Punchestown Champion Stayers Hurdle tips - Monkfish the pick of strong Wille Mullins hand
Punchestown grandstand
Our friends at Tipstrr offer their verdict on the Stayers’ Hurdle, which boasts one of the Festival’s strongest line-ups, with nine top-class performers looking to finish their season in style.
17:25 Ladbrokes Champion Stayers' Hurdle
This Stayers' Hurdle renewal is the Irish equivalent of the Cheltenham Festival version which was won so memorably by 33/1 shot Sire Du Berlais, who went on to defy his 8/1 odds again at Aintree when winning the Liverpool Hurdle just 12 days ago.
He makes a quick return to resume battle here with Teahupoo, who has not raced since finishing third in that race at Prestbury Park and trainer Gordon Elliott will be keen to make amends here.
Also in the field is last year's winner, Klassical Dream, who finished ninth at Cheltenham and is one of four Willie Mullins runners, with Monkfish in particular attracting plenty of support, both in the betting and among Tipstrr's pundits.
This top-class chaser/hurdler and proven stayer finished a close-up second behind stablemate Asterion Collonges at Fairyhouse 17 days ago, offering enough at the finish to suggest he is capable of reversing those positions here.
While the head say a fresh Teahupoo will be hard to beat, and the heart hopes that Sire Du Berlais has one more race left in his brave legs, we're sticking with Monkfish as the best value straight-win bet here.
Suggested bet: Monkfish in the 17:25 at Punchestown
