Key Points
- Today’s betting tip spoiled his chance at the Cheltenham Festival
- Willie Mullins and Paul Townend keep faith in the horse
- A hood goes on which could be the remedy for him
We move onto Day 2 of the 2026 Punchestown Festival and another eight races, which include three Grade 1s. One of those is the Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle over three miles, which is where I've found today’s betting tip! This horse has the potential to make me either look like a genius or an idiot, and hopefully it’s the former! He certainly has the ability to win this race, it really comes down to whether he can behave himself today!
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Betting advice
- 16:15 Punchestown -
Doctor Steinberg
@ 9/2 -
1pt Win
Take the 9/2 at PricedUp for Doctor Steinberg!
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best horse racing odds
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After a tough Day 1 we turn to the Doctor!
My main tip yesterday was Sticwiththeprocess, owned by JP McManus, who had two in the race. Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan, and our horse was pulled up, while JP’s other well backed runner went on to win. Today, we look to get back on track with Doctor Steinberg, and it would be rather fitting if a Doctor could heal our wounds.
Doctor Steinberg spoiled his chance at the Cheltenham Festival
I could not have been more impressed by Doctor Steinberg at the Dublin Racing Festival. I tipped him to my Discord members that day and I feared the worst when he took a very keen hold. Considering how hard he pulled, he should have had no chance of winning, so the fact he went on to lead after three out, went clear before the last, and won readily was simply remarkable. He gave the impression he was a very serious horse that day.
I was shocked to see the Mullin's camp leaning towards the Albert Bartlett over 3m. If Doctor Steinberg was to race in the same manner, he’d have no chance of getting up the Cheltenham hill at the end of three miles. He was sent off 9/4F there, but I'd already decided to take him on. As feared, he pulled Paul Townend’s arms out, and he was eased off turning for home. Interestingly, the winner of the 2m 5f Grade 1 Novice Hurdle was Closutton's King Rasko Grey, so perhaps they knew they had the race in the bag, and decided to send Doctor Steinberg over 3m.
That race couldn’t have gone any worse, but two key aspects caught my attention. Firstly, he was sent off 9/4F for a 22-runner Grade 1 at the Cheltenham Festival. That speaks volumes about his ability, and shows hom much his yard thinks of him. Secondly, Paul Townend knew the race was over before it got serious, and he looked after Doctor Steinberg rather than running him into the ground. Paul's decision to ease off and pull Doctor Steinberg up could pay dividends here, as he will certainly be far fresher than if he had been asked to give everything up the hill last month.
Willie Mullins and Paul Townend keep faith in Doctor Steinberg
Despite Doctor Steinberg ruining his chance over 3m in the Albert Bartlett, Willie Mullins hasn’t been put off the idea of him running over 3m again. There is a 2m 4.5f Grade 1 Novice Hurdle on Friday, and nobody would have been surprised if Willie said they were dropping him back in trip and aiming at that race instead. The fact he sticks at 3m and comes for this race, suggests to me that they believe Doctor Steinberg will behave today.
In a similar way, Paul Townend had the choice of four runners for Willie Mullins here: Doctor Steinberg, Espresso Milan, Love Me Tender and Hipop De Loire. However, he has been quoted as saying
“I nailed my colours to Doctor Steinberg’s mast as soon as I saw the entries, though, so there was no way I was ever going to get off him.”
That statement highlights Paul Townend's respect for this horse, as you won’t see many quotes like that about badly-behaved runners that pulled up!
Willie Mullins is prepared to give him another try over 3m, Paul Townend is willing to retain the ride. Compared to those two great minds, who am I to argue! As Paul Townend said himself:
“I’ll want to be having my Weetabix on Wednesday morning”
and I sure hope he has, as he might have a serious fight on his hands later today!
A hood goes on which could be the remedy for Doctor Steinberg
Whilst he didn’t act like there was at Cheltenham, I hope there is a brain between Doctor Steinberg's ears and he has learned something from the experience. He has tried the 'how not to do it' approach over 3m and hopefully he’ll be a more willing partner for Paul Townend here.
Willie Mullins is clearly giving Doctor Steinberg every chance of settling, as he wears a first time hood, which will hopefully do the trick. We know the engine is there, and I have little doubt that if he behaves he has the ability to win. Ultimately, we're gambling on whether he turns up with his professional head on, or repeats his Cheltenham antics.
It will be interesting to see Paul Townend's tactics today. Punchestown is a sharper track than many think, and it often works best if horses are ridden prominently here, especially on better ground. While it might seem more logical to get Doctor Steinberg settled and drop him in, it may actually work better if Paul keeps him handy. It could potentially come down to Paul Townend's strength, and the impact the hood makes. If it was me, I’d drop him in on the rail just behind the leaders, with some cover to help him settle, yet still handy. But then again, I'm not the man on his back today.
Can Doctor Steinberg bounce back to winning ways?
As mentioned, Doctor Steinberg has the potential to make me look a genius or an idiot. If he behaves himself and settles, he could make 9/2 look an outrageously big price, but if he repeats his Cheltenham antics, you wouldn’t want to be backing him at any price. Ultimately, I’m always willing to forgive one bad run, they are animals after all. If he missed Cheltenham and came straight here from the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown, he’d quite likely be half the price he is now.
Willie is happy to keep him at 3m and Paul Townend is happy to stand by him, despite both having other options available. That alone speaks volumes, and hopefully Doctor Steinberg and Paul Townend will be on the same wavelength today. Of course, there is nothing to say that he won’t repeat his Cheltenham antics. It's also not ideal running Doctor Steinberg on a track that tends to suit prominent horses, when he needs to settle.
However, I’m willing to give him a chance here. If he was 9/4 again, I’d likely let him go, but at 9/2, I think he is worth a punt. At those odds, the implied probability is 18.18% and I simply think he has a far greater chance than that in this race, but given the risks attached, I’m playing this as a Win only bet.
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