Punchestown Festival racing tips: Best bets for day 5 on Saturday, May 4

Willie Mullins will retain the mantle as champion trainer but Paul Townend's quest to win a seventh jockeys' title is in major jeopardy, as his battle with championship leader Jack Kennedy looks set to go to the wire, with the latter holding a lead entering the final furlong.

Kennedy holds an advantage entering the final day but, crucially, is suspended here and so Townend will look to overhaul him with the five remaining bullets he can fire.

They race from 14:30 -18:30 on day five and, once more, Irish racing expert Enda McElhinney has selections for the action at the Co. Kildare venue.

Don't forget to check out the full racecard, results and live odds in Planet Sport's racing live centre.

Good luck and please gamble responsibly.

(Please be aware selections could become non-runners after article's first publication)

Punchestown Saturday quick tips:

14:30 (Punchestown) Foxy Jacks

15:05 (Punchestown) Landen Calling

15:42 (Punchestown) Lossiemouth

16:15 (Punchestown) Minella Crooner

16:50 (Punchestown) Nurburgring

17:25 (Punchestown) The Wallpark

18:00 (Punchestown) Jacob's Ladder

18:30 (Punchestown) Omniscient

 

14:30 (Punchestown) Foxy Jacks 

Coko Beach travelled stylishly for a long way over four-miles on the Banks course here on Thursday and will be fancied by many to atone over this shorter trip having been outstayed there.

Foxy Jacks was pulled up the in the Grand National at Aintree but he was a Cross Country winner at Cheltenham earlier this season and a return to this sphere could be the tonic for him.

Mouse Morris' charge is well treated and should go well under 5lb claimer Gavin Brouder.

15:05 (Punchestown) Landen Calling

Klarc Kent has run two cracking races in defeat at Fairyhouse and Ayr this spring, finishing fourth in the Scottish National last time.

He may have more to come and a win would be no shock for Mullins/Townend given he's rated 2lb lower back on home soil.

Landen Calling didn't jump with his usual fluency early on in the Edinburgh National at Musselburgh in February and was a well-held fifth in the end.

He'd been promising before that, winning 2-5 and looking a strong stayer over fences.

He's on a nice mark and trainer Fergal O'Brien might have found a nice race for him here.

 

15:42 (Punchestown) Lossiemouth

The Grade 1 Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle has attracted a strong line-up of five, with Ashroe Diamond, Gala Marceau, Hispanic Moon and Telmesomethinggirl all capable performers.

However, none of them could lay a blow on Lossiemouth in the Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and a second career defeat for the Rich Ricci-owned performer seems unlikely to come now.
 

16:15 (Punchestown) Minella Crooner

Listed fare over 3m1f here for the Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase and Gordon Elliott accounts for a quarter of the field with four runners.

One that might be underestimated for him is Minella Crooner, the mount of Sam Ewing, the rider already on the board here this week.

Though he perhaps hasn't fulfilled the early promise shown over hurdles, he was a winner in this grade at Wexford in November and his three spring runs have been in exceptionally good company.

He was third behind I Am Maximus in the Bobbyjo Chase in February and pulled up since in the Ultima at Cheltenham and the National itself at Aintree.

He has been dropped to a mark of 142 now and this better surface offers hope for him running well at a chunky price.

16:50 (Punchestown) Nurburgring

Kargese sets the benchmark for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend and could be a pivotal runner in the aforementioned jockeys' title race.

She's the one to beat but has run at the Dublin Racing Festival, Cheltenham and Aintree – a busy spring for any four-year-old.

Joseph O'Brien's Nurburgring doesn't have a lot to find on their DRF form and she was left with a lot of ground to make up on a testing surface when fourth in the Triumph at Cheltenham.

Cheekpieces are added now and the better ground promises to be a help as man of the moment JJ Slevin looks for another Punchestown Grade 1 this week.

17:25 (Punchestown) The Wallpark

The champion trainer accounts for seven runners here, with Paul Townend on board Olympic Man in what will be his final roll of the dice in the jockeys' championship.

If it is tight, the Cullentra team will be desperate to do their bit for the sidelined Jack Kennedy and The Wallpark could be their star turn.

He won his first three after joining Gordon Elliott, a bumper last May and minor hurdles races at Killarney and Listowel in the autumn, before finishing third in a Listed novice hurdle at Limerick in October behind High Class Hero, who was second to Dancing City in a Grade 1 here this week.

A mark of 132 could be lenient on handicap bow and the wait for decent ground may have been key for this contender.

18:00 (Punchestown) Jacob's Ladder

The final bumper of the week is the Lawlor's Of Naas (Pro/Am) Flat Race over 2m and the usual suspects are set to be to the fore.

Patrick Mullins partners Chart Topper on debut for his father, but impressive point winner Jacob's Ladder makes plenty appeal on debut for the Elliott team in the Gigginstown silks with Harry Swan riding at the end of a week where he has excelled in the saddle. He can sign off in style.

18:30 (Punchestown) Omniscient

The traditional Punchestown Charity Race rounds things off, with a 23-runner field engaged and riders with varying degrees of experience ensuring punters should tread with caution.

Gordon Elliott won this last year and the 89-rated ex-Sir Mark Prescott inmate Omniscent looks well set for a big run having had a couple of recent spins over hurdles for his new trainer.