Tony Keenan nailed an 8/1 winner on Friday and he has one selection on the final day of Punchestown on Saturday.
Irish racing tips: Saturday May 3
0.5pts e.w Hey Sunshine in 5.25 Punchestown at 9/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4,5 Bet365, 8/1 general)
Willie Mullins was up to 12 winners at the Punchestown Festival as of yesterday evening and he looks to hold another set of leading chances today, with a few of them looking appealing prices too.
Jade De Grugy is a talented sort in the SBK Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle at 3:42 who is unbeaten away from Cheltenham and may be better going right-handed as she can adjust that way. She only made his first start of the season in late February, and it was a rush to get to ready for Cheltenham so there is every chance she improves again for finishing second to Lossiemouth in the Mares Hurdles.
She is not as good as Brighterdaysahead at her best but there must be questions about whether the Elliott mare will run to form today. She has been busy and produced a huge effort at Christmas which seemed to take something out of her in the Champion Hurdle where she looked awkward for parts of the race.
It is hard to find positives from her missing the Aintree Hurdle at a track that suited her so well last season, while she has no pacemaker here and prefers going the other way around. All of that could be enough to open the door for Jade De Grugy.
Poniros is a challenging horse to assess in the Ballymore Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle (4:50) because he did something so unusual in winning the Triumph Hurdle on his first run over obstacles. There is a chance that he bounces after that but given his trainer is Willie Mullins, improvement for the run seems just as likely.
It is possible he was suited by sitting out of the battle as the fancied ones went for their races early in the Triumph, and the likes of Lulamba and East India Dock travelled marginally better than him, but that might have been lack of sharpness as much as anything and it is a bit early to be pigeon-holing him as a stayer given he has only had one run for the yard and was a 10- and 12-furlong type on the flat. He looks a little overpriced around 11/4.
The Lawlor's Of Naas Handicap Hurdle at 5:25 is less competitive than is often the case, 17 currently down to run when field sizes in the mid-20s are the norm.
I had Raglan Road in mind for this straight after his eye-catching third place effort in the Martin Pipe when he was shuffled back at all the wrong times, but the form of the Henry De Bromhead yard is a significant concern with him.
There are no such concerns with HEY SUNSHINE. She won her first two start over hurdles in autumn and carried that form into winter when winning a Listed hurdle for mares at this track in December, impressing with how she came from what looked a difficult position turning in to shoot to the lead at the last and win with a bit in hand. That form has worked out particularly well with the four to follow her home all winning decent races since.
Her three hurdle wins came on decent going and she was given a break afterwards before returning in the Grade 1 at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday on ground much softer than ideal. She travelled quite well then and raced down the inner more than most which looked a disadvantage given Paul Townend went around the outside on the winner Aurora Vega and the rest of the races on the hurdle track later that day played out similarly.
Today’s conditions look much more suitable, and Townend takes one of his rare handicap mounts, this just his third such ride this week, so she should go well.
Published at 0900 BST on 03/05/25
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