Punchestown Festival Day 4 Tips: Owen’s Friday flutters includes 15/8 Nap

The Punchestown Festival continues on Friday with another eight-race card starting at the later time of 15:40 and concluding shortly after 19:40.

I've got three Punchestown Festival Day 4 tips - including a 15/8 Nap in the penultimate race of the day.

17:25 - Theatre Native @ 6/1

Henry de Bromhead holds a strong hand in this Listed novice handicap chase and I fancy THEATRE NATIVE to land the spoils for the Knockeen handler.

The seven-year-old had a lofty reputation after prominent owner Kenny Alexander got his chequebook out following her unfortunate fall at the last when 24 lengths clear in a PTP at Dromahane back in November 2022, but her career under rules took a while to get going.

The daughter of Getaway won just one of five starts in bumpers and novice hurdlers, but has found a new lease of life over fences this term.

Her defeat to subsequent Arkle runner-up Only By Night on chase debut at Tipperary last November is fine form - as is her second to Gavin Cromwell's 138-rated Springt De La Mare.

I was a little disappointed when she failed to beat A Law Of Her Own at Thurles in March, but her most recent victory at Cheltenham's April Meeting was a clear career-best.

Theatre Native dotted up at HQ by 10 widening lengths off a mark of 125 and I'm not sure her new Irish rating (133) is enough to stop her going in again.

18:05 - The Yellow Clay @ 6/4

As the betting suggests, I see the Champion Novice Hurdle - a Grade 1 over an extended 2m4f - as a match between THE YELLOW CLAY and Final Demand.

The two renew rivalries after finishing second and third respectively in the Turners at the Cheltenham Festival, and I see no reason why Gordon Elliott's runner can't confirm the form.

The six-year-old son of Yeats went to HQ with an unbeaten record for the season, having won a maiden, Grade 3 and Grade 2 before bolting up in the G1 Lawlor's Of Naas at the start of the year. He lost that tag, but not without a fight, going down by under a length to Dan Skelton's exciting The New Lion.

Willie Mullins' Final Demand was just under five lengths adrift of the selection, looking like the soft-ground loving three-miler I've long thought he was.

So, I find it difficult to envisage a different result on better ground, over a shorter distance. Final Demand is the better long-term prospect in my view, but I don't think we'll see the best of him until he's back on winter ground over a longer trip.

19:10 - Runcok @ 15/8

Last but not least, I expect RUNCOK to take a lot of beating in the penultimate race on Day 4 of the Punchestown Festival.

Willie Mullins' five-year-old drops back to a standard novice event after finishing fifth in a hot Grade 2 at Fairyhouse last month.

That was won by stablemate Irancy, who landed a Grade 1 here on Tuesday by nine lengths, and in fourth was another Closutton inmate Gaucher, who finished fourth in a Listed handicap hurdle off a lofty mark of 147 on the same card.

That's easily the best form on offer in this field of 13 and Runcok, in the famous 'double green' silks of Simon Munir & Isaac Souede, remains open to further improvement on just his sixth start under rules and third over hurdles.

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