Punchestown tips and odds: six dark horses including an interesting 33-1 shot

Punchestown's season-ending five-day festival starts on Tuesday and it's a meeting that always produces some surprising results. Racing Post reporters and tipsters have picked out six dark horses to consider this week.

4.15 Tuesday

In a Grade 1 that lost a lot of its oomph at declaration stage, Dewcup is interesting at 33-1. Ted Walsh's six-year-old likes decent ground and has won a bumper and two hurdles at Punchestown, so he loves the track. Beaten eight lengths by Ballyadam when last seen over hurdles in the Royal Bond, he will be fit from a recent spin on the Flat and has the potential to cause an early upset.
Richard Forristal

4.50 Tuesday

This smart hurdler was fast-tracked into a chasing career. Everything fell into place over fences two starts ago when he comfortably saw off subsequent winner Star Max and he was unsighted when falling last time. His mark of 132 is eminently workable and he could go well at double-figure odds.
Tom Collins

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5.55 Tuesday

Not many of these have any racecourse experience, but this imposing son of Presenting made a promising debut in a Fairyhouse bumper two weeks ago when running very green and wandering considerably before finishing a close fourth. He can improve enough to get involved here.
Justin O'Hanlon

7.00 Wednesday

This nine-year-old didn't quite get home in the Leopardstown Chase over 2m5½f, after hitting an in-running low of 2.22 on Betfair, and the Guinness Handicap Chase over 2m4f is more his thing. He's a terrific jumper and I can't help thinking he has more to offer off his current mark of 134. He warmed up for Wednesday with a blowout over hurdles at Cork when he was ridden aggressively from the front. Expect Denis O'Regan to be more patient here and he could pick up the pieces late in a race that should be set up for closers.
David Jennings

Jessica Harrington: has won three of the last six runnings of Thursday's handicap hurdleCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

3.40 Thursday

Jessica Harrington has won three of the last six runnings of the 2m Specialist Joinery Group Handicap Hurdle with 8-1, 10-1 and 16-1 shots – as well as finishing second with a 10-1 chance in another year – and Ya Ya Baby looks a standout candidate for the Commonstown handler this time. The four-year-old filly won readily at Cork this month in a race from which the second and fifth have won decisively since. Expect a big showing off a handy weight.
Mark Boylan

4.15 Thursday

He ran no sort of race in the Grand Annual but I'm convinced Or Jaune De Somoza can at least hit the frame at a big price in one of these two-mile handicap chases. His run in the Dan Moore this season was a good one and perhaps a line can be drawn through his Cheltenham effort as he was badly hampered in the early stages and never got into any sort of rhythm. He could surprise a few this week.
Brian Sheerin

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