JAKE PRICE’S TUESDAY PUNCHESTOWN TIPS

My NAP on day one of the Punchestown Festival comes in the Champion Chase, Where I fancy Dinoblue to make amends for her defeat at the Cheltenham Festival.

This Willie Mullins Mare has had a successful campaign to date, winning a Grade 3 Chase at Naas, the Grade 1 Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas, before then finishing second to El Fabiolo in the Dublin Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival. Last month she was a flip-flopping favourite in the Mares Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and in the end, she was only beaten ¾L by Limerick Lace in the torrential rain.

Dropping back in trip to two miles however should see her in better light, and on this better ground I think she'll take some beating getting the 7lbs allowance.

In this new series final, I quite fancy the chances of British raider Montregard who comes across for the Tom Lacey stable.

This five-year-old is a half-brother to Protektorat, and at the back end of last season he put in some good performances - laterally winning at Warwick in April. He wasn't seen for 240 days afterwards when a disappointing 6th at Newcastle, but last month he returned with a bang when winning at Wetherby under a never-say-die ride from Stan Sheppard.

It was a good performance to beat Magical King (119) by a length that day, and the British handicapper put him up to a mark of 108 for it. The Irish handicapper however has placed him on a mark of 106, Which is just 2lb higher than that Wetherby win. Surely, he is still well treated, and there must be further improvement to come if he can travel a little sweeter in the second time cheek-pieces.

One Horse who have been waiting for better ground for months now is Cossack Chach, and he finally gets some at Punchestown on Tuesday.

Although only a four-year-old this Joseph O'Brien charge has some good form to his name and was a leading contender for the Boodles Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival before being pulled out due to the ground. He was then due to go to Aintree but again the ground went against him, so connections have had to be very patient.

Off a mark of 128, he gets an 8lb allowance as a Juvenile and therefore only has to carry 10st3lbs with Conor Stone-Walsh also taking off a further 5lbs. He surely has to go close in this 2m Handicap Hurdle, even if it is against his elders.