Punchestown Saturday Tips: Kevin Blake's two bets for the final day of the Festival

• Two tips from Kevin Blake for the final day of the Punchestown Festival

• Dan Skelton's Flegmatik can take the prize to England

• Nusret has big each-way claims in Grade 1 Hurdle

And just like, we are at the final day of the Punchestown Festival. It has been a great week of racing to bid farewell to the 2022/23 National Hunt season with.

With a bit of luck, this column might be able to finish the season on a high with a winner or two.

Skelton to have successful Irish raid

Punchestown, 16:25

The Palmerstown House Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase (16:25) has the look of a highly-competitive handicap chase and I favour one of the British raiders in the race, the Dan Skelton-trained Flegmatik.

The eight-year-old has progressed steadily over fences, but he looked better than ever on his most recent outing in first-time cheekpieces in the valuable Coral Trophy Handicap Chase at Kempton in February.

Having been given a patient ride in a well-run race, Flegmatik made very eye-catching headway to track the leader on the turn into the straight. He was going so well that his rider elected to let him hit the front at the third-last fence. He looked sure to win from there, but slightly messy jumps at the final two obstacles coupled with how long he had been in front gave Our Power a window of opportunity and he duly seized it to run down Flegmatik by a neck.

It was unquestionably an unfortunate defeat, but the promise for even better to be forthcoming under a more patient ride should be obvious. He just has a 2lb higher mark to contend with and comes here fresher than most having not run since late-February. He looks to have a strong chance.

Strong each-way claims for O'Brien runner

Punchestown, 17:00

The Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle (17:00) is a high-class renewal of the race having attracted the 1-2 in the Triumph Hurdle as well as seeing the return of Zarak The Brave who was considered a leading prospect in the division earlier in the season before picking up a setback.

For all the strength of the race, it has a reasonably appealing each-way shape to it and one that I like at a bigger price is the Joseph O'Brien-trained Nusret.

The son of Golden Horn has won two of his five starts over hurdles including a Grade 2 contest at Kempton back in February. He was prominent in the market for the Grade 1 juvenile hurdle at the Grand National meeting at Aintree, but the race very much went against him.

Being a horse that has to be ridden with a great amount of patience, he is always at the mercy of how the race pans out in front of him and on that occasion it proved to be a steadily-run race that left him too far out of his ground.

In the face of a stiff task, he came home well to finish a never-nearer third, but is likely to be capable of much better than that in more favourable circumstances.

The drying ground and return to a right-handed track will very much suit Nusret.

He meets a smaller field here and there is no guarantee that the pace will be better than average, but he shouldn't end up as far out of his ground with less rivals to contend with. It wouldn't surprise to see him show improved form and run a big race.

Racing... Only Bettor. Watch below.