Punchestown Festival Day 3 Tips (Thursday 30th April 2026)

Day 3 of the Punchestown Festival 2026 takes place on Thursday and it’s another strong card with a good mix of top-class action and competitive races.

By this stage of the week we’ve usually got a decent handle on how the form is holding up and it can pay to stick with horses who either come here fresher or still look open to improvement.

The Barbestown Castle Novice Chase is the race that really catches the eye with Kopek Des Bordes set to line up, while the Grade 1 Champion Stayers Hurdle adds more quality to the card.

It’s a day where a few of the better horses should be hard to beat, but there are still some angles to be had.

Here are my Punchestown Festival 2026 Day 3 tips and best bets.

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Punchestown Day 3 tips (Thursday)

• 2.30 Leader D’allier – 9/4 with Paddy Power
• 3.05 Future Prospect – 9/4 with Sky Bet
• 3.40 Busselton – 3/1 with Paddy Power
• 4.15 The Lovely Man – 8/1 each way with Coral
• 4.50 Mclaurey – 7/1 each way with Paddy Power NAP
• 5.25 Kopek Des Bordes – 2/5 with bet365
• 6.05 Jimmy Du Seuil – 9/1 each way with Ladbrokes NEXT BEST
• 6.35 Quiryn – 7/4 with Boyle Sports

Joe’s best horse racing betting tips for the Punchestown Festival (Thursday 30th April 2026)

Find my top tips for Thursday 30th April 2026 racing with odds from the best horse racing bookies below:

Punchestown 2.30 Specialist Group Novice Hurdle (4YO plus) 2m1/2f

A fascinating opener on Day 3 of the Punchestown Festival and I can see LEADER D’ALLIER putting in a big performance here.

Mullins actually hasn’t won the race since 2022 where he took it with El Fabiolo but he dominated it before that and has a strong hand again.

This 5yo was impressive bolting up at this track on penultimate start and then a bad mistake cost him at Fairyhouse last time. He is still armed with potential and should come good again here.

Gameball impressed on hurdles debut at this venue and then wasn’t disgraced behind Koktail Brut at Fairyhouse. He could have more to come and if bringing his best could be the danger.

Nadia’s Boy is yet to taste defeat and shouldn’t be ignored either as he could improve and get involved too.

Bet on LEADER D’ALLIER to win at 9/4 with Paddy Power

Punchestown 3.05 Close Brothers Irish EBF Mares Novice Hurdle (Listed) 2m1/2f

Diamond Du Berlais won well on stable debut at Ludlow and outran her price tag to finish sixth behind White Noise at the Cheltenham Festival. That form has had a few knocks since though and I wouldn’t want to take a short price about her here.

Stablemate FUTURE PROSPECT might be able to serve it up to her with Townend on. She was actually pulled up at Cheltenham but was back to form at Fairyhouse and if taking another step forward back down to two miles could be the one to beat.

It is not just a two-horse race though and Adrienne is also respected. She was fourth behind Proactif and Macho Man at Fairyhouse and that felt like a good race at the time. If she brings her best she should be involved too and is a nice each way price as well.

Bet on FUTURE PROSPECT to win at 9/4 with Sky Bet

Punchestown 3.40 Mongey Communications La Touche Cup Cross Country Chase (5YO plus) 4m1f

Hard to be confident on anything in here given how competitive it is but BUSSELTON won it 12 months ago and he should have a great chance again.

He clearly wasn’t suited by the drop back in trip at Cork and should be much better suited by this test. He would have been trained with this in mind again and should run well.

Vanillier rolled back the years to win at this track on penultimate start and then ran well to finish third behind Final Orders at Cheltenham. He is clearly thriving and should go well again. Desertmore House is another one expected to be competitive.

Bet on BUSSELTON to win at 3/1 with Paddy Power

Punchestown 4.15 Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle (Listed) 2m71/2f

I know there are plenty in with chances here but I was expecting THE LOVELY MAN to be a little shorter in the betting.

He was impressive finishing strongly to win the Leinster National when last seen and freshened up back over hurdles he could be thrown in on his chase form. He has won 3 of his last 4 and with Conor Stone-Walsh in the saddle he should have a great chance.

Seaniecon is still learning his trade but has the form to be a big player and will probably go off favourite.

Fillyoureye pulled up at Fairyhouse but did win at this track before that and if bouncing back is another one I can see having a big say in the outcome here.

Bet on THE LOVELY MAN each way at 8/1 with Coral

Punchestown 4.50 Frontline Security Handicap Chase (Listed) 2m1/2f

Things didn’t work out for MCLAUREY at the Cheltenham Festival when heavily backed but I did think he had excuses.

He never really found a rhythm and also got caught horribly wide when trying to make up ground. I’d be fairly certain he is a lot better than what he showed there and back down to two miles here he should have further improvement to come.

Come Walk With Me took a big step forward to win at Fairyhouse and the runner-up Moudan bolted up at Ayr next time out so the form has been given a huge boost.

Release The Beast was an excellent fourth in the Grand Annual and should be suited by this sort of test so is another one in with an each way chance.

Bet on MCLAUREY each way at 7/1 with Paddy Power

Punchestown 5.25 Barberstown Castle Novice Chase (Grade 1) 2m1/2f

Impossible to oppose KOPEK DES BORDES here. In hindsight I do think he was unlucky not to win the Arkle.

That mistake came at the worst possible time as he looked to be getting the better of Kargese before fluffing his lines. That was just his second start over fences so he should improve again with experience and is understandably a short priced favourite.

Irish Panther struggled behind Il Etait Temps in the Champion Chase but does look the one to chase home the favourite here.

Salvator Mundi was beaten at Aintree but could still run well here if settling.

Bet on KOPEK DES BORDES to win at 2/5 with bet365

Punchestown 6.05 Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m71/2f

I get the feeling this is a lot more open than the betting is suggesting.

Teahupoo has to be opposed as he was bitterly disappointing at Cheltenham. I know he won this last year but there is enough in here to take him on at a short price.

JIMMY DU SEUIL is back over hurdles having been a bit underwhelming over fences. He has unfinished business and is being largely dismissed in the betting at a big price.

Bob Olinger was an excellent third behind Home By The Lee at Cheltenham and continues to be a model of consistency so should be thereabouts again.

Honesty Policy is still a horse I like and he could find improvement again at some point so don’t rule him out either.

Bet on JIMMY DU SEUIL each way at 9/1 with Ladbrokes

Punchestown 6.35 JP & M Doyle (C & G) Flat Race (4YO to 7YO) 2m1/2f

A bumper to conclude the racing on Day 3 of the Punchestown Festival and QUIRYN looks the one to beat. He won like a smart prospect on debut at Naas and then was only beaten four lengths by The Mourne Rambler in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham last month.

These are calmer waters and he has more to come so keep on side under Patrick Mullins.

Look Me looks the second string under Jody Townend and his form is decent as well having won at Fairyhouse and then finished second at Aintree. If he keeps progressing he will give a good account of himself here. Soul Asylum is also respected for Gordon Elliott.

Bet on QUIRYN To Win at 7/4 with BoyleSports

My top tip for the Punchestown Festival on Thursday

A lot of value about at Punchestown on Day 3 of the Festival so I have opted for a huge each way double.

MCLAUREY may well turn into a bit of a gamble as he had excuses at Cheltenham and can prove himself to be a lot better than that.

I’m also keen on JIMMY DU SEUIL in the Stayers Hurdle as he has unfinished business over hurdles and is a horse that has very much gone under the radar here.

Bet an Each Way Double on MCLAUREY and JIMMY DU SEUIL at 55/1 with bet365

About the author

Joe Norris

I’m Joe Norris, co-founder and Director of GetYourTipsOut (GYTO), which I launched in 2009 to provide daily sports betting tips, with the main focus on horse racing. Over the years, I’ve earned a reputation for offering reliable and profitable tips, which led to being named “Best Sports Betting Tipster” in 2023. Alongside my work at GYTO, I also contribute predictions to platforms like Oddschecker, allowing me to share my insights with a wide community of sports enthusiasts and bettors.

Find Joe on X: @JoeNorrisGYTO

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