Horse Racing Tips: Teahupoo can land Stayers Hurdle hat-trick at Punchestown

There's plenty happening across Britain and Ireland on Thursday, with six meetings on the agenda, but all eyes will be on Punchestown as it's Day 3 of their spring festival. We've got eight races to look forward to, the first of which takes place at 14:30 and the card closes out with a competitive bumper at 18:35.

The race of the day is undoubtedly the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle and two-time winner Teahupoo heads the field. Here are three of our strongest fancies to follow for our horse racing tips for Day 3 at Punchestown, and there's a Gordon Elliott runner in the big race of the day who should prove very hard to beat.

16:50 Punchestown - Coral River @ 10/1

There are five places on offer for this race and the Ross O'Sullivan-trained CORAL RIVER looks well set to run a big race. The lightly raced chaser has only had four starts over fences thus far and has managed to make the frame on every occasion.

He finished second to the useful Pure Steel in a novice chase over course and distance in December and was runner-up again at Fairyhouse after that. The son of Ol' Man River managed to get closer to the winner on that occasion, finishing half-a-length behind.

O'Sullivan's seven-year-old got off the mark with a three-length success over a longer trip at Clonmel last time out and the switch to handicaps can facilitate further progress. A mark of 133 shouldn't be beyond him and it's likely that the best is yet to come.

18:05 Punchestown - Teahupoo @ 15/8

Gordon Elliott is going to need plenty to go his way this week in order to hold off Willie Mullins as the pair go toe-to-toe for the Irish Jumps Trainers' Championship. One horse who can provide a major Grade 1 success at Punchestown is TEAHUPOO.

Elliott's star stayer is probably the best horse in the staying division, but often doesn't bring his best form to Cheltenham, despite having one Stayers' Hurdle success to his name. Punchestown is a very different story, however, and his record here is significantly better.

The son of Masked Marvel has won this race with plenty in hand in each of the last two seasons and will surely make a bold bid for the hat-trick here. Clearly below-par at Cheltenham last time out, he's well set to leave that run well behind him.

18:35 Punchestown - Soul Asylum @ 11/2

Punchestown's closing race on Day 3 is a competitive-looking bumper with some potentially smart prospects in the field, including a full-brother to Gaelic Warrior. Elliott runs two and there's plenty to like about the Harry Swan-ridden SOUL ASYLUM.

This £280,000 purchase was second in a Dromahane point-to-point back in November, finishing a head behind the winner, and the front two were well clear of the rest. He made his debut under rules in a bumper here back in February and left a very good impression.

Positive tactics were employed to great effect and he successfully batted away his challengers to score by just shy of five lengths. Improvement seems likely on just his second start and he looks like one to watch in the future.

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