Horse Racing tips: Rory Delargy’s best bets for Saturday’s Punchestown action

It's the final day of the Punchestown Festival and Rory reckons he's found some value.

Rory Delargy’s Punchestown betting tips:

15:10 Punchestown – The Dabbler
15:50 Punchestown – Love Envoi
16:25 Punchestown – Ballykeel
17:00 Punchestown – Lossiemouth
17:30 Punchestown – Seddon

*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.

15:10 Punchestown – The Dabbler

A dozen of these have pulled up on one or both of their last two starts, so it’d not the most competitive. It’s tempting to concentrate on the remaining quartet, but I think a case can be made for last year’s runner-up The Dabbler. He’s the only one in the field with placed form over the 3m7f trip or further, and his good run last year came on the back of a poor run at Fairyhouse’s Easter fixture after a break. He flopped at Fairyhouse last time in the corresponding event having been off for four months, and gives the impression he’s again been teed up for a big run here.

15:50 Punchestown – Love Envoi

Love Envoi may be a little flattered by her superiority over five reopposing rivals from the equivalent race at Cheltenham, given she was given a fine ride to control the pace, but all the others have at least 4½ lengths to make up on her, and she’s again likely to control the race, with Danny Mullins a pretty handy replacement for the injured Jonny Burke.

16:25 Punchestown – Ballykeel

Ballykeel didn’t cope with Cheltenham in the Kim Muir, but had been progressing steadily prior to that, and put up a polished display to land a rated novice at Fairyhouse in February. He was placed off a higher mark at Navan prior to that, and although he has form on heavy ground, he gives the distinct impression that he will prove better suited to a sound surface. His half-brother Blackstair Rock was best on such a surface, while his dam’s half-brother Blackstairmountain famously won the Nakayama Grand Jump on firm ground. Ballykeel has shown his best form when ridden by Corey McGivern, and the pair are reunited here, which gives hope that he can continue his progress at what could be tasty odds.

17:00 Punchestown – Lossiemouth

There is no reason to think that Lossiemouth isn’t the best of these given her one defeat came when getting into trouble at the DRF. She has beaten Gala Marceau either side of that, and should confirm her superiority again.

17:30 Punchestown – Seddon

Seddon has not looked back since joining John McConnell, and while his best efforts have come over fences, he was a winner over hurdles at Cheltenham in the autumn, and his mark in this sphere remains generous in comparison with his chase rating.

Rory Delargy’s Punchestown betting tips:

15:10 Punchestown – The Dabbler
15:50 Punchestown – Love Envoi
16:25 Punchestown – Ballykeel
17:00 Punchestown – Lossiemouth
17:30 Punchestown – Seddon

*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.

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