The UK jumps season may be over, but Ireland still has something left to give, and below are my Punchestown Festival 2025 Day 1 Tips.
We finished the UK jumps season in fine fashion at Sandown on Saturday thanks to a 14/1 winner and 20/1 place, collecting 6.3pts of profit.
Hopefully, the form can continue with Punchestown and the Guineas Festival on our agenda.
Punchestown Festival 2025 Day 1 Tips
3:05 Punchestown – Londonofficecallin @ 9/1 General (6 places) – 0.5pt EW
The Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series is a nice little concept, and as such, it has attracted a competitive field for the final.
9/1 almost seems too skinny for a 20-runner race, but Londonofficecallin looked good when winning a qualifier for this in January, and I want to keep him on side.
He won by two-and-three-quarter lengths in January, but he should be fine on a potentially quicker Punchestown surface based on his Flat pedigree and his wins on good and good to yielding previously.
Daniel King keeps the ride, which is interesting as one can imagine that he would have had the choice between Denis Hogan’s Bright Legend and Gavin Cromwell’s Londonofficecallin.
This is just his third start over hurdles for Cromwell, and I hope that the reason he’s been saved for this race is because they don’t want to ruin his handicap mark for the final.
He won the qualifier impressively, and he will be a fresher horse than some of these who have had busier seasons. Therefore, he is on the team.
3:40 Punchestown – Brentford Hope @ 9/1 with Betfred (5 places) – 1pt EW
I feel like Brentford Hope has to be kept on side in the third race at Punchestown on Tuesday for a number of reasons.
Firstly, he ran in this race last year off a 3lb higher mark, and he ran into Daddy Long Legs that day, who was in receipt of 8lbs from Harry Derham’s son of Camelot.
Daddy Long Legs has won a Grade 3, finished third in a Grade 3 to Brighterdaysahead, chased home State Man in a Grade 1, and finished second to Absurde in the Sussex Champion Hurdle subsequently.
As for Brentford Hope, he has chased home both Rubaud and Constitution Hill in two separate Grade 2s this season, yet he gets to rock up to Punchestown off 140, and there doesn’t seem to be any Daddy Long Legs-type horse in this field.
Derham runs two, and Paul O’Brien has chosen his other runner, Ascending Lark. She has to be respected, but I’m not looking too much into the jockey bookings. O’Brien was onboard for four of her last five wins, while Johnny Burke partnered Brentford Hope to finish second to Constitution Hill in the Unibet Hurdle.
Therefore, he’s the one.
4:50 Punchestown – Lecky Watson @ 11/4 with Betfred – 1pt Win
Lecky Watson landed a minor surprise when winning the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, and there aren’t many reasons to suggest he can’t land another Grade 1 success.
Ballyburn was disappointing at the Festival. His jumping was poor, and he didn’t exactly gallop up the Cheltenham hill like a horse who was in love with three miles.
Yes, Paul Townend has kept his faith in him, and he is clearly a good animal, but I’m in no rush to back him again.
As for Lecky Watson, he’s an improving seven-year-old who does stay, and he is ground versatile. He’s won on yielding and good to soft before, so the Punchestown surface should cause no worries.
He’s three from three over fences, he won at Punchestown over 2m3f½f in January, he hasn’t had a hard season, and Sean O’Keeffe keeps the ride.
He seems like the solid play here, and his price is pretty reasonable considering what he did around Prestbury Park.
Just on the others, I’m not sure Impaire Et Passe has been crying out for a step up to three miles, Slade Steel could well bounce back (he is on the shortlist at a price), and both Stellar Story and Gorgeous Tom should be held by Lecky Watson based on the Brown Advisory.
Similar distance concerns surround Ile Atlantique, and I’m happy to let Champ Kiely and Don’t Rightly Know go off unbacked at their prices.
