Our Irish expert Tony Keenan looks ahead to today's action from day two of the Punchestown Festival.
Irish racing tips: Wednesday April 29
0.5pts e.w. Wonderful Everyday in 18:35 Punchestown at 18/1 (bet365, William Hill 1/5 1,2,3)
Gaelic Warrior versus Fact To File has been the Star Wars of this jumps season, with nearly as many versions too, the pair meeting for the fourth time since November in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup at 18:05.
As with their three previous meetings, there is little between them in the betting, and I have no strong opinion on how this race will go. Hopefully, both will be near their best and we will get a spectacle like the John Durkan.
The Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle (16:15) is another Grade 1 on the card though like its Cheltenham cousin, the Albert Bartlett, is a difficult race to sort, though the Race & Stay at Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race at 16:50 is more appealing.
The Mourne Rambler was a good winner of the Champion Bumper, but six lengths covered the first 10 home and it is not hard to make a case that a few in behind can get closer to him now, with Boycetown and The Wager the ones that make most appeal.
Boycetown has improved with each run this season, and appeared well-suited by the better ground at Cheltenham, travelling strongly through the race but finding himself badly positioned down the inner turning in. He to be switched to the near side late to make his challenge, a costly move in a race decided by narrow margins, and while he may be more of a stayer, he looks an excellent prospect.
The Wager raced in a similar position to The Mourne Rambler but didn’t get as smooth a run through the race, short of room on the home turn, before finishing well, second fastest of all in the final furlong and improvement for that run is likely given his trainer.
The other bumper on the card, the Weatherbys General Stud Book Irish EBF Mares INH Flat Race at 18:35, is an interesting betting race. Most of the top Irish bumper mares of the season like Oldschool Outlaw, Royal Hillsborough, Moonverrin and Nans Choice are absent, and at the top of the market are several once-raced runners.
Perhaps they will improve enough to win, but preference is for the more experienced WONDERFUL EVERYDAY who looked on her way back to form last time. She won the valuable Goffs Defender Bumper on debut last season, overcoming a very wide trip to beat some decent types like Brosna Shine.
Her first two runs this season were disappointing but there is a chance she didn’t handle the slower ground, and she ran much better last time at the Fairyhouse Easter meeting on slightly sounder surface when second to Belladaball who she takes on again here.
Patrick Mullins allowed that rival to get first run on his mount in the third quarter of the race as Wonderful Everyday finished up badly positioned but she finished well despite the steady pace, and this decent surface could bring out further improvement.
Earlier on the card, Vitorio Piel looks a solid favourite in the Connolly's RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series Final at 15:05. His last two runs look the best form available, while he also has an impressive bumper win at this meeting in his back catalogue, and he looks the one to beat.
His main market rival L’Evangeliste is a likeable type but he is off a sizeable break and is unlikely to get things as easy from the front as he has the last twice.
It may also be worth chancing that Riskaway can return to form in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle at 15:40. He has run well against some good horses this season like Zeus Power, Storm Heart and Doctor Steinberg, and this looks a relatively weak race. It also seems likely that two-and-a-half miles on decent ground are his optimum conditions at the moment.
Preview published at 08:50 BST on 29/04/26
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