Punchestown Festival 2026 Day 4 Tips - Best Bets & Predictions for Friday

Jon Vine

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Last updated: Thu 30 Apr 2026 15:09

Jon Vine 30 Apr 2026

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Free tips for day four of the 2026 Punchestown Festival
The Punchestown Champion Hurdle headlines Friday's card
Yoradreamer and Bridgehead feature in our selections

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The Punchestown Festival. (Getty)

Free tips for day four of the 2026 Punchestown Festival, which continues on Friday 1st May.

The penultimate day of racing at Punchestown is a bit of a damp squib, with two hunter chases, some low-quality handicaps and a couple of weak Grade Ones. Here are my best betting tips for day four of the 2026 Punchestown Festival.

Punchestown Festival Day 4 Card

Time	Title
3:40pm	Stanley Asphalt Hunters Chase for the Bishopscourt Cup (Class 2) 2m4½f
4:15pm	Uniquely Champion Hunters Chase (Class 2) 3m½f
4:50pm	Hanlon Concrete Irish EBF Glencarraig Lady Francis Flood Mares Chase (Grade 2) 2m4½f
5:25pm	QuinnBet Novice Handicap Chase (Listed Race) 2m4½f
6:00pm	Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m4½f
6:40pm	Boodles Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m
7:10pm	FRS Fencing Handicap Hurdle (Class 2) 2m
7:40pm	Stables Restaurant Naas INH Flat Race (Class 2) 2m3f

Punchestown Festival Day 4 Tips

5:25pm Punchestown - QuinnBet Novice Handicap Chase Tips

A third of this 22-horse field will be saddled by Willie Mullins. The least fancied of his squad is YORADREAMER (25/1), who clocked an excellent figure when winning at Wexford in March.

Mullins' seven-year-old was lightly raced over hurdles, and barely featured on his first two starts over fences. Yoradreamer then ran a screamer to finish a close second behind King Alexander at Gowran Park, before romping to a 22-length success under Paul Townend on the Tuesday after the Cheltenham Festival.

Yoradreamer received an RPR of 143 for that success, which is better than what most in this field have managed this season. Seven-pound claimer Anna McGuinness comes in for the ride, and dropping back down in trip won't hinder this solid jumper.

6:40pm Punchestown - Punchestown Champion Hurdle Tips

Read our free guide to the 2026 Punchestown Champion Hurdle to find out who we've backed in Friday's feature

Visit our Punchestown Champion Hurdle Live Stream page if you want to watch any of Friday's races from Punchestown via a mobile or tablet.

7:10pm Punchestown - FRS Fencing Handicap Hurdle Tips

I'm going to take a chance on BRIDGEHEAD (14/1) for Noel Meade. Donagh Meyler's mount hasn't jumped a hurdle in public since July 2024, where he beat Royal Hollow and Intense Approach - both of whom are rated in the 130s - in a maiden hurdle at Bellewstown.

Meade's charge suffered an injury after running on the flat at Leopardstown two weeks after that hurdles success. Bridgehead made his return to the track in a flat handicap at Bellewstown three weeks ago, where he shaped well back in seventh after a very close start from the stalls.

Meade is very selective about where he runs his horses, and this mark of 114 looks lenient based on his hurdles form from 2024.

Verdict

Punchestown Festival 2026 Day Four

Punchestown Festival 2026 Day 4 Tips:

Yoradreamer E/W

5:25pm Punchestown

@25/1 - 5 Units

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Bridgehead E/W

7:10pm Punchestown

@14/1 - 5 Units

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