Jane Mangan
Jane Mangan’s William Hill blog: Punchestown Festival 2026 Day Two best bets
William Hill Jane Mangan returns with her best bets on Day Two of the 2026 Punchestown Festival, featuring the Punchestown Gold Cup.
Punchestown, Wednesday
I’m kicking off with the Red Mills Auction Hurdle (3:05pm) over two-and-a-half miles, I like the look of L’Evangeliste. I thought he was a very smart horse for Eric McNamara, but we haven’t seen him since November. He was an easy winner of a maiden hurdle at Galway; he followed that up with a good win at Fairyhouse and, whilst we haven’t seen him since, I think he’s a high-class horse. The conditions of the race suit him given his rating, and I trust the team to have him there in good shape; he’s the one for me.
The Louis Fitzgerald Hurdle (3:40pm) is next and I fancy Quinta Do Lago. He ran a very respectable race in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival; he was fourth jumping the last hurdle and just faded to fifth on the run to the line. He has form behind Narciso Has and Proactif and, being a four-year-old, he receives weight from his rivals. He can get Jessica Harrington on the board.
The Grade One three-mile novice hurdle (4:15pm) looks an open affair, with the favourite Doctor Steinberg donning a hood for the first time after he ran away with his jockey at Cheltenham. The Passing Wife and Fruit De Mer bring solid form from the Albert Bartlett at the Festival, but I think Zanoosh is a mare on the up. She gets seven pounds from her rivals and arrives here having won her last five races. Given her rating, I think she will be bang there. She skipped Cheltenham to reap the rewards at Fairyhouse, but I think she can take Punchestown as well.
Growing up as a kid in Ireland, Noel Meade was the king. It’s fantastic to see him back with a proper National Hunt horse once again in the grade one bumper (4:50pm), having turned his attentions completely to the Flat. The Mourne Rambler won what looked like a competitive renewal of the Cheltenham Bumper, but now I’m dubious about the level of form. With that said, he was given a very confident ride and showed a very nice turn of foot. However, the fact that Patrick Mullins abandons Love Sign d’Aunou in favour of Dromard tells me that it’s possible Closutton don’t have a star. I think The Mourne Rambler will go back-to-back from Cheltenham to Punchestown; he’s a real one, and I’m delighted he is in the hands of one of the best bumper trainers in the country.
The handicap chase (5:25pm) is next; I like King Alexander. You only must look at how the form is working out from the Jack Richards at Cheltenham. Meetmebythesea beating Gold Dancer and Regent’s Stroll—that Aintree form really stands out now. It may be difficult to back up from Cheltenham, but I think he has been given enough time, and it’s been done by horses in the past. That form stands out like a sore thumb; the trip is perfect and he’s the choice of four for Paul Townend.
It’s Round Four of the season between Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior as they face off once again in the Punchestown Gold Cup (6:05pm). It looks a fabulous rematch of the John Durkan that we saw earlier in the season. I cannot get the novice chase form out of my head when Fact To File literally put Gaelic Warrior on the floor at Leopardstown. Yes, you can concede that Gaelic Warrior is better going right-handed and at Punchestown, but the Gold Cup winner still has his flaws. There are five runners in here but only two that matter; there are shades of Buck House and Dawn Run, 40 years on from that wonderful match race, about this race. Gaelic Warrior is the reigning Gold Cup winner, but Fact To File is fresh. I’m going to give Fact To File one more chance; he didn’t get past him in the John Durkan, but I hope he can get past him here.
The mares’ bumper (6:35pm) closes the card and I like a mare called Even Though. She was going to win a point-to-point at Dromohane before falling at the last, and she was subsequently purchased by Willie Mullins. She won her bumper at Limerick last time, but I thought she looked like she was learning on the job and that there was more to come. She is a sister to The Enabler, a smart bumper horse for Gordon Elliott, and whilst Patrick Mullins has jumped ship, I think Jody Townend will reap the rewards in the finale.
