The Punchestown Festival continues on Day 3, with another eight-race card to look forward to on Thursday. Stamina is the name of the game in one of the day’s two Grade 1 events, the Champion Stayers Hurdle.

Run over just shy of three miles, Willie Mullins has won four of the last six renewals and only two horses aged 10 or older have come out on top in the last nine.

A field of 11 have been declared for this €300,000 event and our expert has picked out their two strongest fancies to follow. Mullins might be hard-pushed to maintain his recent dominance this year and the race could go the way of Gordon Elliott.

Punchestown Stayers Hurdle Runners and odds

Punchestown Stayers Hurdle Tips

Odds for tips correct at the time of publishing and courtesy of William Hill

Punchestown Stayers Betting Offer

Elliott and De Bromhead go head-to-head

This open-looking affair appears to be a rare Grade 1 in Ireland in which Willie Mullins only has an outside chance. He runs Asterion Forlonge and Winter Fog, who both have a little bit to find if they want to pose a serious challenge.

Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead have the two most obvious chances, with 2024 winner Teahupoo representing the former and recent Aintree Grade 1 winner Hiddenvalley Lake representing the latter.

Declan Queally’s Rocky’s Diamond is clearly going the right way and he needs to go on the shortlist. British raider Crambo isn’t without a chance and the likes of Home By The Lee and Jetara could threaten the places.

Teahupoo is the one to beat

Gordon Elliott’s TEAHUPOOwas an impressive winner of this race last year and he often produces his best form in the spring. He began the season by finishing second to the impressive Lossiemouth in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse and lost little in defeat that day, over an inadequate trip.

Connections decided to go straight to the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival after that and the decision was perhaps a mistake. Teahupoo was unable to retain his crown and course specialist Bob Olinger got the better of him, but the front two were comfortably clear of the third.

The son of Masked Marvel probably improved for the run when winning this last year and if doing so again, he should prove hard to beat. His form is clearly the best on offer and he looks like the one they all have to beat.

Improving Rocky’s Diamond won’t be far away

ROCKY’S DIAMOND has been progressive this season and it’s likely that the best is yet to come from the five-year-old. He won a handicap at Gowran in October and acquitted himself well when thrown into Grade 1 company at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Finishing third behind Home By The Lee three starts ago, he would have learnt plenty from that experience and his jumping has improved since. The gelding returned to winning ways in the Galmoy Hurdle next time and Hiddenvalley Lake was well beaten in behind.

Fourth at Cheltenham when last seen, he’s the runner with the most scope for further improvement and could be the value play here.