We had a poor weekend. Our NAP Talakan got outpaced and probably needs further. Korker fell out of the stalls and Dark Cloud Rising ran okay but missed out on a place. This week we have the final major Irish jumps meeting of the season, check out Dave Stevos’ 2026 Punchestown Festival Wednesday tips below.
3.05 – Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Final (4yo+)
The one that looks a shade overpriced here at odds of 16/1
is Dunleer Crystal. Rated 114 after four runs over hurdles, his best effort
came at Down Royal in December when he came home 2.25l behind Los Blanco, his first
run on half-decent ground.
On his next start he failed to fire in a novice hurdle at
Navan when 9l behind Raise You Up and Grey Jude but the ground was soft to
heavy. Last time out at Wexford a lot went wrong. His saddle slipped and Jack Kennedy
somehow stayed aboard and he came home in third, 3.75l behind the winner
Ifallgoeswell and De Jour En Jour.
Jack Kennedy keeps the faith and he is weighted to get
closer to Los Blanco and he surely would have gone close to beating both De
Jour en Jour and Ifallgoeswell if he had a smoother trip at Wexford last time.
It looks to me like decent ground may be key for him and at odds of 16/1, an
each way interest is advised.
2026 Punchestown Festival Wednesday Tip: Dunleer Crystal
e/w @ 16/1 (4 places)
4.15 – Channor Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)
Last time out at Aintree Frankie John ran a big career best
to finish fourth in the Grade 1 novice won by Zeus Power. His first run at 3 miles,
he was beaten just over 4l for the win and he seemed to relish the decent
ground.
On his previous two starts he ran stinkers in Grade 1s at
Naas and at Leopardstown, both on soft ground. Previous to those efforts he won
a Leopardstown maiden hurdle (20.5f, gd-yld) and prior to that run, he ran
second in a Galway maiden hurdle (21.5f, gd-yld) when he chased home Doctor
Steinberg. Just over 5l separated the pair at the finish and over this longer
trip, Frankie John might be able to get a bit closer.
Overall, this son of Walk In The Park has form figures of 312214
on yielding or quicker, compared to 4355 on soft and heavy. Once this run doesn’t
come too soon after Aintree, Frankie John can outrun his generous looking odds
of 33/1.
2026 Punchestown Festival Wednesday Tip: Frankie John e/w
@ 28/1 (4 places)
Thursday
4.15 – Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle (listed)
With early prices already on offer for Thursday’s action, I
have to stick up Ballykinlar again. Yes, he came up short for us at Aintree and
at Cheltenham but he didn’t run badly at all and with Shane Fenelon taking off
5lb, he’s effectively 13lb lower than when beaten 12l in the Martin Pipe and 8lb
lower than when beaten 7.25l into seventh at Aintree.
When I put this horse up as one of my four to follow in an article for
TXODDS earlier this season, I suggested that he could be one to watch out
for at Fairyhouse and Punchestown in the spring. He was trained by Donnacha Duggan then so I presumed
he’d focus on domestic targets but after he moved to Mickey Bowen, I simply had
to keep faith in him for Cheltenham and Aintree.
In hindsight, I wouldn’t have tipped him for either of those
races if I knew the Bowens were planning to come here. Why? Because this son of
Irish Wells seems to be best going right-handed. His three wins have come at
Sligo (x2) and Kilbeggan, both right-handed tracks, and his excellent Listed
second came at Limerick, also a right-handed track.
In my defence, he did run well in a Listowel novice going left-handed
which convinced me to tip him at Cheltenham and Aintree, but his form figures
going RH over hurdles since he qualified for a mark read 2611142, compared to
307 going the other way.
Another cause for optimism is the step up to 3 miles. Okay,
he hasn’t finished overly strongly the last twice but if you look back at his
Limerick listed second over 2m5f and his third at Listowel behind Kainsbourg
over 2m4f, he shaped in both those races as though this sort of trip will suit
and his pedigree suggests it will suit too. At odds of 33/1, Ballykinlar is my e/w NAP of
the week.
2026 Punchestown Festival Thursday Tip: Ballykinlar e/w @
33/1 (6 places) NAP
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