Punchestown Festival 2023: 3 Willie Mullins Horses to Follow

The 2023 Punchestown Festival is underway and punters saw plenty of fancied horses emerge victorious on the opening day.

Leading Irish trainer Willie Mullins banged home a four-timer and will be eager to add to his tally during the remainder of the meeting.

We’ve scoured the entries over the next few days to identify another three Mullins horses we think will be tough to beat at the Punchestown Festival.

Galopin Des Champs will attempt to complete a historic double when he lines up in the prestigious Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday.

The seven-year-old triumphed in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month and is priced at odds of 3/10 with 10bet to clinch another victory in Ireland.

Kicking King (2005), War Of Attrition (2006) and Sizing John (2017) all achieved the feat this century, and the seven-year-old looks a banker bet to add his name to the roll of honour.

Bravemansgame is set to have another crack at Galopin Des Champs after finishing second behind him at Cheltenham, but he will find it tough to reverse the placings.

Envoi Allen bounced back to form in the Ryanair Chase last month and could run into a place if either of the big two fail to perform at their best.

The supremely talented Monkfish is an intriguing contender in the Grade 1 Champion Stayers’ Hurdle on Thursday.

The nine-year-old returned from a 713-day absence to finish just half a length adrift of stablemate Asterion Forlonge at Fairyhouse earlier this month.

With that run under his belt and an additional four furlongs to travel, Monkfish looks a good value bet to reverse the form.

Mullins has recorded five victories in the past ten editions of this race and is highly adept at bringing horses back to their best after a long absence.

Monkfish can be backed at 11/2 on several horse racing betting sites and that looks decent each-way value in a nine-runner field.

The Ballymore Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle is the last of the Grade 1 events on Saturday and Mullins will have a strong hand in the race.

The Irishman saddled the first four home in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham and he may repeat the trick this weekend.

Lossiemouth secured an impressive victory on that occasion, pulling clear up the hill to secure a stylish victory over Gala Marceau.

Zarak the Brave is another interesting contender for Mullins given that he swerved the big spring meetings at Cheltenham and Aintree.

He finished four lengths behind Lossiemouth at Fairyhouse in early December and could reward each-way punters this weekend.