Sunday Racing Tips: Mullins to dominate at Punchestown

Jump racing holds sway across Britain and Ireland on Sunday with three meetings taking place across the afternoon. First off is Punchestown before they go to Kelso and then a Flat card at Lingfield.

Amongst our Sunday fancies is one for Willie Mullins and owned by JP McManus, who could be going right to the very top.

13:35 Punchestown - Mystical Power @ 4/5

Won by top class horses such as Vautour, Douvan, Min and Impaire Et Passe in recent years, Willie Mullins likes to throw his good ones at the 2m½f Grade 2 Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle, and this season's potential star could be Mystical Power.

Sporting the familiar colours of JP McManus, the five-year-old son of Galileo justified very short odds when winning a bumper cosily at Ballinrobe on debut last May, before maintaining his unbeaten run in a novice hurdle at the Galway festival in July.

Mystical Power has a serious pedigree as his dam is five-time Grade 1 winner Annie Power, who herself won at the Galway festival as a four-year-old.

He has been off the track for 167-days which will likely have done him the world of good as some work needed to be done in the jumping department, but if Mullins has sorted those issues out he could be the real deal.

14:05 Punchestown - Lisnagar Fortune @ 8/13

Mullins seemingly has a stranglehold on the following 2m½f maiden hurdle as Rich Ricci's Mercurey makes his long-awaited comeback, but he might have to settle for second behind stablemate Lisnagar Fortune.

Mercurey might turn out to be the better horse of these in time but is likely to need the run, whereas Paul Townend's chosen mount should benefit from his runner-up finish behind stablemate Readin Tommy Wrong at Cork in November.

Readin Tommy Wrong won the Grade 1 Lawlor's Of Naas Hurdle on Friday to give that form a huge boost, and Lisnagar Fortune only got beaten a short-head by him at Cork and would have won after another stride.

He won his bumper here on debut in good style, beating some good horses on the day, and he looks like a horse who is going to improve with racing as he matures.

15:35 Punchestown - Hardwired @ 5/2

Proceedings are rounded off with a 2m6½f handicap chase and down at the foot of the weights, Ted Walsh's Hardwired could take all the beating with the very capable Alex Harvey claiming 7lb in the saddle.

The son of Fame And Glory bolted up here in an apprentice handicap chase over 2m7½f in October, and although he was brought down at Naas when last seen, he never looked like getting involved.

Hardwired is effectively back down to his last winning mark with Harvey booked for the job, and the return to this venue may bring out the best in him again.

Find more Horse Racing Tips here at Betfred Insights