Punchestown Day One Tips: Blue Hop could be ahead of his mark in 56/1 double

• Two handicap hurdles offer extra places on the Sportsbook 

• Blue Hop impressive last time and Blackmore booked

• Alan Dudman picks out a double at Punchestown on Tuesday at 56/157.00

• Read Rachael Blackmore on her Punchestown Festival Day 1 rides

Timeform Superboost

It's the first day of the Punchestown Festival and Betfair have a barnstorming Super Boost to get five days of top class racing underway.

Ballyburn is unbeaten at Punchestown and won there most recently in November. Today, Betfair have boosted the odds on Willie Mullins' seven-year-old finishing in the top two in the Grade 1 Champion Novice Chase at 16:50 from 4/91.44 to 1/12.00. 

*Please Note:  This superboost is provided by the Betfair Sportsbook and not by any of our tipsters or writers.

Punchestown - 15:05: Back Blue Hop E/W six places @ 17/29.50

Ben Brookhouse has taken the services of Rachael Blackmore for Blue Hop and this hurdler has been a big mover on the Betfair Sportsbook for the 15:05 Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Final Handicap Hurdle over 2m4f. With a massive field we have the six places here to play with on the Sportsbook.

Indeed, each-way races are at a premium today with the graded action dominating the cards, but Blue Hop is progressing at a rattling pace and conditions today should suit him.

His latest win was his best yet - winning at Wetherby in one of this series races by over four lengths and couldn't have been more emphatic with the way he travelled. He was held up off the pace and scored over the 2m6f, and he looks to have enough speed to cope with the drop back down in distance here.

He has raced over further too so I have little doubt a big field will suit him and I expect Blackmore to switch him off out the back here.

Blue Hop started his winning spree by scoring at Doncaster in January, and since has reeled off handicap wins at 107 and 116. He was a good second too at Ascot over 3m.

From a mark of 121 and a rise of 5lb, he still looks well treated considering he goes through his races so well.

Punchestown - 15:40: Back Serienmond E/W five places @ 5/16.00

Gavin Cromwell's Serienmond is a bit of a sneaky one at 5s for an each-way bet, but he's snuck in here off a very light weight and Conor Stone-Walsh is an excellent conditional able to claim off too.

He was third in a Listed race at Fairyhouse last time behind Lord Erskine and fared best of those held up in the race - his first run for 51 days.

While he didn't beat much on his previous start at Leopardstown in March, he was an easy winner in that and conditions on the yielding side will suit him - much like our first selection.

The five-year-old does need to find a big chunk of improvement here in terms of the opposition, as the top weight is off 147. But he's only young and improving, with a lightly-raced profile, and Cromwell at least has served up some fight against Willie Mullins at the big festivals.

On his run last time from where he came from, he is worth chancing for a place at least.

March winners at BSP:

Collusion 2.99
Lady Manzor 10.29
Mayo County 6.4
Puturhandstogether 13.71
Resplendent Grey (place) 3.41
Stumptown 4.07
Jordans (place) 3.30
Below The Radar (place) 3.7
Westmorian 3.46
Reginald Charles 2.04
Old Cowboy (place) 3.17
Green Team 3.23
Ash Wednesday 3.95
Midnightattheoasis 5.00
Kitaro Kich 11.73
City Of Delight 11.5

April winners at BSP:

Seo Linn 3.3
Push The Button (place) 4.53
Happygolucky (place) 2.31
Iroko (place) 2.87
Bubble Gum 2.81
Billy McGarry 6.08
Moon Over Miami 3.05
Persica 4.19
City Of Delight 3.3,
Ribee (place) 2.56
Cheeky Wink 7.0
Lombron (place) 3.35
Love Billy Boy 6.87

Now read Horse Racing Tips: Katie Midwinter's best bets on Tuesday at the Punchestown Festival