Placepot Pointers: Tote's guide to day one of the Punchestown Festival

There’s a feast of jumps action in Ireland to get stuck into on Tuesday, as the Punchestown Festival kicks off.

What’s more, we’ll be running Placepot Insurance on the card, so if your bet goes down in the first leg, we’ll refund your stake up to £10. T&Cs apply.

And always, make sure you bet with Tote for the best Placepot value. Tote+ means your dividend will be 10% bigger when you bet directly with us.

A 25-runner handicap hurdle is enough to strike fear into the heart of any Placepot player, and that’s the task at hand in Leg 3 (16:50), so it’s always worth referring to the trends and statistics to narrow the field. This a race in which those near the top of the weights tend to struggle, with seven of the last ten winners carrying 10-8 or less. It’s also a race in which it can pay to look outside right at the top of the betting, with only one of the last ten winners returning at an SP at a single-figure price.

One who fits the bill is Noel Meade’s JESSE EVANS who makes his handicap debut here. He’s been running in open company all season and he could be well ahead of his mark of 127. He travelled strongly at Naas back in February but just didn’t have the turn of foot to go with the likes of Echoes In Rain and Belfast Banter. There’s no shame in that though and he makes plenty of appeal here.

Willie Mullins has got one into the frame in this race in three of the last renewals and we’re going to side with a couple of his to complete our hand in this race. WHISKEY SOUR has been off the track for over two years but placed in a County Hurdle off 3lb higher. Last seen when finishing third in the Chester Cup, Hugh Morgan takes the ride and claims 5lb. JAZZAWAY finished half a length behind Mrs Milner at Galway last year, carrying 9lb more than the subsequent Pertemps winner. That’s strong form and if defying an absence can go close here.

There are a number of household names on this card and one who could be exactly that in the future is ECHOES IN RAIN (16:15, Leg 2). Willie Mullins looks like he’s got a top mare on his hands here and it was hard not to be taken by the way she quickened away from her rivals at Fairyhouse last time. Prior to that, she won a Grade 2 at Naas on the bridle, with Belfast Banter an 8l second. She could well be in a league of her own here.

While Paul Townend has opted for stablemate Blue Lord, five runners here mean two places are on offer and it doesn’t look the deepest Grade 1. Hers is the only name you’ll require on your slip.

ALLAHO (17:25, Leg 4) put in one of the best Cheltenham performances in recent memory last month, setting a monumental gallop and barely seeing a rival on his way round. He’s by no means short of speed, so the drop back to 2m here shouldn’t be a problem. Chacun Pour Soi may well go off favourite, but Rachael Blackmore’s mount is rock solid.

Leg 1 (15:40) is another 25-runner handicap hurdle and going in search of a sizeable dividend we’ve picked out a few outsiders to see us through to the second and, in truth, whoever you side with isn’t likely to carry the weight of the pool on their back.

FIGHTING FIT finished third at Fairyhouse last time out and a couple of mistakes at the last two hurdles scuppered any chance he might have had of winning the race. He was seeking a hat-trick that day having previously won at Thurles and over this course and distance. He’s up to 116 now, but he could yet be better than that and some good ground could bring out some improvement.

The wonderfully bred DJASEK remains a maiden over hurdles but looks like he’s been crying out for a bit of nice ground and gets it here. Contesting this following a good run on the level at Navan, he lines up off a mark of 102 and there could be more to come from this Tony Martin-trained 5yo.

SCHOLASTIC was a little disappointing at Cheltenham earlier this month but may have just bumped into one that day. She beat Jeff Kidder over course and distance here earlier this season and despite only being a 4yo has plenty of experience in these big field handicaps.

Envoi Allen’s fall at Cheltenham would have seen plenty of Placepot slips and we can see history repeating itself. With only four runners lining up here, you’ll need the winner in Leg 6 (18:30) to see you home and dry.

We can’t get away from MONKFISH here. Undefeated over fences, a good winner at Cheltenham and many’s idea of the Gold Cup winner next year, he looks absolutely rock solid. Crucially, we know he stays well and he can add another Grade 1 CV.

Just in case the unthinkable happens, we’ll be putting COLREEVY in there too. She hasn’t got too much to find with the boys and is actually 1lb better off at the weights than Envoi Allen on official ratings. She needed every yard to win the Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham so the step up in trip should suit and Elimay is a very good scalp. She’s being retired as a broodmare after this, so it would be some swansong if she can get her head in front.

Leg 5 (17:55) is a nightmare to get your head around with only six of the 24 runners to have seen a racecourse before. It’s often worth following the money in these races, so we’ll go with the UNNAMED FAVOURITE and HEMLOCK, who ran a decent race at Clonmel at the start of the month.

18+ only - begambleaware.org

Leg 1: Djasek, Fighting Fit, Scholastic

Leg 2: Echoes In Rain

Leg 3: Jazzaway, Jesse Evans, Whiskey Sour

Leg 4: Allaho

Leg 5: Hemlock, Unnamed Favourite

Leg 6: Colreevy, Monkfish

3 x 1 x 3 x 1 x 2 x 2 = 24 lines

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