DAILY LUCKY 15: Friday’s Tips | Punchestown Festival

Friday sees the second last day of the Punchestown Festival and another stellar card of action is in store in County Kildare.

Reece’s longshot Klassical Dream, tipped at 22-1 on Wednesday evening, landed with ease on his racecourse debut when upped in trip to three miles.

But can our Lucky 15 on Friday at Punchestown prove a profitable one?

Read our selections.

PUNCHESTOWN FESTIVAL

Alpha Male | 3:40pm Paddy Power Hunters Chase For The Bishopscourt Cup | Reece’s Pick (+19.60 to a £1 stake on National Hunt each-way tips)

Peter Maher’s course-and-distance winner was underwhelming at Cork but is sure to be suited by a return to Punchestown.

He finished second in this race two years ago, twelve months on from a 30-length demolition job in the same race and he’s back in the good hands of Barry O’Neill.

Formerly with Nicky Henderson, he once chased home future Grade 1 winning novice chaser Topofthegame in a maiden hurdle at Ascot in 2016 and while he looks far off that vein of talent nowadays, he still appears a big player in this field.

Dostal Phil | 4:15pm EMS Copiers Novice Handicap Chase (Grade A) | Dom’s Pick (+£6.20 to a £1 stake on National Hunt NAP tips)

There have been two British winners at Punchestown in the last two days and maybe Phillip Hobbs’ charge can keep the form good of the invaders going.

He has proved to be a decent enough novice over fences, winning on debut at Newbury in January before creditable efforts at Sandown thereafter.

A solid third at Aintree in the Red Rum soon followed and his form over timber suggests there may be more to come now up in trip.

Mark Walsh has opted for School Boy Hours but Simon Torrens claims 3lbs off the selection and the presence of Asterion Forlonge’s lofty mark means a few of these could be well in at the weights.

Honeysuckle | 5:25pm Paddy Power Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) | Dom’s Pick

While not the most left-field of selections, Henry de Bromhead’s mare could quite conceivably be a lot shorter in the market given the ease that she beat Epatante, Sharjah, Aspire Tower and Goshen at the Cheltenham Festival.

Abacadabras was unable to stay on his feet that day and showed his class at Aintree over two-and-a-half miles, but he’s got plenty to find with the unbeaten daughter of Sulamani based on their Irish Champion Hurdle meeting in February.

This is her first run at the track but it will take something special to overturn the form she holds with most of these rivals from earlier in the campaign.

The only slight negative was that stable-mate Bob Olinger was withdrawn from his contest after found to be coughing, but she’s all-class and is very difficult to oppose.

Bob And Co | 6:35pm Irish Daily Star Champion Hunters Chase | Reece’s Pick

Paul Nicholls enjoyed victory here with Clan Des Obeaux earlier in the week and his chaser here has enjoyed a fruitful career in England thus far.

He didn’t fire on his first start at Warwick when reported to have been suffering from cramps in his legs but won three outings in a row to follow up.

It didn’t appear that he was under any real pressure before unseating in the St James’s Place at the Festival, but he got back to winning ways with a bloodless win at Hexham last time out.

David Maxwell is back in the saddle claiming 5lbs and he looks to have a solid chance now back in this class.

Friday 30th April Lucky 15 | Punchestown Festival

• 3:40pm: Alpha Male

• 4:15pm: Dostal Phil

• 5:25pm: Honeysuckle

• 6:35pm: Bob And Co

Read Dom’s NAP and Reece’s longshot of the day at Punchestown.

Compare all of this afternoon’s horse racing markets with EasyOdds.