his overall record in steeplechases on ground described as Yielding or quicker is a perfect 5/5, and I can’t see any reason why he can’t extend that to 6/6 on Tuesday.

IL ETAIT TEMPS 1.5pts Win @ 7/4