A fascinating renewal of the Punchestown Stayers’ Hurdle will take place on day three of the Punchestown Festival on Thursday 1st May and all eyes will be on reigning champion Teahupoo, who looks to retain the crown he won 12 months ago. We take an in-depth look at the Grade 1 contest at 6:00pm and pick out our best bets for the contest.
Favourites
A runaway six-and-a-half length winner of this race in 2024 Teahupoo was undoubtedly the star stayer of last season, but Gordon Elliott’s eight-year-old has had a topsy-turvy campaign and was last seen being beaten by Bob Olinger in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March. A warm favourite for Thursday’s contest, the Cullentra House inmate is sure to run a huge race here, but he was taken out at Aintree due to the quick ground and with the sun beating down at Punchestown at the moment then the ground is sure to be quicker than ideal, so could he be vulnerable at the head of the market, if he takes his chance?
Henry De Bromhead’s Hiddenvalley Lake bypassed Cheltenham in favour of Aintree and was a fine winner of the Liverpool Hurdle and is second in the betting, at the time of writing. Second in the Long Walk Hurdle behind Crambo earlier in the season, this Irish raider will need to emulate that Aintree run to play his part here and he’s certainly entitled to be well fancied. Declan Queally’s Rocky’s Diamond ran a career best at huge odds to finish fifth in the Stayers’ Hurdle in March and the five-year-old is likely to improve again. A winner on good ground already he is one that could enjoy the quicker going and is another fascinating contender towards the head of the market.
Outsiders
A dual Long Walk Hurdle winner, Fergal O’Brien’s Crambo will make the trip over from the UK and if he can replicate his Ascot run this season, where he beat Hiddenvalley Lake then he could be a key contender. He suffered a crashing fall at Cheltenham in the Stayers’ Hurdle, while he ran a poor race in the Cleeve Hurdle at the same track back in January, but with the sun on his back and switch away from Prestbury Park then he could well outrun his odds here.
Second in the race last year, Asterion Forlonge is certainly in the twilight of his career and was last seen falling over fences, so a return to hurdles here should help. Third behind Hiddenvalley Lake at Aintree, Jetara has been ultra-progressive this season for Jessica Harrington and she is one with a win on good ground on her CV, so could play a part in the finish, while last season’s third Home By The Lee has found life tough recently and could be another that struggles on the ground.
The Best Offers For Punchestown Stayers’ Hurdle
There are some fabulous new customer offers for punters that can be used on the Punchestown Stayers’ Hurdle on Thursday, so we pick out some of the best ones available.
| Bookmaker | Offer |
| Sky Bet | Bet 5p Get £30 in Free Bets |
| Paddy Power | Bet £5 Get £30 in Free Bets |
| Ladbrokes | Bet £5 Get £20 in Free Bets |
| Bet365 | Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets |
Punchestown Stayers’ Hurdle Racecard
Here’s an in-depth guide to the runners and riders for the 2025 Punchestown Stayers’ Hurdle.
18:00 Punchestown
YieldingLadbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle (Grade 1)
- First Prize: €146280.99
- 2m 7f 110y
- 11 runners
- Win time: 5m 55s
5/4F (Won)
- Win: £2.25
- Place: £1.30
in touch with leaders, smooth headway after 3 out, challenging 2 out, ridden to lead approaching last, ridden clear run-in
18/1
- Place: £4.10
towards rear, good headway on inner when not fluent 3 out, challenging after 2 out, outpaced approaching last, ran on and went second inside final 110yds, no match for winner
6/1
- Place: £1.80
midfield, prominent after 2nd, outpaced after 2 out, ran on well from last, went third towards finish
12/1
towards rear, headway into midfield 4 out, led narrowly 3 out, soon faced challenges, headed approaching last, not fluent last, no extra and lost two places inside final 110yds
22/1
towards rear, headway from 2 out, disputing fourth approaching last, no extra run-in
9/1
never going well, midfield, towards rear halfway, soon niggled along, brief headway on outer 2 out, kept on, never near to challenge
16/1
prominent, soon went second, outpaced after 2 out
33/1
midfield, hit 5 out, outpaced after 2 out
7/1
midfield, lost position after 3 out, mistake towards rear 2 out, soon no extra
8/1
led, not fluent 8th, hit 5 out, headed before 2 out, soon weakened
66/1
in touch with leaders, midfield halfway, weakening when mistake 3 out, dropped to rear after 2 out, eased home turn, pulled up approaching last
+o+e Betting Returns
| Payout | |
|---|---|
| Exacta | €256.00 |
| Straight Forecast | €276.30 |
| Tricast | €1102.90 |
| Trifecta | €1847.00 |
Selections
POSTDATA:
TeahupooPunchestown Stayers’ Hurdle Prediction
If Teahupoo can handle the quick ground then he’s undoubtedly the one to beat here, but he’s been a little disappointing this campaign and he could be worth taking on with an alternative and Fergal O’Brien’s CRAMBO is certainly of interest. A dual Grade 1 winner he’s certainly capable of playing a part in proceedings and if he can produce his best then he could well get the better of Teahupoo with Hiddenvalley Lake finishing in third place.
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