The Punchestown Festival is one of the highlights of the Irish sporting and social calendar and it all starts in earnest this week from Tuesday through till Saturday.

The Punchestown Festival is considered the grand finale of the jump season with top class horses from both sides of the Irish Sea converging on Kildare to settle scores and confirm reputations. The quality of racing during the week is unrivalled with a total of 12 Grade One contests taking place.

Another festival highlight is the famous La Touche Cup which is run over the cross country course and is a fan’s favourite.

We took a look at some of the biggest races this week - for those interested, the full Punchestown Festival race schedule can be found here: https://www.punchestown.com/racing/festival-race-programme.

Tuesday

The opening day has three Grade One races including the feature Champion Chase. The other two Grade One’s are The Herald Champion Novice Hurdle over 2 miles and the Growise Novice Chase over 3 miles. There are a total of seven races this day.

Douvan faces nine rivals as he bids to atone for a fall at Cheltenham in the Champion Chase.

The top class two-miler came down at the fourth-last when going well in the Queen Mother Champion Chase on his first start since finishing seventh in the same race a year ago.

The eight-year-old is one of four runners from the Willie Mullins stable along with Queen Mother runner-up Min, Ballycasey and Un De Sceaux, who was second in this race behind Fox Norton 12 months ago.

Champion trainer rival Gordon Elliott saddles A Toi Phil, Doctor Phoenix, Tell Us More and The Game Changer.

 

Wednesday

The highlight of the Irish chase calendar with the Grade One Punchestown Gold Cup. This day also features the hotly contested Racing Post Irish Champion Bumper, The Grade One Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle over 3 miles and the Weatherbys GSB EBF Mares Flat Race.

Noel Meade's Road To Respect was not disgraced when finishing fourth in last month's Cheltenham Gold Cup and is on target for Wednesday’s feature race. A couple of superb runs earlier in the campaign culminated with a win in the Leopardstown Christmas Chase, formerly known as the Lexus.

Gordon Elliot won the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup in the past with Don Cossack and three time Grade One winner Outlander is his main representative next Wednesday with Irish Grand National winner General Principle also a potential runner.

Thursday

There are two Grade One races including the Champion Stayers Hurdle and the Ryanair Novice Chase over 2 miles, not to mention the entertaining La Touche Cross Country race on day three of the Festival.

Identity Thief is on course to clash with Penhill, winner of the Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last month, in the Champion Stayers Hurdle.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained eight-year-old put in a star performance at Aintree just over a week ago when he landed the Ryanair Stayers Hurdle at his first attempt over three miles.

Warren Greatrex is hoping that a wind-op will help La Bague Au Roi bounce back to form in the Champion Stayers Hurdle.

The Lambourn trainer is stepping the seven-year-old back up to three miles in the Grade One prize after she suffered her first defeat of the season when last of seven finishers in the OLBG Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Friday

Friday’s card is regarded by many as the jewel in the crown of the Punchestown Festival. The day is a favourite with race goers, locals and socialisers alike. This day sees the largest crowds passing through the turnstiles and has a real party atmosphere. The quality of the racing is superb with the best two mile hurdlers around battling it out for the Champion Hurdle title.

Samcro could take on his elders in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle to help aid Gordon Elliott’s title bid. Gigginstown House Stud boss Michael O'Leary has left the option open for the exciting unbeaten six-year-old in order to help Elliott out.

Champion Hurdle runner-up Melon is one of six entries for Willie Mullins. He could also saddle the likes of Faugheen, Coral Cup winner Bleu Berry and impressive Fairyhouse scorer Coquin Mans.

Veteran hurdler, My Tent Or Yours has been given the green light by Nicky Henderson to contest the race after finishing fourth at Aintree recently on only his second start of the season.

Saturday

Since its introduction as an extra Festival day, the Saturday has become the second biggest day of the entire Festival. The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Annie Power Mares Champion Hurdle is one of the feature races of the day.

Apple's Jade is bidding to to atone for a disappointing Cheltenham Festival run in the EBF Annie Power Mares Champion Hurdle.

Benie Des Dieux, Mares' Hurdle runner-up Midnight Tour, Laurina and Forge Meadow are among her possible rivals.

Odds

You can find all these races and many more on our 888sport website. Just follow this link to the horse racing markets at https://www.888sport.com/horse-racing/

Have an enjoyable Punchestown Festival!

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Just a week on from the conclusion of the Aintree Grand National our attentions are now focused on one of the highlights of the Scottish sporting calendar, the Scottish Grand National, and as always it has attracted some of the finest staying chasers in the UK & Ireland. A maximum field of 30 runners line up on Saturday afternoon at 4.05pm.

Not quite as far as the Aintree version, the race is run over a distance of approximately 4 miles and 110 yards (6,538 metres) and 27 fences and is open to horses aged five years old or over.

The Last 10 Scottish Grand National Winners

2017 – VICENTE (9/1 jfav)
2016 – VICENTE (14/1)
2015 – WAYWARD PRINCE (25/1)
2014 – AL CO (40/1)
2013 – GODSMEJUDGE (12/1)
2012 – MERIGO (15/2)
2011 – BESHABAR (15/2)
2010 – MERIGO (18/1)
2009 – HELLO BUD (12/1)
2008 – IRIS DE BALME (66/1)

 

Trends And Statistics

There are plenty of pointers available over the past ten years which are all worth bearing in mind. You are looking for horses that fit most of the following criteria:

• Won over 3 miles or further
• Posted their career high RPR of 140+ in a long distance chase
• Won a Class 2 or 3 chase in last 18 months
• Won a chase worth £15,000 (or placed in a chase worth £45,000+)
• Run in 10 to 22 chases (or placed in the 4 mile novice chase at Cheltenham Festival)
• Course winner
• Bypassed the Aintree Grand National
• Horses that finished in first seven in this season’s Hennessy Gold Cup do well
• Ran in the Grimthorpe, 4m NH Novice Chase or Somerset National last time
• Trained in Great Britain (ideally by N Twiston-Davies, P Hobbs or A King)
• Irish trained runners do not fare well. Last winner in 1869!
• Aged 7 to 9 (won 6 of the last 10 renewals)
• Carrying 10st 6lb or less
• Officially rated 146 or lower (ideal range 134 to 139)
• Horses carrying a penalty often do well
• Run 3 to 6 times this season, 2 had not won a race during the campaign.
• Finished in the first 6 last time
• Posted an RPR of 140+ in one or all of last 3 chase starts
• No favourite in the last ten renewals has been successful although four have been placed (including joint and co favs).
• Eight winners had their preceding start in either March or April, of the exceptions one ran in the last week of February and the other in late December.

 

The Absolute Key 10 Year Statistics

• Official Rating no greater than 146 (10/10)
• Won over at least 3 miles (10/10)
• Ran in a Class 2 or 3 race last time out (10/10)
• Aged between 8 and 11 years old (8/10)
• Carried no more than 10st 9lbs (8/10)
• Top 2 finish during last 2 starts  (9/10)
• At least 10 previous races over fences (8/10)
• Last raced within the previous 43 days (8/10)
• Not won a chase above Class 2 level (8/10)
• Between 4 and 6 starts that season (8/10)

 

The Principal Contenders?

Sue Smith’s VINTAGE CLOUDS (nap) was a gallant third in the Ultima Handicap Chase last month at Cheltenham and he had previously run a huge race when coming fourth in the Welsh Grand National Trial at Chepstow and is nicely weighted in this contest. Sue Smith almost tasted success in this race when Aurora’s Encore was beaten just a head in 2012.

VICENTE (n.b) is bidding to win the Scottish Grand National for the third year in a row.

The nine-year-old heads to Ayr after swerving the Grand National at Aintree last weekend on account of the unsuitable ground.

Vicente put in a disappointing display in his last run, pulling up in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival but Ayr always appears to spark his form back into life.

The Paul Nicholls-trained horse is bidding to become the first horse since Couvrefeu II in 1913 to win the Scottish Grand National three years in a row.

The useful novice BALLYOPTIC, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies won the Towton Chase at Wetherby (beating Vintage Clouds by two-and-three-quarter lengths) and finished fourth behind Presenting Percy in the RSA at Cheltenham.

Both races are up there in terms of the standard required to win this and the eight-year-old must be a leading player on Saturday.

DOING FINE has been popular with punters in the build-up to this race. The Neil Mulholland trained 10-year-old carries just 10-6 and is a consistent sort coming back after a break. He has finished in the top five places in his last nine runs and it looks like he will be suited by this 4m trip. He usually travels well in his races and the quicker ground will be a big plus for him.

Recent Midlands Grand National winner REGAL FLOW has won his last two races in fine style and the 11-year-old is in rude health at the moment.

He gave Milansbar a 10 length spanking at Uttoxeter last time out with that horse franking the form by running well in the Grand National last weekend. The handicapper has raised him 10lbs for that victory so he will probably need to put in a career-best performance here but it is not an impossible task.

The David Pipe trained DAKLONDIKE is an interesting runner on Saturday. The progressive six-year-old has been a real revelation this season, improving for the switch to fences and every step up in trip. Connections are hopeful he will improve yet further for Ayr's four mile marathon and he could be an Aintree type for next year.

The only worry for the Professor Caroline Tisdall owner runner is that the ground may have dried out too much for him come the weekend.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Football; it's both the most supported sport in the world and the one that attracts the most bets. The biggest football leagues in the world reside in Europe, for the most part. Unfortunately, most of them finish at the same time and make the summer quite empty, leaving a void.

Luckily, there are a whole world of other sports that take place over the summer months, including some very competitive leagues for bettors to make the most of. Let's start with some football from other areas of the world...

Football

Despite the big leagues of Europe shutting down for the summer months, a lot of great football takes place over the summer – and you can bet on it all! The premier summer leagues include those in Scandinavia, East Asia, and North America.

Right now, you can bet on the Finnish Veikkausliiga, where HJK are the clear favourites at 1/5, with SJK Seinajoki not so close behind at 5/1. As for the Norwegian Eliteserien, you can get 1/7 on Rosenborg to be the best in the Midt-Norge and 6/5 on Stromsgodset to be the best in the Ostlandet, with Sarpsborg 08 at 5/2.

If Swedish football’s more your thing, turn to the premier Allsvenskan league, where you can bet on a huge range of markets, including best-promoted team, best in Stockholm, and many player markets as well. Malmo FF are edging the betting at 7/4 to win the league. The Scandinavian leagues all get underway between the middle of March and the start of April and continue through the summer.

Over in Japan and South Korea, two of the most exciting leagues are already underway. Watch any highlights of the J1-League or K-League 1 and you’ll see stands awash with colour and bouncing fans. You can follow and bet on all K-League 1 games each week, and can also back outrights in the J1-League. The Japanese top division is hotly contested, with Kawasaki Frontale at 4/1, Kashima Antlers at 9/2, and the Urawa Red Diamonds at 6/1 to win the league.

The MLS is already underway, and you can find odds for every single game as well as a huge number of outright markets, which include the MLS winner, MLS MVP winner, top goalscorer, top assists, and the winners of each conference. So far, Toronto FC are favoured to win the MLS at 4/1, with the Seattle Sounders and New York City FC at 7/1.

But, the ultimate event on the calendar this year, the biggest sports event in the world, is the World Cup. Taking place in Russia this summer, the World Cup betting is already underway. Many great teams are in the mix to win it this year, including Brazil and Germany at 19/4, France at 11/2, Spain at 7/1, and Argentina at 9/1.

 

Ice Hockey

Probably the biggest ice hockey league in the world is the NHL and, while the regular season is close to reaching its conclusion, the NHL is far from finished. The Stanley Cup playoffs get underway in April and run through to June. Playoff ice hockey produces incredible performances and huge upsets, which bettors often make the most of. In each NHL game, all year around, you can make the most of our special player markets, which include goal scorers and point scorers.

The regular season standings will greatly sway current odds but the best team in the NHL regular season has only gone on to win the Stanley Cup in eight of the last 31 seasons. So, while the Tampa Bay Lightning are 11/2 to win the cup now, other teams with rosters that are perceived to be better in the playoffs may usurp them.

The Nashville Predators have a strong team at 7/1, as do the Pittsburgh Penguins who are going for three cups in a row at 10/1. Or, there’s the Vegas Golden Knights who are brand new in the league and could complete their fairytale start with a cup win at 11/1.

 

Boxing

While there is a perceived break in the boxing world, world-class fights take place all year round. This summer, there is a stellar line-up of big boxing bouts.

May starts off with two rematches. The hotly anticipated bout between Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin comes to fruition on 6^th May after the first bout controversially ended in a split decision. The Kazakh is favoured at 13/25 to win comprehensively this time around.

via GIPHY

The less anticipated rematch of Tony Bellew versus David Haye takes place on 5^th May, with Haye expected to redeem himself and win at 2/5. The first match saw Bellew put in a good boxing display while Haye was very poor and simply swung for the fences – which effectively resulted in an injury to his Achilles – so anything could happen in this fight.

Later in May, there’s also the mega fight on 11^th May between Oleksandr Usyk and Murat Gassiev, in which Usyk looks to demonstrate his dominance as the 33/100 favourite. In another five-star fight on 19^th May, Lee Selby takes on Josh Warrington, with the challenger at 7/2 to get a surprise win.

 

Tennis

Summer brings about two massive Grand Slam events in tennis. First comes the French Open from 27^th May to 10^th June, which the ‘King of the Clay’ Rafael Nadal is expected to win at 9/10. His closest competitor, Novak Djokovic, is at long odds of 5/1.

Shortly after the French Open comes Wimbledon, which is seen by many as the premier event on the outdoor grass calendar. In both the men’s and the women’s tennis, there are a couple of favourites to take the trophy. Roger Federer is at 7/4 while Serena Williams is at 11/4 to win at Wimbledon.

 

Formula One

The Formula One season may start at the end of March but the summer is where the top drivers begin to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.

During the summer months, F1 fans will be treated to the Spanish Grand Prix (11-13^th May), Monaco Grand Prix (24-27^th May), Canadian Grand Prix (8-10^th June), French Grand Prix (22-24^th June), Austrian Grand Prix (29^th June to 1^st July), British Grand Prix (6-8^th July), German Grand Prix (20-22^nd July), and the Hungarian Grand Prix (27-29^th July).

Coming into the season, Mercedes GP are firm 4/9 favourites to win the Constructors’ Championship, with their lead driver Lewis Hamilton at 9/10 odds of winning the Drivers’ Championship. But Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, currently 7/2 in 888sport's betting odds, will be hot on his tail this year.

 

Baseball

Of all of the major sports leagues in North America, the MLB is the one that dominates the summer months. Preseason, or spring training, has recently started, and the season doesn’t come to a close until the World Series sometime around November. You can, of course, bet on every spring training game and regular season game now and through the summer.

As for the ultimate prize, the World Series, last year’s finalists, the Los Angeles Dodgers, are favoured at 6/1 to redeem themselves this year. Still considered to be the best team in the league, the Houston Astros are at 13/2 to win the World Series again, with the New York Yankees also on the same odds.

 

Golf

Swinging in over the summer is a huge event on the golfing calendar. The 147^th Open Championship gets underway on 19^th July and runs until 22^nd July. While Duston Johnson and Rory McIlroy are in the running at 14/1 and 12/1, respectively, it’s Jordan Spieth at 10/1 who is expected to lift the trophy.

For many, the primary betting events are those in the world of football, particularly the Premier League, the other top European divisions, and the continental club competitions. But even when the UEFA Champions League final rings in the close of the season, there is a huge range of sports and betting markets to get stuck into.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

The Formula One season heads to China this weekend for the third race of the campaign. The Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend was a thriller, with Sebastian Vettel victorious for the second time in as many races despite a late push from Valtteri Bottas.

Vettel has a perfect 50 points and a 17-point lead over title rival, Lewis Hamilton. The Brit was at his attacking best to snatch a podium finish after starting ninth on the grid. Hamilton will fancy his chances of a return to form in Shanghai, though, where he was won on five occasions including in 2017.

Hamilton’s Mercedes should benefit from the long straights at Shanghai. The power of the Mercedes should see some of the highest speeds of the weekend. As is now expected, Hamilton is favourite to take pole at 4/6.

I think there’s pretty solid value in that this week given his dominance at this circuit, even after qualification disappointment last weekend.

Pirelli have picked the medium, soft and ultrasoft compounds. Hamilton and Bottas opted for a couple fewer sets of ultras than their rival Ferraris, however, which could see the Mercedes drivers look for length from their tyres during the race.

Leaving out the supersoft compound is a bit of a surprise. There’s significant variation in tyre selection across the grid, though, with teams beginning to get a sense of what works best for their setup.

Hamilton and Bottas have done well on harder compounds so far this year, which should stand them in good stead for this race. Hamilton is 19/20 to win the race, while I like the 3/5 price on Bottas to make the podium.

The story of Bahrain was the Toro Rossos. Pierre Gasly finished fourth, sending his team into a wave of post-race celebration. Perhaps a giant leap forward for the middle of the field team, or a one-off surge up the standings. Depending on your viewpoint, the 66/1 on Gasly to make the podium could be a decent longshot bet.

Any drivers from the midfield could be in with a chance at Shanghai. The tightening, chaotic turns one and two lend themselves to carnage on the first lap. A decent qualification on Saturday can quickly become an elevated race position with a smart – or fortuitous – piece of driving.

In stark contrast to the Toro Rosso joy, the Red Bulls had a disaster last weekend. Max Verstappen has endured a torrid start to the year but sits at 5/4 to make the podium in China. I think that’s on the short side given their struggles. Daniel Ricciardo’s 6/4 is a little better, though I prefer Kimi Raikonnen at that price.

The Formula One season has started brilliantly. Shanghai has the potential to follow in a similar manner. Its winding corners and DRS zones make for a challenging afternoon as a driver but has the potential for overtaking and driver error.

I am backing Hamilton to make it a sixth career win in China this weekend. Vettel will be happy to limit the damage.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*