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Punchestown Betting: This is more than just Ireland's Cheltenham

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A slightly patriotic Wayne Bailey gives you the lowdown on one of the great jumps festivals

So, it's almost over and the dust is just about settled...

As another National Hunt season comes to an end, what camp do you fall into?
Are you licking your wounds, (secretly relieved that the Flat is here) hoping that change can only be good? Or are you sorry to see the end of a great season of value bets, which witnessed some of the best punting opportunities in recent years? (Denman at [6.0] and more in November's Hennessey immediately springs to mind).

Before the flat becomes the main focus of our attention for the next few months, there's one last treat in store - a chance to finish the season with a bang. It's Punchestown time, the grand finale of Ireland's National Hunt calendar. For some, Punchestown will be an opportunity to compound the profit already made on the jumps this season, but for others it's their only hope of making amends for Cheltenham, Aintree and other costly meetings.

Whatever camp you're in, it promises to be bigger (now a five day meeting), and hopefully better than ever this year. Here's a quick look at the festival for the uninitiated...

The Festival

Firstly, allow me a bit of a rant...

In many of the build-up features to be found in the racing pages, you'll hear Punchestown described as 'Ireland's mini-Cheltenham'. While it has similarities, this is historically inaccurate and slightly condescending. In fact, the Punchestown festival pre-dates Cheltenham by 75 years. It is the culmination of the Irish National Hunt season, which is effectively a separate one to the British, despite many of the same horses taking part. I'll stop moaning here! ...But make no mistake, this is serious business in its own right, and Mansony, Newmill, Moscow Flyer, War Of Attrition, Kicking King, Beef Or Salmon, Florida Pearl, Brave Inca and Harchibald are just some of the famous winners here. There is cracking prize-money on offer (in excess of €3m), so we should see some of the top horses around again in 2008.

The festival began in 1827, and still retains an old-fashioned feel to it. In fact, it's the last course in the world to use stone walls as part of its cross-country course, so if you haven't seen a hunter-chase here, check it out.

The Key Races and Horses

I'm particularly excited about this years' ACC Bank Champion Hurdle, especially since Sizing Europe still on the list of potential runners. If like me you backed him at Cheltenham, you'll be dying to know if he was having a bad day when virtually pulled up, or was he simply a hype-horse. I'm hoping it's the former, but it should prove to be a fascinating race nonetheless.

In the Guinness Gold Cup, Neptune Collonges heads the early markets, but he's way too short for me. Kicking King will be looking to regain his crown in the race he won three years ago, but it's fair to say he's had a disappointing season. We're still unsure if Nicholls will send Racing Demon, but it's Snowy Morning that appeals to me the most at this early stage. His excellent display when claiming third place in the Aintree Grand National shows that he's no longer just a decent handicapper, and this contest should suit him to the ground. Blazing Bailey may go off favourite for the World Series Hurdle, but Kazal, Faasel and My Way De Solzen won't be without their fans should they make the final line-up.

The Trainers
Willie Mullins was top trainer in 2007, and he's likely to fire a few winners home again this year. His son Patrick had his first Cheltenham winner recently, and will be keen to take any spare rides that Ruby doesn't want. Colm Murphy also does well, and his horses should be particularly noted in bumpers where they've been incredibly successful in recent years. It's not just the Irish trainers that should be considered however - Paul Nicholls has a string of top class horses entered, and I'll be surprised if he doesn't have one or two raiders to take some money across the Irish Sea.

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It's the last big jumps festival of the season, so make sure you post your thoughts and tips below!