3:40 KILDARE HUNT CLUB FR SEAN BREEN MEMORIAL CHASE

A tricky opener for punters. The usual place to start is with Enda Bolger, who is the man to follow for the banks at Punchestown this week, and who has won this race six times in the last seven years. However Bolger doesn’t appear to have the strongest hand this season with just two runners, Equal Status and Blue Templar, both for JP McManus. The latter-mentioned is probably the pick of the pair with Derek O’Connor booked.

Treo Eile has attained good experience of this course having finished fourth and fifth in this race in the last two years and he arrives here in really good form having won his last two point-to-points. He could well put it up to the Enda Bolger pair while Need To Know is another with good experience of this course and one who could outrun his price.

SELECTION: TREO EILE NEXT BEST: EQUAL STATUS LONGSHOT: NEED TO KNOW

4:20 HERALD CHAMPION NOVICE HURDLE

The nature of this race is likely to be significantly influenced at the start where the logistical nightmare that is Labaik may well refuse to jump off. To put it into perspective, Gordon Elliott’s grey is rated a 5/2 shot by most bookmakers, but on Betfair’s Sportsbook, in a market where you get your money back if Labaik refuses to race, he is priced up a 5/4 shot.

There is no doubting that the son of Montmartre is the one to beat if he does jump off as he was very impressive at Cheltenham but expect Melon to run another huge race in any case. The effort of the Willie Mullins’s horse to finish second in the Supreme probably went under the radar due to Labaik’s story but it was a cracking effort, on only his second ever start over hurdles. It is not at all unforeseeable that he could now improve past Labaik.

Pingshou was an impressive winner at Aintree but the form of his race does not look on a par with the Supreme, where Labaik and Melon finished well clear. A longshot to consider is Bunk Off Early, who bombed at Cheltenham but finished a good second in the Grade 1 Deloitte Novice Hurdle previously.

SELECTION: MELON NEXT BEST: LABAIK LONGSHOT: BUNK OFF EARLY

4:55 KILLASHEE HANDICAP HURDLE

A somewhat disappointing field, considering the prize money on offer. It would be a surprise if Roconga didn’t go off favourite as he rates a solid proposition here. Edward O’Grady’s horse was impressive on his previous run over hurdles strolling to an easy five-length win at Killarney and since then, he has won twice on the flat, inflating his mark to 95. His previous run was his first run since a six-month break and he did really well to win, beating good progressive horses like Le Vagabond and Sikandarabad. He has bundles of scope to progress now back over hurdles off a mark of 129.

Veinard has appeared in most of the top handicap hurdles this season and he has performed with credit so it would be no surprise to see him run another big one under Jack Kennedy. Tudor City is also noted, after winning at Fairyhouse last week but it could be Miles To Memphis that gives the selection most to do. Denise Foster has done really well with this eight-year-old who had previously been trained by Alan King. He won on his first run for the trainer at Navan and then ran well to finish second in a good handicap hurdle won by Conduct Yourself at Cork last week. He has scope to improve again off just a 3lb higher mark.

SELECTION: ROCONGA NEXT BEST: MILES TO MEMPHIS LONGSHOT: LIGHT THAT

5:30 BOYLESPORTS CHAMPION CHASE

The feature race on the first day of the festival is a cracker with Un De Sceaux taking on Fox Norton. Both won a Grade 1 race over further last time out and both are now dropping back down in trip to two miles. That should suit Un De Sceaux more as he is a six-time Grade 1 winner at this sort of distance and whose racing style is more suited to a shorter trip.

But Fox Norton is a big player and at around the 4/1 mark (at the time of writing) he looks a bet to take this prize to Britain for Colin Tizzard. The seven-year-old has improved on each of his three starts since returning from a layoff and the form of his Melling Chase win, which featured a six-length win over Sub Lieutenant, is probably more impressive than that of Un De Sceaux, who only beat the Gigginstown runner by just over a length. Indeed the British handicapper has Fox Norton rated 2lbs higher than Willie Mullins’s gelding.

God’s Own is bidding to win at Punchestown for the third year in a row and likeable though he is for trainer Tom George, he did disappoint behind Fox Norton at Aintree last time. George has another runner in Sir Valentino, an improving eight-year-old who wasn’t beaten far in third in the Champion Chase. With eight runners, he’d be a solid each-way bet at around the 16/1 mark with the first three places available should all runners stand their ground.

SELECTION: FOX NORTON NEXT BEST: UN DE SCEAUX LONGSHOT: SIR VALENTINO

6:05 GOFFS LAND ROVER BUMPER

A bit of a minefield with only five of the 16-runner field recording experience on the track. One of those five, Early Doors, impressed on his only start, winning by nine lengths over this course and distance. He looks like a solid option in a race of this calibre and it is also interesting that Patrick Mullins is riding him despite the fact that his father Willie has a horse in the race.

The Gordon Elliott-trained, Gigginstown-owned pair Rapid Escape and Valdieu have both won point-to-points and are both respected while Boot Camp, representing the red-hot Jessica Harrington team, is another worth considering. The son of Milan is a brother to the very useful Duke Of Lucca and though having his first start, is likely to arrive here in tip-top shape by Harrington, who won this race in 2009.

SELECTION: EARLY DOORS NEXT BEST: RAPID ESCAPE LONGSHOT: BOOT CAMP

Disko is the selection in the Champion Novice Chase

6:40 GROWISE CHAMPION NOVICE CHASE

It’s difficult to look beyond Disko in this race, with many of his rivals having questions to answer. Anibale Fly has been in and out this season and the ground may well be getting too quick for him while Acapella Bourgeois disappointed in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham after his much debated big-margin win at Navan. Alpha Des Obeaux ran well enough when finishing eighth in the Irish Grand National last week but he has something to prove back at Grade 1 level and the same can be said for A Genie In Abottle, who disappointed a little in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham.

The case for Disko is simple. He has always been well regarded by Noel Meade and this has been his breakthrough season. He won a Grade 1 over two miles and five furlongs at Leopardstown but arguably his run to finish a solid third to Our Duke and Coney Island over three miles at the same track is even better form. He put up a solid effort to finish third in the JLT Chase won by Yorkhill at Cheltenham and coming back to Punchestown, where he impressed on his chasing debut earlier in the season and where he finished second to Bellshill in the Punchestown Champion Bumper at this festival in 2015, he will be difficult to beat..

SELECTION: DISKO NEXT BEST: ALPHA DES OBEAUX LONGSHOT: A GENIE IN ABOTTLE

7:15 DOOLEY INSURANCES FLAT RACE

An intriguing bumper with lots of prominent National Hunt owners represented. Roaring Bull, Jetez and Pottsie are all interesting recruits making their debut but Musical Slave, trained by Philip Hobbs for JP McManus, is likely to be one of the principals. Hobbs has had plenty of success at Punchestown down the years and has managed to secure the services of Derek O’Connor for this son of Getaway. It would be no surprise if he turned out to be better than average.

Kelp Forest finished second to the promising Plouios in a point-to-point at Loughanmore two weeks back and he could have a say here now on his track debut. Bergkamp, representing Patrick Kelly and Philip Reynolds, is another interesting recruit. He is a half brother to The Liquidator and has the services of the in-form Danny Benson in the saddle.

SELECTION: MUSICAL SLAVE NEXT BEST: KELP FOREST LONGSHOT: BERGKAMP

REVIEW ALL THE PUNCHESTOWN ACTION WITH THE IRISH FIELD THIS WEEKEND