Punchestown Festival Tips: Best Bets For Day One

With the excitement of the UK Champion Trainer showdown at Sandown last weekend now over, racing fans' attention turns to the always entertaining Punchestown Festival.

Arguably the biggest week of National Hunt racing in Ireland, the festival gives us the chance to see some of the best horses in the game for the last time this season.

A week full of Grade One action, it starts today with the Champion Chase, Champion Novice Chase and Champion Novice Hurdle being the highlights.

Our tipsters will choose their best bets on each day of the meeting, starting with three tips on day one.

Punchestown Festival Day 1 Tips

Tip 1: 15:40 - Brentford Hope 0.5pts Each-Way - 8/1 With Ladbrokes (5 Places)

A total of 17 runners will go to post for this two-mile handicap hurdle, and it is wide open according to betting sites.

Lark In The Mornin is the current favourite, but he ran poorly at the Cheltenham Festival when fancied for the County Hurdle.

He may well bounce back to form, but it could be worth taking him on with Brentford Hope at the prices.

Harry Derham's charge has spent most of the season taking on the likes of Constitution Hill and Golden Ace, so a drop to this level will be a big relief.

Second to a classy sort in this race last year, he carries 3lbs less today, and, if back to his best, he can give punters a good run for their money.

With five places up for grabs, he should be a decent each-way shout.

Tip 2: 16:50 - Lecky Watson 1pt Win - 4/1 With William Hill

The Champion Novice Chase could prove to be the race of the day.

Three horses, all trained by Willie Mullins, are the standouts and will take each other on over three miles two furlongs.

The final result may come down to jumping, as both Ballyburn and Impaire Et Passe have had trouble with their fences recently.

Ballyburn, in particular, threw away any chance of winning at Cheltenham with a poor round of jumping.

On that occasion, Lecky Watson took advantage of Ballyburn's mishaps, which could be the same scenario here.

His jumping was foot-perfect in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, and he was full value for his win.

He is the outsider of the Mullins trio with horse racing betting sites, but a similar performance could see him record a Cheltenham/Punchestown double.

Tip 3: 18:00 - Fact To File 1pt Win - 6/5 With Betway

It's not the most original selection, but Fact To File can't go unbacked in the Champion Chase.

The Ryanair Chase winner at Cheltenham is a special horse and can do it over whatever distance he likes.

It will be interesting to see how he copes with the drop back to two miles, but he is far from a slow horse, and it should prove no problem.

Marine Nationale is the obvious danger after his Champion Chase win at Cheltenham.

If there had been three places up for grabs, I may have sided with Solness, who will make this an interesting contest if getting an easy lead.

However, he could set the race up nicely for our selection, who also has plenty of stamina reserves.

* Prices correct at time of publication (1pm, 29 April)