Hewick the star attraction at Punchestown today

Day two of Punchestown’s jumps season opener arrives on Wednesday afternoon with an action-packed eight-race card.

The meeting gets underway at 1.50pm as ten runners tackle the two-mile maiden hurdle before the action comes to a close at 5.30pm with a card-closing bumper.

Read below to discover the latest tips and full meeting preview for Punchestown's card on Wednesday courtesy of BoyleSports, who will be offering the latest Munster National odds this weekend.

The opening contest of the day (1.50) is a two-mile maiden hurdle for horses aged five and older, with ten of them taking on the trip. The Mediator for trainer Gordon Elliott has been running consistently well, hitting the frame in each of his last five starts and can belatedly open his account with top jockey Jack Kennedy booked to ride. Cappuccino rates the main threat, winner of a Listowel bumper after seven months off and is back over hurdles here.

Race two of the day sees a field of nine take on the two-mile handicap hurdle(2.20) and the Liz Doyle-trained First Dare looks the one to beat, a progressive mare who landed a career best when scoring at Tramore 28 days ago from the re-opposing Ta Na La.

A field of 12 will head to the start for race three on the card (2.50) which is a two-mile and four furlong handicap hurdle. Pray Tell routed the field at Listowel three weeks ago for trainer Desmond Kenneally and as a result, has been hiked up a huge 10lb in the weights in his bid to complete a hat trick here but he should be bang in there regardless. Of his rivals, previous course winner Park Of Kings can give him most to think about, a ready winner of a 15-runner handicap hurdle at Gowran Park on his last spin.

A grade three novice chase marks race four of the afternoon at 3.20 and seven horses aged four and older are set to take on the two mile and two furlong course. It’s not the strongest graded contest by any stretch and this one can go the way of powerhouse trainer Willie Mullins with Pink In The Park, back on course with a second at Listowel three weeks ago, with Mullins having won this race last year with Hercule Du Seuil.

The feature race on day two is the Grade 3 Chase contest in class one at 3.50 and is the first appearance of the season for some of jump racing’s big guns. King George winner Hewick for Shark Hanlon is one of them, returning to chasing from a stint over hurdles and has already shown he is a high class chaser by winning one of the premier races on the calendar at Sandown last year. Another top class runner is Minella Indo, winner of this race last year, the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner and last seen finishing third in the Grand National at Aintree.

Throw into the mix Conflated for Gordon Elliott, another top chaser who has Grade 1 wins to his name in the Savills Chase and the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup, plus was second in the Melling Chase at Aintree in April, adds to the top class mix here with the Elliott runner given the edge on form of the nine-runner field.

An open handicap chase is race six of the day (4.20), with the nod of the 13-runner field heading the way of Read To Return, who is of interest with jockey Derek O’Connor booked to ride off a handy mark, while the penultimate race of day two (4.55) can go the way of Nine Graces for trainer Barry Connell, a winner over hurdles that has shown plenty of promise when chasing to boot.

Finally, the card and meeting come to a close with the bumper (5.30) over the extended two-miles and without a Willie Mullins runner pitching up here - always worth noting in a card-closing bumper - preference heads the way of Jerry From Kerry for the Emmett Mullins team, a winner of a Ballinrobe bumper 33 days ago and sets a pretty high standard to be caught.

Punchestown selections - Wednesday 

1.50 - The Mediator 

2.20 - First Dare 

2.50 - Pray Tell 

3.20 - Pink In The Park 

3.50 - Conflated 

4.20 - Read To Return 

4.55 - Nine Graces 

5.30 - Jerry From Kerry