Punchestown Festival Tips: Rhys Williams fancies Cosmic to be a star in the big one on day four

• Drop back in trip to suit

• Gone well in cheekpieces in points

• Cosmic Blizzard is overpriced at Punchestown

Punchestown - 15:40 - Back Cosmic Blizzard

The big race of the Punchestown Festival starts the card on Friday and it's a stronger renewal than usual. Fountain House is rightly at the head of the market but there are a couple of his rivals who appeal at the prices.

Cosmic Blizzard is making a quick return to action having run only six days ago but if he's recovered from those exertions, I think he has a better chance than the market suggests. He finished behind Asphalt Cowboy when last seen under rules at Downpatrick but that was over a longer trip and Cosmic Blizzard travelled better than that rival before finding little up the hill whereas Asphalt Cowboy looked a strong stayer so the drop back in trip may not suit him.

Since that defeat, Cosmic Blizzard has won both starts in points and he has worn cheekpieces on both occasions. I thought he won with far more in hand than the margin suggests when beating Onyerbike two starts ago and he looked to be waiting in front for something to challenge him when just holding off Suttons Hill last time.

The cheekpieces seemed to have helped Cosmic Blizzard who has always had a good level of ability going back to his time in four-year-old maidens at the start of his career. The way that he travels in races suggests that the shorter trip today is likely to be in his favour whereas it may not be ideal for some of his main rivals.

It may be that he will face more pressure for the lead today and won't perform up to his best or that the six day gap since his last run will be too short for him to show his best but I think the market is underestimating him due to the Downpatrick run and any 8/19.00 or bigger appeals.

Punchestown - 15:40 - Back Hey Sir

At a big price, I can't let Hey Sir go unbacked having shown some promise in his last two starts.

He didn't show much on the first two starts of his career but he caught the eye making late headway behind some of today's rivals on the point course at Punchestown two starts ago when he was ridden very patiently.

There was a change of tactics last time as he ended up racing prominently from an early stage and was clear in the leading group of three when he got two out all wrong and some of the tack may have gone in the process as Barry O'Neill looked very uncomfortable on him and he was pulled up. The winner of that race was Arkhill who was subsequently fifth in a hunter chase at Cork having been sent off at 9/2.

It might be that this year's renewal of the race is a bit too tough for Hey Sir and maybe he's still a little too inexperienced to show what he's truly capable of but I think he will be suited by returning to a right-handed track and hopefully they will look to repeat the more positive tactics over this shorter trip. Any 25/126.00 or bigger appeals.

Punchestown - 19:40 - Back Mondoui'boy

The closing stages of the bumper yesterday didn't quite go to plan for David Maxwell with El Cairos hanging left and throwing the race away but hopefully he will have better luck today and Mondoui'boy can take a straighter path.

Mondoui'boy started his career in the Irish pointing field and made a promising debut when a close second to Shuffle The Deck. Bought for £140,000 following that, he joined Harry Derham and made an encouraging rules debut at Sandown at a time when the yard was going through a quieter spell. He was held up at the back of the field before making a big move around the outside leaving the back straight to be in contention entering the home straight. He kept responding to driving in the very testing ground and finished second.

Given how the yard was going at the time and the very testing ground, I thought that was an encouraging start to his time under rules for Mondoui'boy and he could be expected to take a step forward from it. There is a slight concern that he may want a bit softer ground than he gets today but he should be fine on it and any 13/27.50 or bigger appeals.

Punchestown - 19:40 - Back King Jon Oliver

In the same race, I think King Jon Oliver could run well on his bumper debut having shown promise over hurdles on the first start of his career.

That debut was at Naas over two miles and he raced behind the leaders from an early stage. He was a bit outpaced turning the final bend but responded well to pressure and finished strongly to take third. The winner of that race is rated 122 over hurdles while the runner up had won easily on his point debut and the fourth had run well behind Joystick on hurdling debut.

I think the longer trip will suit King Jon Oliver and the level of ability that he showed that day suggests he can be competitive in a race of this quality. Any 12/113.00 or bigger appeals. 

Now read Katie Midwinter's Friday tips here