See Andy Newton’s Punchestown Festival tips on Wednesday 29th April 2026, for DAY TWO of their five-day fixture.
With the second day seeing three more Grade One races that include the Punchestown Gold Cup at 6:05pm.
And a must-see ‘head-to-head’ clash between Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File.
Punchestown Horse Racing Tips (Wednesday 29th April, 2026): Gaelic Warrior To ‘Out-Battle’ Fact To File
Gaelic Warrior
ReadHorseRacing’s Andy Newton thoughts on the three Grade One races at Punchestown on Wednesday.
Plus gives his Punchestown Festival tips ‘any other business’ on the rest of the card.
4:15 – Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo+) 3m
Trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Willie Mullins have won the last five renewals, plus we’ve also seen the last five market leaders go in.
Mullins runs Hipop De Loire, Expresso Milan, Love Me Tender and Doctor Steinberg – with Paul Townend on the last-named.
But this 6yold will need to bounce back from running too free in the Albert Bartlett last time at Cheltenham. The first-time hood might help on that score.
We’ve got the 2nd (Fruit De Mer) and 3rd (The Passing Wife) in that race back too, while the winner Johnny Jury has since run okay (3rd) at Aintree.
Both are noted with FRUIT DE MER looking a ‘juicy’ bet for me. This Henry De Bromhead 6yold has only had four career runs (3 over hurdles) so likely to have more scope to improve.
I was thought he just ran a tad green in the closing stages that day but still plugged on well to suggest there is more to come.
While of the rest, I think LOVE ME TENDER could outrun his odds, if coping with the step up in trip.
He should also like the better ground on offer at Punchestown and that will also help him seeing out the extra yardage.
Mark Walsh rides.
🥇FRUIT DE MER
🥈LOVE ME TENDER
🥉THE PASSING WIFE
4:50 – Race & Stay At Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race (Grade 1) (4-6yo) 2m½f
Another Willie Mullins benefit race, with 7 of the last 9 winners going to the Closutton yard.
He runs Dromard, who bolted up at Gowran Park on debut on heavy but hasn’t been since.
Plus, also has THE WAGER, who will be ridden by Jody Townend, who has won the last two renewals.
He’s only got 4 1/4 lengths to find with the Cheltenham Festival Bumper winner The Mourne Rambler.
Mullins also runs Love Sign d’Aunou, The Irish Avatar.
Low Kick for Gordon Elliott was an easy 10-length winner at Naas back in February and so will be fresher than most.
However, I still think the Cheltenham winner THE MOURNE RAMBLER is worth sticking with here.
This Noel Meade runner improved to win that Festival race by 2 3/4 lengths and there’s no reason to think he can’t back it up on similar ground.
Meade also have history in this race, with wins in 2004, 2006 and 2007.
While Cheltenham winners have a fair record of following up here.
With Bambino Fever, A Dream To Share, Facile Vega, Fayonagh, Champagne Fever and Cousin Vinny all recent examples of this.
🥇THE MOURNE RAMBLER
🥈THE WAGER
🥉LOW KICK
6:05 – Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup (Chase) (Grade 1) (5yo+) 3m1f
Onto the day two feature – the Punchestown Gold Cup as we look forward to another Gaelic Warrior vs Fact To File clash.
The pair have a 2-2 H2H record in their careers to date – with the most recent Fact To File winning the Irish Gold Cup at the DRF, with Gaelic Warrior back in second.
However, with both Fact To File’s wins over Gaelic coming at Leopardstown, I just think away from the Dublin track and on quicker ground the McManus runner might struggle.
As we know GAELIC WARRIOR has since come out to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in facile fashion and that form has been franked with the second Jango Baie winning at Aintree since.
Warrior’s form here at Punchestown is 1-1-2-1 too, so we know he likes it here and having won the Oaksey Chase last season at Sandown on quicker ground then conditions will be okay.
He’s taken to be the first Cheltenham Gold Cup winner to land the Punchestown Gold Cup since Sizing John in 2017.
Of the rest, former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin has to be noted too.
But Gavin Cromwell’s charge hasn’t won a race since his big day in the sun in 2025. Having run poorly all season.
So, despite clearly a talented chaser on his day, is on a huge recovery mission.
I’ll take Gaelic to be a ‘Warrior’ again here.
🥇GAELIC WARRIOR
🥈FACT TO FILE
🥉INOTHEWAYURTHINKIN
Punchestown Horse Racing Tips – Day Two: Any Other Business Thoughts
The other races on the Punchstown Festival Wednesday card of interest are the 2:30pm Handicap Hurdle.
I think the John C McConnell runner CLOONAINRA is worth a second look.
She was a fine 5th in this race (of 25) last season but is back rated 2lbs lower this time and connections have also booked a 4lb claimer to further help
While in the 5:25pm Handicap Chase, the Paul Nolan yard are in good order and they run CONYERS HILL.
This 8 year-old was 4th in the Paddy Power Gold Cup to Panic Attack back in November, but is in here 2lbs lower this time.
After that was running well until falling late on at Limerick in December and clearly didn’t stay the 3m1f in heavy ground last time at Gowran Park.
Has been freshened up since with three months off and this has looked the plan since his last run.
