Lucky 15 Tips: Punchestown Festival just keeps on giving

Winners are not easy to come by at Punchestown this week, but the racing is spectacular and to quote Arsenal midfielder D Rice 'it's not done yet.' Not until Saturday in fact (the racing, that is).

Having said that - TWO cracking scorers for us here yesterday, one advised at 6/1 and returned 7s, plus the irrepressible Gaelic Warrior at 6/5 (returned 5/6).

Let's visit once again for our Lucky 15 tips and enjoy more Group 1 action, Listed contests, stars of tomorrow strutting their stuff, and fiendishly-tricky handicaps to solve.

Horse Racing odds

15:05 - Future Prospect @ 2/1

Mares go just over 2m in this Listed novice contest.

As with many races this week Willie Mullins has multiple entries and fields three of the likely six-strong line-up. It's his six-year-old daughter of Ascot Gold Cup winner Order Of St George I'm most interested in - Future Prospect.

She has two wins so far from seven starts, and interestingly stable number one Paul Townend has only ridden her once before - to a 9l victory in a Naas maiden in January.

To be fair four of those spins were in bumpers, under the mighty Patrick Mullins, but Paul is on top again this afternoon and while she's arguably not kicked on in two runs since that January success they were G2 and G1 tests respectively, at Cheltenham and Fairyhouse.

This is something of a retrieval mission then but I'm not prepared to write her off just yet.

15:40 - Vanillier @ 2/1

Those famous banks and assorted cross-country obstacles - 4m 1f is the trip, for the La Touche Cup.

Our selection Vanillier is an experienced 11-year-old French-bred gelding who has importantly won on this course previously. He didn't shine in Cheltenham's cross-country at the Festival, never quite able to get to the principals.

That was over around 3.5f shorter than this, so I'm expecting the additional real estate involved to be a bonus. Preceding that Prestbury Park disappointment he won here over 3m 1f at a lower level, and has plenty to recommend him this afternoon.

Gavin Cromwell trains, and Keith Donoghue who knows him well is in the plate.

16:50 - McLaurey @ 6/1

Listed handicap chase action, over 2m-and-change (75 yards, to be precise).

Trainer Emmet Mullins is renowned for his shrewd targeting of certain races, often at the Festival meetings, and he saddles the JP McManus-owned seven-year-old Jukebox Jury gelding McLaurey in this.

When last seen he finished 14l adrift in a G3 at the Festival last month over 2m 4f, and might well appreciate this step back in distance. He was carried wide and hampered approaching the run-in on that occasion and it's perhaps significant that he was quite well-fancied beforehand, starting at 5/1 in a field of 23.

I can see him being quite popular in this, down in trip and class, and for such notable connections. He's down 3lb from Cheltenham to a mark of 130, and regular pilot Mark Walsh is on top. JP's 'new' man Harry Cobden rides the owner's Birdie Or Bust, for trainer Henry De Bromhead.

Fascinating stuff.

18:05 - Bob Olinger @ 11/4

It's the Champion Stayers' Hurdle now, and a field graced by one or two real superstars of this discipline in recent years.

Gordon Elliott's Teahupoo is sure to be popular, but it's one in the same Robcour colours that I'm siding with - the equally regal 11-year-old gelded son of an Irish Derby runner-up - Bob Olinger.

Fabulous ten-from-21 career record, and when he won the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival of 2021 by 7l, then the following year's Turners' Novices' Chase (albeit fortunately), his reputation was sky-high.

There's been the odd hiccup along the road since then but he won the Stayers' at the Festival last year, and 49 days ago finished a gallant third beaten 2.75l to Home On The Lee in the 2026 renewal.

Teahupoo was about 4l further back in sixth, and remains a danger to all. 'Bob' is in the care of Henry De Bromhead, and the superb Darragh O'Keefe has the riding assignment.

The selection has won here before over fences and I'd love to see him continue this Indian summer element to his career over the smaller obstacles this afternoon. At his best he stalks his prey, and pounces late. A bit of vintage 'Bob' is exactly what's required!

If all four of our selections won, today's notional 50p win Lucky 15, at the prices indicated (they can of course fluctuate), would return around £303 for a £7.50 total stake. If you can improve upon our selections (of course you can) - then go for it

Lucky 15 tips with Betfred Insights.