The Punting Pointers team are back with three Easter Monday bets including two Irish Grand National fancies.
Racing betting tips: Monday April 21
1pt e.w Kinturk Kalanisi in the 5:00 Fairyhouse at 9/1 (Ladbrokes & Unibet – 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,) – min 15/2
1pt e.w Bioluminescence in the 5:00 Fairyhouse at 8/1 (General – 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,) – min 15/2
0.5pts e.w Sawpit Samantha in the 4:44 Chepstow at 9/1 (Bet365 – 1/5 1,2,3,4,5) – min 15/2
5:00 Fairyhouse – Boylesports Irish Grand National Handicap Chase 3m 5f 37y
Tom Gibney has a fine record in this race, winning twice, with 33/1 shot Lion Na Bearnai in 2012 and Intense Raffles last year from just six runners in total, and he looks to have laid out the novice KINTURK KALANISI to perfection this time round.
Kinturk Kalanisi is one of a few in this field to contest the Leinster National last time, where Bushmans Pass beat the 2024 winner Hartur d’Arc to put himself into the equation for this, while Kinturk Kalanisi was the biggest eyecatcher, seeming to be going better than the winner when blundering Anna McGuinness out of the saddle at the penultimate fence. He’s got the right profile for this race being an unexposed novice who promises to improve for a test of stamina over fences, and the booking of the excellent Darragh O’Keeffe can only count as a positive.
Kinturk Kalanisi has tended to be held up in his races to date, but it would be no surprise to see connections alter tactics, especially as his campaign to date looks to have been geared specifically to Fairyhouse and Gibney is well aware of the benefit of having a good track position. He’s got to be high on any shortlist despite slight concerns over his jumping. He’s one of two against the field for us in this year’s race.
The ground has very much come for BIOLUMINESCENCE who ran well when second to Dancing City at Naas earlier in the season when carrying a penalty for a Grade 2 win at Limerick. She was ostensibly disappointing when beaten by Spindleberry here on her latest start, but the winner proved her class by taking the Grade 1 Willowwarm Gold Cup here yesterday against the boys and in retrospect Bioluminescence was facing an uphill task trying to concede her 10lb on the day, and that makes her IHRB rating of 145 look more than fair on balance.
The only question with the sound-jumping daughter of Walk In The Park is whether she will stay this trip, and while I have slight concerns on that front, she goes about her job like a stayer and her half-brother The Flame was a winner over 3¼m. Her second to Dancing City in the Grade 2 Finlay Ford at Naas came over 3m1f and while I thought she was outstayed that day, it’s arguably more accurate that she simply lacked the finishing speed of the winner, to whom she was conceding weight.
4:44 Chepstow – Class 5 (0-100) Handicap Hurdle 2m 7f 132y
High on numbers but low on quality for this stayers handicap, and probably not too many you can give a chance to. SAWPIT SAMANTHA has yet to score after eleven hurdles starts but she took a step back in the right direction at Taunton last time, the step up to three miles suiting her well. She stayed on nicely from the back of the field to take third behind Elusiveness, who has gone in again twice since, and the form looks solid for this lowly level.
A repeat of that latest effort gives Sawpit Samantha every chance here, and she might be able to take another step forward today.
Preview posted at 0950 BST on 21/04/2025
Want to know more about horse welfare within our sport?
2025 successes
- Pep Talking 7/2
- Ultra Beat 7/2
- Les's Legacy 13/2
- Coniston George 9/2
- Fairlawn Flyer 12/1
- Finn Lough 9/2
- Magma Sam 9/1
- Hawajes 9/2
- Trouble Man 3/1
- Royal Jewel 11/4
- Mr Vango 5/1
- Jack Sprat 11/4
- Ormolulu 100/30
- Khangai 9/2
- Jimmy Knocker 6/1
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
