Castle Novice Chase Betting Odds

The Barberstown Castle Novice Chase is another top race that forms part of the Punchestown Festival, with the runners and riders competing over two miles, half a furlong. Majborough wasn’t able to deliver at short odds last time out, although Willie Mullins will be confident of a success for his market leader this time around.

Only By Night has landed three victories this season before finishing runner-up last time out. Gavin Cromwell’s seven-year-old could be a good each-way selection, while Impaire Et Passe has also secured three wins from the past four outings. The front three in the betting are much shorter in price than the other runners in the field.

2025 Barberstown Castle Novice Chase Betting Tips

Majborough was regarded as one of the Cheltenham Festival bankers, although the horse was unable to deliver the goods in the Arkle Trophy on Day One of the meeting. Sent off at odds of 1/2, the runner failed to secure a victory and was beaten into third. Perhaps it was just an off day, with the bookies still regarding this horse as the one to beat. There was a smart win at the Dublin Racing Festival.

On that occasion, the horse achieved a nine-length success when toppling Touch Me Not and there was previously a success at Fairyhouse in December. The five-year-old was the winner of the Triumph Hurdle at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival and it could be that the horse delivers the goods for favourite backers.

Only By Night has collected three straight wins this season, with the seven-year-old scoring at Tipperary, Cork and Exeter. The horse then ran a brilliant race as a 25/1 shot to finish second in the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival. Gavin Cromwell saw his charge actually hit the front on the run-in and the bookies certainly respect his chances here.

Impaire Et Passe is the other short-priced runner and the seven-year-old has landed three successes this term. The last success came at Aintree where a victory was landed in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase. That was by just over a length over two miles, four furlongs, with the runner previously ending up third in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival.

2024 Castle Novice Chase Tips

Gaelic Warrior has a fairly unblemished record coming into the Punchestown Festival, with the six-year-old having won the Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival. This victory was all the more impressive considering that the 2/1 favourite was able to win by eight and a half lengths when beating Found a Fifty.

We can perhaps forgive the horse for unseating his rider at Leopardstown in early February when running against Fact To File in a two-runner Novice Chase, with the horse having previously recorded victories at Limerick and Punchestown. It all amounts to an impressive track record and there’s a reason why the horse is trading at big odds-on.

Il Etait Temps has won three times this season and produced an excellent performance to win at Aintree in the Close Brothers Manifesto Novices' Chase. Sent off at odds of 3/1, the horse was able to prosper over two miles and four furlongs, with the runner claiming a nine-length triumph in the process.

However, he has to find over thirteen lengths on Gaelic Warrior considering that the two squared off at the Cheltenham Festival and second place might be the realistic outcome here. The leading pair in the betting should be well clear of the other two runners in the field, with Hercule Du Seuil likely to finish third.