Punchestown Festival betting tips: Thursday features Cross Country Chase and Stayers Hurdle with Klassical Dream poised ahead of Paisley Park

The Punchestown Festival was filled with action on the first and second and Thursday’s races could be more so with the big fields and distances of the Stayers Hurdle and Cross Country Chase.

The Festival goes on until the Saturday, April 30 capping off the jumps season with a bang, with the Champion Chase, Gold Cup, Stayers Hurdle, Champion Hurdle and Ballymore.

Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott dominate pretty much every single race this week but the Thursday races do see a plethora of runners and more of a mix of trainers ahead of the huge final day.

Paul Townend has had a great time in Ireland as well this week notching an impressive treble on Wednesday along with a win on Energumene in the Champion Chase on the opening day.

The big names are all out to carry over their great rides at Cheltenham Festival, like Rachael Blackmore, Townend, Aidan Coleman, Robbie Power and Daryl Jacob to name a few.

The first day wasn’t quite the day for favourite-backers in the big graded races, but perhaps today can change their fortune.

Potters Corner at 10/1

Shady Operator is the top-rated horse in the big field that will have to contest the mammoth 4m 2f course.

Ballyboker Bridge is an appealing horse in this sort of race having won over this course and distance before but his recent runs have maybe started to show signs of his age.

He slipped up in the race last year which was won by Singing Banjo, who also lines up today.

That 12-year-old was well beaten in a lowly rated chase at Tramore earlier this month over 2m 6f and in December at Cheltenham’s cross country Class 2 chase and finished 21 lengths behind Diesel D’Allier.

But the best pick could be Potters Corner also at the age of 12.

He was only a nose behind Diesel D’Allier, but has finished and won over this distance which is more than can be said about some of the others looking to try this trip again.

Former jockey, Katie Walsh has a couple of fancies on her Betway blog for this big field chase: “Go Another One (9/2) has never run over these banks fences and, while you’d rather a horse have had that experience, this isn’t the deepest running of this race.

“He’s a good horse on his day. If he takes to the course, he’ll give his running.

Ross runs Call It Magic (33/1), who was pulled up in this race last year before going on to win on the Saturday. He’s not getting any younger and we’d be delighted if he made it around safely and was fighting a place at the end. I’d love to see him go well. It’d be grand for the yard.”

Stayers Hurdle Betting Tips

Paisley Park at 13/2

Klassical Dream is the clear favourite of the field and that’s not necessarily due to the two recent runs finishing fourth and fifth, but more to do with winning this race last year and his love of Punchestown.

He also won at Leopardstown in December over Flooring Porter (the popular Cheltenham Festival Stayers Hurdle winner) in the 3m Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle.

The Willie Mullins-trained horse Klassical Dream was a respectable fifth at Cheltenham behind Flooring Porter but also finished behind today’s contender and tip Paisley Park.

Emma Lavelle’s horses have been running to form, the best of any trainer in this race and that coupled with Paisley Park’s renewed confidence could be pivotal here.

The 10-year-old was 17/2 at Cheltenham and only finished less than three lengths behind the winner after rallying home on to win over the same course in January despite looking like he was beaten a few furlongs out.

Clearly, he’s going well and is huge value at anything around 7’s for this and the booking of Aidan Coleman is a bonus as he can certainly get the best out of this Andrew Gemmell-owned gelding.

On that note, Concertista is also proving to be popular and has gone from 20/1 earlier this week to 8/1 having not raced over this distance before, but was clearly suited to a longer trip over 2m6f on his penultimate run.

Barberstown Castle Novice Chase

Gabynako at 9/4

This is another fascinating contest with plenty of Mullins-trained horses dominating the seven runner field with four entries.

Henry De Bromhead sends out the two big outsiders of Maskada (66/1) and Coeur Sublime (20/1).

Gentleman De Mee and Blue Lord were the two main contenders for Mullins before the former was declared a non-runner this morning, which has somewhat opened it up completely in the betting.

Blue Lord became the favourite, just, to Gavin Cromwell’s solo entry of Gabynako who has solid form coming into this Grade 1 contest.

He was last seen at Cheltenham and came second just over four lengths behind the incredible Edwardstone who justified odds-on favouritism.

That run in itself gives plenty of value to Gabynako’s chances who likes this distance and is a consistent chaser.

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