Top tipster Andrew Mount has three bets on the opening day of the Punchestown festival
GREAT BEAR – (3.40 Punchestown, 1pt each-way – 11/1)
GREAT BEAR is 0-7 over hurdles but he clocked a good time when fourth of 20 in a race worth over 47,000 euros to the winner at Fairyhouse last time – his jumps handicap debut – where he did best of those to race up with the early pace. He drops in grade today and the five-year-old, a winner on firm ground at Bath when trained by Roger Charlton, hasn’t had many opportunities on a sound surface over jumps.
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CAYD BOY – (4.50 Punchestown, 0.5pt each-way, 20/1)
The County Hurdle form has already received several boosts, notably from the winner Belfast Banter who followed up in Grade 1 company at Aintree, as well as the third and eighth – Milkwood and Anna Bunina – who went on to finish one-two in the Scottish Champion Hurdle. CAYD BOY, only beaten by 11 lengths when 13th of 25 at Cheltenham, looks interesting today. Cheltenham was the first time in his career he’s finished out of the first two and his trainer expects him to appreciate the better ground.
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WHISKEY SOUR – 4.50 Punchestown, 0.5pt each-way, 18/1)
I also want to side with WHISKEY SOUR despite the mammoth 718-day absence. The Willie Mullins-trained eight-year-old was last seen running third in the 2019 Chester Cup, doing best of those to come from off the pace. He’s only once finished out of the frame in seven hurdles starts – when seventh of 20 to Sharjah on unsuitably soft ground in the 2018 Galway Plate – and he’s 3lb lower than when placed in the 2019 County Hurdle.
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Today’s Best Bets
Great Bear – 1pt each-way – 3.40 Punchestown (11-1 bet365)
Cayd Boy – 0.5pt each-way – 4.50 Punchestown (20-1 generally)
Whiskey Sour – 0.5pt each-way – 4.50 Punchestown (18-1 Betfair, Paddy Power, 16-1 generally)
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