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

• Katie Midwinter has three selections at the Punchestown Festival on Tuesday

• Panther can pounce back on Irish soil

• English-raider makes each-way appeal once again

• Ballyburn can bounce back to form in familiar surroundings

• 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.

15:40 Punchestown Festival - Back Irish Panther E/W @ 11/112.00

Eight-year-old gelding Irish Panther had shown plenty of good form prior to this season, from finishing second in a point to chasing home Fact To File in a bumper at Leopardstown, when beaten only two-lengths, before placing third to Ballyburn.

He had also finished second to Farren Glory and Al Gasparo, respectively, as well as third to Daddy Long Legs in a maiden hurdle, before making the switch to the Eddie and Patrick Harty yard from Edward O'Grady.

For his current yard this term, Irish Panther has achieved a third-placed finish in two competitive, big-field handicaps, including when behind McLaurey and Storm Heart at Listed level.

Whilst he was unable to challenge for the major honours in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, when racing from a mark of 128 with 7lb claimer Cian Cullinan aboard, he was far from disgraced when beaten only seven-lengths by Kargese and is on a 3lb lower mark with the same rider in the saddle here.

This is only his eighth start over hurdles and although he remains a maiden, he is a horse on an upward trajectory whose ceiling of ability is yet to be reached. Still unexposed in handicap company, there could be more to come from this gelded son of Lucarno, who can be competitive in this field at odds of 11/112.00.

15:40 Punchestown Festival - Back Brentford Hope E/W @ 10/111.00

Now 3lb lower than when bumping into an extremely well-handicapped Daddy Long Legs, who is now rated 17lb higher following his second-placed effort in the Irish Champion Hurdle, Harry Derham-trained Brentford Hope makes plenty of appeal in this contest, capable of matching last year's second-placed position or improving a place to claim the top prize.

The eight-year-old has been seen in handicap company only once since his previous outing here, when down the field at Windsor, but runs from an 8lb lower mark on this occasion, capable of bouncing back to form.

He finished a creditable second to 149-rated hurdler Rubaud when in receipt of 6lb in the Grade Two Elite Hurdle at Wincanton on his first run of the season, before being beaten three-lengths by Constitution Hill, who made an error at the last, in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Whilst he was unable to make an impression in the Kingwell Hurdle on his latest start, a race won by subsequent Champion Hurdle winner Golden Ace, he can find a resurgence in form as he returns to Ireland at a track where he has performed well in the past.

At the weights, Brentford Hope is one to note each-way under Johnny Burke at a price of 10/111.00.

16:50 Punchestown Festival - Back Ballyburn @ 11/82.38

Needing to return to form having been beaten at odds of 4/71.57 on his latest start in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase won by Lecky Watson, Ballyburn has to prove himself once again over fences and bounce back from that disappointing effort. Despite this, he remains the classiest horse in the field on form he has shown previously, and if he is able to find a rhythm over his fences early on, he should prove tough to beat.

The talented seven-year-old beat stablemate Ocastle Des Mottes by 13-lengths on chasing debut over 2m3f here, before finishing second to Sir Gino in the Wayward Lad over an inadequate two miles. He returned to a longer trip when successful at the Dublin Racing Festival, beating Croke Park by five-lengths, with Impaire Et Passe further behind in third, over an extended 2m5f.

That victory proved he is able to perform at Grade One level over the larger obstacles and cemented his place as firm favourite when heading to Prestbury Park, however, he was never comfortable at Cheltenham, the venue he had recorded such a convincing success over hurdles a year prior. It was a run worth forgiving considering his lack of fluency over the fences, but he will need to improve on his jumping and has the ability to do so. 

Having had a short 48-day break following Cheltenham, Ballyburn can be more effective on home turf here. He's unbeaten in four starts at the track including two wins at this meeting, when beating an impressive field of horses which included the sadly ill-fated Dancing City, a subsequent three-time Grade One winner, Slade Steel, the Supreme Novices' Hurdle champion of 2024, and the useful Chosen Witness, among others, in a bumper two years ago.

Ballyburn also won the Champion Novice Hurdle here 12 months ago in comfortable fashion over Jetara, and he's bidding to retain his unblemished record at the course for Willie Mullins. The likeable gelding is hard to oppose, despite his latest effort, as he has a huge amount of ability when his jumping is right, and he remains the one to beat.

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