Today's tips: Racing preview and best bets

Racing betting tips: Tuesday April 30

0.5pts e.w Paddy's Milestone in the 3.05 Punchestown at SP (General 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)

0.5pts e.w Asian Master in the 3.40 Punchestown at 20/1 (bet365, William Hill 1/5 1,2,3 - min 16/1)

0.5pts e.w Smooth Tom in the 4.15 Punchestown at 18/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6 - min 16/1)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

3:05 Punchestown

The card at Punchestown on Tuesday is excellent with a mix of top-class racing and tough handicaps, and the latter is what we have here. The most appealing runner in handicapping terms is the Stuart Crawford-trained PADDY'S MILESTONE, who finished fourth in an incident-packed qualifier at Down Royal won by Mousey Brown, who he is now able to meet on 14lb better terms.

The winner was hampered at the fifth hurdle that day, but not as badly as Paddy’s Milestone was when a loose horse ran right across the leaders at the third-last hurdle. Travelling at least as well as the placed horses at the time, he lost around 15 lengths in that incident and was never put under maximum pressure afterwards, but really caught the eye staying on after the last to be fourth. The impression made that he was well handicapped is backed up by the way his previous 11-length fourth in a maiden hurdle at Ayr has worked out with the first and second that day now rated 128 and 123. An unchanged mark of 102 from Down Royal looks a gift, for all he’ll need some better luck in a big and competitive field.

3:40 Punchestown

We were looking at Firefox as the bet here, as he looks very solid form-wise, but this will be his third tough outing in just over a month, having taken in both Cheltenham and Aintree, which is just enough to worry us out of the bet.

However, there's an alternative in ASIAN MASTER this morning, who was nibbled at in the betting last night but has drifted back to 20/1, which is very tempting. Fourth in the Supreme, when Tom Costello kept him wide throughout and well out of trouble, his previous form has worked out well, and Punchestown is less of an issue if you wish to race out a bit wider, as might be the case again. He comes here fresh from the Supreme and can run well.

4:15 - Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle (Listed) 2m149y

This looks absolutely wide-open and I am taking a chance of the flat class of SMOOTH TOM, who lacks experience over hurdles but looks potentially well treated on the style of his first two wins in this sphere. The track was barely raceable when he was well held behind Caldwell Potter at Leopardstown over Christmas, but he handles all other turf and ran a blinder when second in the Irish Lincoln at the Curragh last month.

Smooth Tom wouldn’t want this to develop into a slog as he’s effective at a mile on the flat, but Punchestown’s hurdle track does tend to favour speed over stamina and he gets my vote with Cian Quirke reducing his burden by 5lb.

Posted at 0945 BST on 30/04/24

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