Lucky 15 Tips: Say hello to the magnificent Punchestown Festival

It's the start of the Punchestown Festival on Tuesday; a great place to visit for our Lucky 15 tips. So many championship contests this week, with the might of Ireland looking to repel any overseas raiders who might just fancy their chances and secure some significant prizemoney into the bargain.

Five fantastic days in County Kildare. Here we go ... 

Horse Racing odds

14:30 - Willitgoahead @ 5/2

Gordon Elliott's eight-year-old Getaway gelding has a good deal of very smart form to his name, but arrives here looking to dispel memories of a couple of listless efforts the last twice at Thurles in January, then in the Open Hunters' Chase at Cheltenham last month.

Willitgoahead is in another parish relative to his rivals on Racing Post ratings and if he can recapture his former sparkle he could be very effective in this discipline.

He was third in the Cheltenham Hunters' Chase of 2025, his first run for Gordon (formerly with Sean Thomas Doyle), and now tackles the fabled Punchestown cross-country course.

He's definitely got a touch of class and jockey Jamie Scanlan has ridden him on many occasions, before and after being acquired by Gordon.

16:15 - Skylight Hussle @ 9/2

The Champion Novice Hurdle, a Grade 1, over 2m-and-change.

In the Supreme at Chelters at this trip El Cairos was well fancied, but couldn't really land a blow and finished a 9l fifth of 11. The six-year-old will be popular here to regain his mojo but I'm opposing with another of Gordon Elliott's - his Jukebox Jury gelding of the same age, running in the Robcour silks and ridden by Sam Ewing; his only mount on the card.

Skylight Hussle fell three out at the Festival so fared considerably worse than his stablemate, but prior to that had looked very smart when taking a £50k G1 at Leopardstown at the Christmas meeting, by 5l.

I'm allowing for a bad day at the office at Prestbury Park and hope 'Hussle' can find his best form on Tuesday, back on 'home' turf.

16:50 - Kitzbuhel @ 11/8

Our selection in this 3m 1f Champion Novice Chase is one with a happier recent memory of Cheltenham, having won the Brown Advisory under Harry Cobden in extremely game fashion last month.

Willie Mullins' six-year-old gelding who runs in the famous Donnelly colours gets Paul Townend up top this time, as he rode runner-up Final Demand for the yard behind Kitzbuhel last month.

Our pick won the Kauto Star at Kempton on Boxing Day and that last run, beating 13 rivals for one the Festival's standout prizes, was a firm, emphatic career-best.

More could well be to come and though Willie saddles four, Kitzbuhel is very much the County Carlow number one.

18:05 - Majborough @ 5/2

More Cheltenham Festival form strands. Our selection in this Champion Chase, at virtually the minimum trip, was odds-on for the Queen Mother last month, but jumped erratically (as he can on occasion), and was a mile adrift of winner Il Etait Temps, who also lines up here well-touted to score once again.

Marine Nationale is a welcome sight here, too. Unable to defend his Champion Chase crown in Gloucestershire after a setback, he looks to retain this one after a cosy 7l success last year.

So - we'll no doubt suffer en route, but I'm hoping the six-year-old French-bred gelding Majborough can reproduce his Leopardstown run, preceding that Cheltenham disaster, when he absolutely dominated to hose up by 19l over 'Marine.'

He took the G1 Barberstown Castle novice at this meeting easily last term and though not one for the faint of heart, on a proverbial going day he's very impressive indeed. Tremendous race, on a day choc-full of them.

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 £220 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.