Willie Mullins bumper horse backed into 5-1 (from 8) for the final Grade 1 on day two

Day two of the Punchestown festival gets under way on Wednesday afternoon with top-class chaser Galopin Des Champs starring in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup (5.55).

Here, we look ahead to the action and keep you updated with everything you need to know before the first race at 3.40.

Willie Mullins made a flying start to the Punchestown festival with four winners on the opening day and he could be in line for even more Grade 1 success on Wednesday after It's For Me was backed into 5-1 (from 8) for the Race & Stay At Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race (6.30).

The five-year-old has been well supported in his bid to overturn the form with hot favourite A Dream To Share, who heads the market for John Kiely in the top-class bumper won in recent years by Kilcruit and Facile Vega.

Running in the green silks of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, It's For Me will be partnered by Jody Townend for the first time after finishing fifth at the Cheltenham Festival last month.

Success would mark the fifth consecutive victory for Mullins in the Grade 1 bumper and he saddles four of the eight runners, including unbeaten Cheveley Park runner Tullyhill.

The 2m½f contest is the only Grade 1 on Wednesday's card in which Mullins does not train the favourite, with Galopin Des Champs a warm order for the Paddy Power Gold Cup and Gaelic Warrior odds-on to land the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle.

Posted at 2.15pm

Bravemansgame bids to reverse Gold Cup form

Galopin Des Champs is the star of the show in the Punchestown Gold Cup (5.55) but Bravemansgame has been steady at 7-2 second favourite for the big race.

The Paul Nicholls-trained eight-year-old was a gallant second to Galopin Des Champs at the Cheltenham Festival, with the pair clearing the last together before the Willie Mullins-trained chaser, who remains the 1-3 favourite for today's contest, extended clear for a seven-length success.

Nicholls won this race in 2021 with Clan Des Obeaux, who finished second to Allaho last year.

Bravemansgame: backed against Galopin Des Champs at Punchestown on WednesdayCredit: Mark Cranham

Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame will be making their first starts since last month's festival, with Bravemansgame forced to miss his original target of the Aintree Bowl due to an ownership issue.

The field was reduced to five on Wednesday morning due to the absence of Hewick, who was ruled out by Shark Hanlon due to ground concerns and may run at Sandown on Saturday instead.

Updated at 2pm

Market movers

3.40
Low Lie The Fields 11-1 (from 22)

4.45
Grangeclare West 2-1 (from 9-4)
Tag Man 10-3 (from 11-2)

6.30
A Dream To Share 6-5 (from 5-4)
It's For Me 5-1 (from 8)

7.05
Hereditary Rule 10-1 (from 22)

7.45
Fun Fun Fun Evens (from 2-1)

Updated at 2pm

Non-runners

3.40 Captains Nephew
4.15 Pale Blue Dot
5.55 Hewick
6.30 Fascile Mode

Posted at 12.20pm

More from day two of the Punchestown festival: 

2023 Punchestown Gold Cup: the runners, the odds, the verdict 

2023 Punchestown festival tips: Wednesday's best bets 

Subscribe today | Get 50% off your first three months 

Sign up here. New customers only. First single and each-way bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 4 x £5 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets exclude virtuals. Free bets are non-withdrawable. No free bet expiry. Eligibility restrictions. Further T&Cs apply. 18+. begambleaware.org. Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.