7:40 Punchestown Tips

Showed plenty of ability on debut in December when finishing a good 2nd. Should be suited by this longer trip, and with improvement is likely to have every chance of going one better.

The 7-year-old shows promising each-way potential based on his recent form, finishing 3rd at Fairyhouse last time out despite encountering jumping errors. Trainer Gavin Cromwell is optimistic about his ability to handle the conditions and is maneuvering him back into a bumper to leverage his skills.

Hard to overlook this Mullins runner, who has gone off favorite the last two races. He should surely go well and should have race conditions to suit.

Likely to benefit from a step up in trip. Stayed on late behind stablemate Bon Bon Fizz (ran well here yesterday) at Thurles last time. Good Point winner has run two bumper seconds. Improvement to come. Gordon Elliott trained and Josh Halford an asset claiming 7 lbs.

Not much info on these horses, but a chance is taken on the Byrne horse, who is well bred and whose dam has won at this distance. The jockey takes off seven pounds.

Newcomer Holly's Thunder is related to several useful winners over both sets of obstacles. If ready for her debut run, she could well outrun her odds. It's interesting that she has been pitched into this for her first start, and, due to not being a fashionable trainer/jockey combination, is a big price, so well worth chancing. A very open race where the market will guide, but I'm willing to take an each-way punt, with lots of guesswork required.

C. Moore used to train this son of Jukebox Jury and now with P. A. Fahy. Mr. C. Mullins is in the plate, taking off seven pounds. Jukebox Charlie was backed from big odds to 14/1 but showed nothing at Down Royal. The owner, George Moore, may have changed trainers but has kept the horse. With a sign of substance on the last run, he might be surprising with a big run here, with conditions favouring him.

Dark Eagle has only had the one start, finishing down the field in a National Hunt Flat race at Down Royal over 2m 2f, but that experience will have given him a basic grounding. With just a single run, there’s still plenty of scope for improvement as he gains fitness and racecraft. If he steps forward from that debut and finds a suitable maiden or bumper, he could improve enough to be more competitive this time.

She hasn't shown any sort of form, but that hasn't meant she has been without her backers. She was highly thought of initially when she was 6/1 on debut and then was pitched in a Grade 3 bumper. She has been well beaten twice since switching yards, including unseating her rider on her hurdles debut last time out. She is a half-sister to bumper winner Shanches, and her dam was a half-sister to bumper winners Prominent Profile and Back Me Up, so the pedigree suggests she should do better.