As the curtain falls on another Irish jumps season, Punchestown Festival 2025 day 5 on Saturday, 3 May has two Grade 1 races for fans. These are the Mares Champion Hurdle and Champion Four Year Old Hurdle.
Both feature races, supported by red-hot handicaps, provide an intriguing finale to the core National Hunt campaign. Ireland is where the best horses are, but British raiders have held their own throughout this prestigious meeting.
A marathon handicap chase and Listed handicap hurdle top and tail five races of note we asked our experts to delve into the form book for. They study all that and the prices on horse racing betting sites in search of a bit of value for you.
What our experts then do is create shortlists based on their conclusions and give reasons why certain runners interest them. For the final time in relation to this five-day fixture, see what they think below…
Punchestown Festival 2025 Day 5 Preview for Saturday, 3 May
3:05 – 3m 7f 68y Handicap Chase
A double for Tiernan Power Roche!
Brandt wins the Dublin National Handicap Chase at Leopardstown
Tiernan Power Roche | Cian Collins pic.twitter.com/49216ADqQP
— The Horse Racer (@OlliCarter) March 2, 2025
Long-distance form for the furthest contested race over regulation fences is at a premium. Low down in the weights is Leopardstown 3m 4f winner BRANDT for Cian Collins. Although pulling up in the Scottish Grand National last time, he faced an impossible task from out of the handicap at Ayr.
Brandt can actually run off his proper revised mark of 118 now and has Jordan Gainford back in the saddle. In a much easier event than in Scotland, he should go well with just 10st 1lb on his back. Last year’s winner The Gradual Slope and Your Own Story take each other on again.
Lucinda Russell’s raider is 6lb better off with the winner now with just a neck between them 12 months ago, so could well turn the tables. Others from the UK to note include Hasthing for Jonjo O’Neill and National Hunt Chase Herakles Westwood representing Warren Greatrex. Both are in calmer waters here.
Pat Fahy veteran History Of Fashion has hit the frame in this before and landed the Porterstown around Fairyhouse over the winter. Another Choice and Outside The Door were behind him on that occasion. Irish Grand National Trial winner Fortunedefortunata looks best of Gordon Elliott’s runners, meanwhile.
3:42 – 2m 4f 118y Grade 1 Mares Champion Hurdle
Stepping Cheltenham Champion Hurdle flop Brighterdaysahead back up in trip is how Gigginstown House Stud and Elliott respond to her disappointing fourth. Willie Mullins believes he can win this without Lossiemouth, however, and JADE DE GRUGY can deputise in a race he has farmed.
While the Punchestown Festival 2025 day 5 feature isn’t as absorbing as it might have been, she’s a Grade 1 winner in her own right. Jade De Grugy won her French bumper on better going and she didn’t finish lame like Brighterdaysahead. It does a look a match on paper with other Mullins mounts Gala Marceau and Lot Of Joy lacking the top two’s course form.
Henry De Bromhead tries again with Cheltenham Mares’ Hurdle fifth July Flower, but there’s no obvious reason why she should reverse form with Jade De Grugy. Henry Daly’s UK raider Wyenot has so much more on her plate than when scoring in Listed company.
4:15 – Listed 3m 104y Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase
Aaaarrggghhh!
Better Times Ahead clumps the last and costs him the race, to be beaten by Minella Crooner at Punchestown
— Ian Rayner (@RacingBossman) May 4, 2024
JP McManus’ trio of last time out winners Battle It Out and Canal End, and British raider Jasmin De Grugy are all low in the weights and worth closer looks. De Bromhead isn’t having a great meeting like Elliott, but Majestic Force scored on a sound surface last time and heads to Punchestown Festival 2025 day 5 in good heart.
Fahy runs mare True Testimony off a featherweight, meanwhile, and Conor Stone-Walsh takes a further 3lb off with his claim. Beloved veteran Sam Brown, 13 years young, is another Anthony Honeyball runner framing the handicap and joining stable companion Jasmin De Grugy in the line-up.
4:50 – 2m Grade 1 Champion Four Year Old Hurdle
Just nine Mullins mounts after he ran 11 in the Triumph at Cheltenham. On that day, the then unraced over hurdles Poniros mugged LULAMBA, but revenge may be sweet for Nicky Henderson. Stable jockey Nico de Boinville is injured, so James Bowen deputises.
Lulamba could emerge even better racing right-handed. Just a neck separated him and Poniros, while best of those re-opposing from Cheltenham is the sixth home Hello Neighbour. There might be more upside to the filly Murcia, who has improved for better ground.
Blue Lemons also has Flat ability like Poniros, but must brush up his jumping as he won’t get away with his poor technique from Fairyhouse on Punchestown Festival 2025 day 5. It’s difficult to be sure if any of the others can improve sufficiently to get in amongst the market principals.
5:25 – Listed 2m 4f 118y Handicap Hurdle
🥇HEY SUNSHINE🥇wins the Mares Listed Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
Congratulations to winning Temple Bloodstock owners, jockey Paul Townend & trainer Willie Mullins. 🍾https://t.co/Z2Hg1XGv2F pic.twitter.com/zSc5gaw4GF
— Aubrey Mc Mahon (@AubreyMcMahon97) December 10, 2024
Elsewhere, Impse Toi adds a touch of class for Henderson and McManus. He runs off 2lb lower in Ireland than the UK, which only helps his chances. Impose Toi ran fourth behind the improving Wellington Arch for the O’Neill team at Aintree, but is better off at the weights with that one now.
Western Walk was fourth in this race 12 months ago, so tries again on Punchestown Festival 2025 day 5 with an amateur claiming 7lb off his back. Mousey Brown has bits and pieces of useful form, meanwhile, including a Grade 3 course second and good ground steeplechase win at this trip. Finally, D Art D Art was only eighth in the Pertemps, but has seen plenty of those home in front run well, so can’t be discounted.
