Check out Jake Price's three betting tips for the second day of the 2026 Punchestown Festival.
Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle
15:40 Punchestown
When looking at the initial entries for the Louis Fitzgerald Hurdle the race looked much stronger than this, but I was keen on the chances of RISKAWAY at that stage, so therefore declarations have only enhanced my views that he has a brilliant chance.
You only have to go back twelve months ago to when this 6yo was running at the Punchestown Festival in a 2m3f Bumper, and that race could not have worked out any better. The winner Soldier In Milan (157) went over fences and won the Irish Grand National, the second King Rasko Grey (150) won the Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, and the third Catchintsavo (142) finished runner up in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at the Aintree Festival. Our selection RISKAWAY ran a cracker in fourth place, and the horses in behind Conman John (135), Mondoui’boy (142), Espresso Milan (136) and Sticktotheplan (142) also give the form an extremely strong look.
Since going over Hurdles the Gigginstown runner has not done badly himself, as on debut he went to Thurles and ran out a very impressive 11 length winner over Zeus Power (146) in a 2m4f Maiden Hurdle on very similar ground to what he will encounter on Wednesday. Clearly that Joseph O’Brien horse has improved bundles for learning to jump and stepping up in trip, but it was still a nice performance to win so easily with conditions clearly suiting.
Since then he has become the classic victim of winning his Maiden Hurdle but not being quite up to Graded level just yet, as in Ireland there are few options between Maidens and being forced into Class 1 company. Last year’s winner Kaid d’Authie was a classic case of this as he even pulled up in the Turners before bouncing back to form in the Louis Fitzgerald, whilst Grangeclare West was another good example a couple of years prior.
His second to Storm Heart (149) whilst only in receipt of 3lbs at Limerick in December reads well now though, and I am happy to excuse his fourth and seventeenth place efforts at the DRF and Cheltenham respectively. Dropping back into ‘winners of one’ company on decent ground over 2m3½f should be exactly what RISKAWAY needs in order to regain the winning thread, and clearly Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy are will both be desperate for winners in their respective battles for the Trainers and Jockeys Championships.
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Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle
16:15 Punchestown
A horse quite simply does not get sent off the 9/4f for the Albert Bartlett for no reason, and whilst everything went wrong for DOCTOR STEINBERG on the day, if he does put it all together at Punchestown then clearly he has more than enough ability to be winning a race like this.
I do always preach that you should not be afraid to back a losing horse again next time out if there is a genuine reason to excuse the performance, and that is clearly the case with this 6yo who pulled far too hard. It looked an odd enough move to me that Paul Townend decided the best way to settle him was from the front, and the plan obviously backfired when he very quickly dropped out of contention and was pulled up before the final flight.
It is safe to say that on this occasion connections will try a different approach, and that is evident before the race even begins with a first-time hood being applied. I do think it is telling that Paul Townend retains the faith, and it is easy to see why considering how easily he won the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle and Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacey Novice Hurdle earlier in the campaign. A further positive is that he won’t care what the ground does either, as he won his Maiden Hurdle on Good to Yielding ground at Galway back in October.
Should our selection turn out to be a busted blush then perhaps The Passing Wife could be the one to pick up the pieces on quicker ground and without the stiff finish of the hill to contend with on this occasion, but I would have concerns about Zanoosh who has looked a revelation on Soft and Heavy ground this season.
Colm Quinn Handicap Chase
17:25 Punchestown
Whilst the strength of his chances have not been missed by the market, I thought that KING ALEXANDER had outstanding claims in this 2m4½f Handicap Chase. A combination of a fairly weak final field and the fact that Paul Townend elects to take a rare ride in a Handicap means he deserves his position in the betting.
When you flick through his form since joining Willie Mullins you can build a very solid case, starting off with the fact that he rounded off last season when third behind stablemate Jump Allen (135) at Sandown. Since going over fences his form has been taken to a new level however, and he was only beaten a neck by Prends Garde A Toi (132) on debut in that sphere at Naas in December, where the Heavy ground probably took its toll in the closing stages.
Next time out at Gowran he was quite an unlucky loser, as this time he jumped the last in front but hung violently out to his right up the run in – which in the end cost him dearly. Having looked the winner with 50 yards to go the field all flew home to finished in a heap, and that demoted him to third place behind C’Est Ta Chance (142) and Funiculi Funicula (141), whilst also having an improving Soldier In Milan (157) a neck behind. He finally got off the mark back at Gowran in February however, justifying his odds of 4/9f with a very comfortable victory under Paul Townend.
Going to the Cheltenham Festival I wasn’t sure how much mileage he had in a mark of 144, but he took his chance in the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase and ran a really nice race in fourth. When you consider the form of that race is looking strong now with the second Gold Dancer (153) and third Regent’s Stroll (149) finishing 1-2 in the unfortunate Grade 1 Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree I think that KING ALEXANDER has been let in quite lightly off a mark of 140 back in his home country. I also like that he tackles what looks a weaker open company Handicap rather than the more competitive Novice version on Friday.
