Punchestown Festival Day 4 Tips: 9/2 NAP heads Friday’s fancies

It's been a fantastic Punchestown Festival so far, and its penultimate card on Friday - which runs from 15:40-19:40 - promises more of the same.

Among my Punchestown Festival Day 4 tips is a 9/2 NAP in the second race of the day.

16:15 - Perceval Legallois @ 9/2

Willie Mullins has won this Listed novice handicap chase seven times in the last eight years, and he has every chance of making it eight from nine courtesy of Mister Policeman and Tactical Move.

However, I fancy Gavin Cromwell to upset the apple cart with PERCEVAL LEGALLOIS.

The JP McManus-owned seven-year-old was fancied by many for the Kim Muir Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but he was treated so harshly by the BHA handicapper that he stayed at home instead. As a result, he comes here fresh, which is the first positive.

I also think his mark of 137 is extremely generous. He was only two pounds lower, admittedly with a further five taken off thanks to claiming jockey Conor Stone-Walsh, when falling at the last in a competitive handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival back in February.

While it's hard to suggest he'd have won, given the winner pulled 14 lengths clear of the field, the selection was definitely threatening at the point of his departure and I'm confident he'd have at least finished second.

Heart Wood, who was victorious that day, is now rated 153 (17lbs higher) and was third, beaten just over five lengths, in the G1 Mildmay Novices' Chase at the Aintree Festival last month, so the suspicion is he could too have plenty up his sleeve.

I'm expecting a big run from Perceval Legallois, who rates the best bet on Day 4.

19:05 - Anotherway @ 2/1

The betting suggests this novice hurdle over the minimum trip is a match between ANOTHERWAY and Lark In The Mornin and, for the most part, I agree.

The latter, who won the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham, is sure to prove popular with conditions in his favour. However, that form is open to interpretation and this time he doesn't benefit from a lenient handicap mark as he takes on older rivals for the first time.

Anotherway, meanwhile, has progressed steadily throughout a light campaign. He was disappointing on debut at Leopardstown on Boxing Day before a facile maiden success at Punchestown just over a month ago.

Last time out he went to Fairyhouse to compete a Grade 2 which, in my opinion, he was set to win before exiting two out. Assuming he would have obliged, that's comfortably the best form on offer in this field of 15.

Two miles on decent ground is a concern, but he boasts enough form in such conditions from his time on the flat in France to make it just a slight one. Given a clear round this time, I think he'll be very hard to beat.

19:40 - Don'tstopthemusic @ 7/1

It's early days, but the Champion Bumper form is already starting to look shaky.

Jasmin De Vaux, Romeo Coolio and Sounds Victorious, who finished first, second and fourth at Cheltenham, were a long way behind Redemption Day in the Grade 1 here on Wednesday. Later that day, Fleur Au Fusil - seventh at the Festival - was also well-beaten in the mares' bumper.

For that reason, I want to oppose Fishery Lane in Friday's finale.

Taken to down Mullins' short-priced favourite is DON'TSTOPTHEMUSIC for Martin Brassil and the brilliant Derek O'Connor.

The seven-year-old - a half-brother to 2015 Champion Chase winner Dodging Bullets - has only run twice in his career so far. He was beaten out of sight in a maiden hurdle at Leopardstown on Boxing Day a couple of years ago before a much-improved second in a decent event at the Galway Festival the following summer.

He's been on the sidelines for another 274 days, suggesting he's been tricky to train, but evidently this son of Kayf Tara has bags of ability and I have plenty of confidence that his masterful trainer will have him ready.