Punchestown racecard, runners, live stream & tips for day 2 of the 2022 Festival

We've got all the deets for Wednesday at Punchestown.

By / Horse Racing News / 2 years ago

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change

It’s Gold Cup Day at the 2022 Punchestown Festival and we’ve got everything you need to know about the racecard.

The Punchestown Gold Cup is shaping up to be one of the races of the season with a quality nine-runner field declared for the 5.55pm on Wednesday. Paul Nicholls’ Clan Des Obeaux is back for another raid after storming to victory last year and attempts to become the second horse in history to land back-to-back renewals (the first being the stable’s former star Neptune Collonges).

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He has hit work cut out, however, as Allaho is thrown into the mix with Willie Mullins stepping the dual Ryanair Chase winner up in trip, 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Minella Indo still looking for a first win of the campaign, while Galvin will try to cap off a progressive campaign with another big prize. If that wasn’t enough, this season’s King George winner and a Grade 1 hat-trick seeker are also set to go to post. It’s going to be a cracker!

A fascinating Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle precedes the main event at 5.20pm as Albert Bartlett winner The Nice Guy goes for a fifth success on the spin but faces competition from Minella Cocooner, Minella Crooner and Journey With Me.

Punchestown Day 2 Tips

    The other Grade 1 on the card sees emphatic Champion Bumper scorer Facile Vega reoppose American Mike in the Champion I.N.H. Flat Race at 6.30pm.

    All the information you could possibly need about Wednesday’s races at Punchestown is on our snazzy Racecards page including the runners and riders, weights, odds and horse-by-horse analysis.

    If you’re fretting about how to watch the 2022 Punchestown Festival then fear not as Uncle Paddy’s put some coins in the meter to live stream all the action on the Paddy Power website and Paddy Power app. You don’t even have to place a bet on a race to tune in!

    Eager to see if you’ve placed a winning bet? We’ll have the Punchestown results in a flash on our Fast Results page.

    You can head over to the Racecards tab at the top of page now to start swotting up on Wednesday’s renewals, otherwise, you’ll find the race times and tips for day two of the 2022 Punchestown Festival below.

    15:40: Adare Manor Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle

    An ultra-competitive opener which can go the way of LIFE IN THE PARK. Henry de Bromhead’s charge galloped his rivals into submission at Tramore earlier this month, and provided this doesn’t come too early in his development, an opening mark of 119 may underestimate him. English-raider Thanksforthehelp has scope for plenty of improvement heading into handicaps so he’s fancied to be in the mix, with Francois and Midnight It Is also expected to go well.

    16:15: Connolly’s RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series Final

    FREEDOM TO DREAM caught the eye when fourth in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham last month and assuming this is a good test at the trip, he looks the way to go. Glengouly has a bigger effort in him for his top yard and is feared, while I A Connect is better than he could show last time.

    16:45: Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle

    FILS D’OUDAIRIES has cranked it up a notch in handicaps reverting to hurdles in 2022 and his Aintree second 3 weeks ago is just about the most persuasive piece of form. Ganapathi could improve on this better ground, with stablemate GIbraltar also of interest.

    17:20: Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)

    MINELLA COCOONER shaped really well when runner-up to stablemate The Nice Guy in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival, arguably making his effort earlier than ideal, which provides plenty of hope that he can reverse the form. Minella Crooner and Journey With Me are others to view positively in a good renewal of this Grade 1.

    17:55: Punchestown Gold Cup (Grade 1)

    A cracking renewal. ALLAHO’s free-wheeling style is seen to very good effect over 2½m but it’s worth remembering that he has some top-class form to his name around 3m and, with a dry forecast, he’ll surely take some pegging back. Last year’s winner Clan des Obeaux warmed up for his defence with a victory at Aintree and can fill the forecast spot ahead of Minella Indo.

    18:30: Race & Stay At Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race (Grade 1)

    FACILE VEGA comfortably saw off American Mike at Cheltenham and there’s no obvious reason to think that those placings will be reversed, while it would take a much-improved performance from one of the remainder to even remotely threaten that pair.

    19:05: OMC Claims Handicap Chase (Grade A)

    Several arrive with sound claims and it may pay to side with Gordon Elliott’s FANCY FOUNDATIONS. Following a break, he shaped better than the distance beaten suggests when fourth in a Limerick Grade 3 in March and the drop back in trip/switch to handicaps are both positives. Ciel de Neige is building up an excellent record over larger obstacles and is a big danger, along with the returning Cavalry Master.

    19:45: Weatherbys General Stud Book Irish EBF Mares Flat Race (Grade 3)

    THE MODEL KINGDOM was pretty impressive when doubling her tally at Navan before in November and the form looks solid, so she gets the nod to maintain her unbeaten record for all the 5-month absence is a slight concern. Dorans Weir and Pink In The Park, who fought out the finish at Fairyhouse last time, also make plenty of appeal.

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