2025 Punchestown Sunday Preview & Tips – DS
2025 Punchestown Sunday Preview
Finally! Our 14/1 NAP Electric Mason ended the barren run with a gutsy win at Haydock. Looking at how he jumps, I’d imagine anything he does over hurdles will be a bonus. I was also delighted with Glen Kiln’s effort over an inadequate trip. Hopefully some of you risked the forecast. My 2025 Punchestown Sunday preview is below.
12.13 – Irish EBF Maiden Hurdle (5yo+)
Usually, I wouldn’t bother looking at maiden hurdles but I’m making an exception here. William Durkan has been in fine form in recent days so I am going to take a chance on his Rules’ debutant Court Compliance, who will be ridden by Philip Byrnes.
This 5yo son of Court Cave has had two runs in point to points. In the first one, at Belclare on good to yielding ground in early March, he finished a modest third but the horse that finished 3l in front of him in second, Diamond Hunter, has since won a maiden hurdle at Plumpton and a Grade 2 novice at Haydock earlier today.
Later that month Court Compliance finished a 2l second in another P2P at Oldtown on easier ground. The winner was runner up in a Naas maiden hurdle earlier this month, finishing 15l ahead of the horse in third.
This horse is out of a half sister to the classy mudlarks In Compliance and Billy’s Hope so there is a good chance he’ll handle the ground at Punchestown and at odds of 20/1, he is worth chancing each way.
2025 Punchestown Sunday Tip: Court Compliance e/w @ 20/1
1.52 – Pertemps Handicap Hurdle qualifier (0-140)
She’s 1lb wrong and she lacks a recent run but off a mark of 114, Sarah Beara is more than capable of going close here if she runs to her best. Long time readers may remember me tipping this horse up at 150/1 for a Grade 3 novice at Cork a couple of years ago. She missed the place money in third but it was a fine run and it’s hard to believe she hasn’t won a race since August 2023.
She was third in another Grade 3 at Limerick in March 2024 on heavy ground so she’ll have no problems with the conditions and she ran a fine race first time out last season when she finished a 5l second of 12 at Roscommon off this mark (3m, soft).
Usually ridden by Philip Enright, Jordan Gainford gets the leg up for the first time today and he is 1/4 when riding for Sam Curling. As her fitness has to be taken on trust, she isn’t one for maximum stakes but if she is even 80% fit, hopefully she’ll stay on late for place money at odds of 12/1.
2025 Punchestown Sunday Tip: Sarah Beara e/w @ 12/1
3.00 – John Durkan Memorial Chase (Grade 1)
What a race. Eleven runners, including last year’s winner (and Ryanair Chase winner) Fact To File. He’s been installed as the 11/8 favourite on his seasonal reappearance and he is preferred by Mark Walsh. He’s clearly a top class operator but his sole run on soft to heavy resulted in defeat and that has to be slightly concerning.
His stablemate, Gaelic Warrior, is next best in the betting. Both his starts on heavy in Ireland resulted in victory so the ground is not a worry for him and he has won a Grade 1 novice at this venue so the track is fine for him too.
He did get turned over on his seasonal reappearance last year but won first time up the previous two years so his lack off a run isn’t a massive worry and he looks to hold every chance.
Gold Cup Winner
The Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Inothewayurthinkin, also starts his campaign. However, he was well beaten in this race on his seasonal return last year and he is clearly at his best over much further than this.
Heart Wood has a run under his belt but he proved no match for Fact To File in the Ryanair and the suspicion remains that he needs better ground than this to show his very best.
Questions To Answer
Fastorslow is another extremely talented horse on his day but he has questions to answer. He ran only once last season, when below par in this race, so his well-being has to be a concern and while he won this race in 2023, his best recent form has come at 3m+ so the percentage call has to be to just watch him today.
The one I ended up coming down on is Lecky Watson. He’s not as flashy as some of his rivals but he’s a proper NH horse that handles heavy ground and he is often underestimated in the market, just like he was when winning the Brown Advisory last season at odds of 20/1.
He won all three of his completed starts over fences as a novice, including over this C&D in January. He did blot his copybook when falling at the fifth in the Champion Novice at the Festival here in April but hopefully, that was just a once off.
Stepping up into open company for the first time will not be easy but this son of Valirann has form figures of 211 first time out so hopefully, he’ll be fully revved up for this seasonal reappearance. If Sean O’Keefe can get him jumping and gets him into a nice rhythm, Lecky Watson might be capable of sneaking into the frame at odds of 16/1.
