2023 Punchestown festival tips: Saturday's best bets from Racing Post experts

Day five of the Punchestown festival is upon us – but who do our experts fancy most?

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Echoes In Rain

3.50 Punchestown

By Conor Fennelly

Echoes In Rain looks as if she has sound claims of extending her impressive Punchestown record, which includes a Grade 1 novice hurdle victory and a second behind Honeysuckle in last season's Champion Hurdle.

After a fruitful Flat campaign, she returned in the Hatton's Grace and looked to be running a cracker before falling two out, then went on to claim Grade 3 honours at Naas in impressive fashion. Good ground seems important to her and if she settles early on she could be difficult to fend off in the closing stages.

Echoes In Rain15:50 Punchestown

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Jky: Paul Townend Tnr: W P Mullins

Lossiemouth

5.00 Punchestown

By Kevin Morley

Enjoy The Dream's shock win at Fairyhouse's Easter meeting gives her form claims, but her relative lack of hurdling experience counts against her and this looks best left to Triumph winner Lossiemouth, who can follow up her Cheltenham success. The selection's stablemate Gala Marceau can fill the forecast spot.

Lossiemouth17:00 Punchestown

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Jky: Paul Townend Tnr: W P Mullins

An Epic Song

5.30 Punchestown

By Liam Headd

Martin Brassil landed his biggest prize for some time when Fastorslow won the Gold Cup here on Wednesday and An Epic Song can add to the trainer's success at the festival this week.

The six-year-old finished down the field during the Dublin Racing Festival, in a race won by the impressive Gaelic Warrior, but if he retains any ability similar to his runner-up performance at Cheltenham last month then he should run a big race. The son of Authorized was unlucky to lose out to Langer Dan by a head in the Coral Cup, but it was a career-best effort based on Racing Post Ratings and he's likely to come on from that as he steps back in trip.

It must be noted that An Epic Song is a course-and-distance winner, having cruised to success here in December 2021, and he should go very well.