Punchestown Festival 2025: Top Tips for Day 4
Day 4 of the Punchestown Festival features an equine version of the ‘Showdown at the O.K. Corral’, but our best bet is On The Line earlier in the day.
Its On The Line is a confident selection in the Event Power Champion Hunters Chase (4.15 pm) at the Punchestown Festival on Friday. The Emmett Mullins-trained and JP McManus-owned horse knows his way around this track, winning this contest in 2023 and 2024.
Constitution Hill has never been beaten – when he has not fallen! ©Getty
Key Facts:
- A hat-trick is On The Line in Punchestown’s Champion Hunters Chase.
- Reliable Dinoblue can complete Festival double.
- State Man vs Constitution Hill is a race to savour.
- Runcok has the form in the book for one-runner Willie.
A solid second in the Cheltenham Foxhunters Chase – a contest he also finished runner-up in 12 months ago – should have teed the eight-year-old perfectly for this hat-trick bid. Mr Derek O’Connor, who has steered Its On The Line to victory on many occasions, rides him again.
At the very least, Big Interest will provide resistance in the betting markets found at the best horseracing betting sites. However, in action over three miles just ten days ago, and with three poor efforts earlier in 2025, Big Interest is of no interest! He simply has too many questions to answer.
No Obvious Dents in Dinoblue’s Armour
Cheltenham Festival winners have enjoyed mixed fortunes at Punchestown this week. Some flopped badly, and some have won impressively. As Dinoblue took in both meetings in 2023 and 2024 – and her performance level never dipped – we suspect her current form can be trusted.
A repeat of her 2025 Cheltenham performance, where she won the Mares Chase by eight lengths, will be good enough to see her take her chase career record to eight wins and six seconds from 16 starts in the 4.50 pm contest, a Grade-2 for mares.
Allegorie De Vassy has a chance on her best form, but she had been tamed when falling at the last fence in the Cheltenham Mares Chase won by Dinoblue and her jumping often lets her down. Brides Hill, therefore, looks like a better forecast link for those looking for a healthy return.
The sun is shining on day two of the 2025 #PunchestownFestival and a winning favourite has been very welcome. pic.twitter.com/YKYTQlg5xi
— Sports & Betting History by BestBettingSites (@BettingSitesCom) April 30, 2025
It Is Man vs Hill in a Classic
Constitution Hill was sent off as the 1/2 favourite in Cheltenham’s Champion Hurdle. He fell at the fourth flight allowing State Man to appear home for all money. However, the 8/1 shot made his own serious blunder and fell at the last.
The pair will reoppose on Friday with no such disparity in their odds. State Man, with a record 13 wins, three seconds and a third from 19 hurdle starts, has fallen twice in his career. Constitution Hill is unbeaten in the 10 hurdle races where he has stood up. However, he has hit the deck in his last two starts.
It is impossible to predict whether his latest fall will affect Constitution Hill’s confidence – or State Man’s. Many are predicting the English challenger (Nick Henderson’s Constitution Hill) will be asked to win from the front. Will State Man’s stablemate, Kargese, spoil that plan?
Ultimately, this is a race to savour, and it could be discussed for decades to come. From a punting perspective, it is best left to those possessing a crystal ball.
Form Boost Makes Runcok the One
The form worth of Runcok’s five-length fifth to Irancy in an early April Grade-2 Fairyhouse contest received a considerable boost when that horse took some big scalps in winning Tuesday’s Champion Novice Hurdle.
The only Mullins-trained runner in the 7.10 pm, a two-mile Novice Hurdle, big things will be expected from the trainer’s legion of fans, and we are joining them on the gravy train.
Punchestown Day 4 Best Bets
- 4.15 pm Its On The Line
- 4.50 pm Dinoblue
- 7.10 pm Runcok
BestBettingSites.com’s 2025 Punchestown Festival Preview provides full details on how to watch and bet on the action from Irish jumps racing’s premier meeting.
