Skip to content

Fesival Racing Guide 2021

Download Tea With The Trainers Podcast Here. 

Two Paul’s and a Shark sit down with Daragh Ó Conchúir ahead of the 2021 Punchestown Festival.

Paul Hennessy, Paul Nolan and Shark Hanlon reflect on recent Cheltenham and Grade 1 success and their fondest Punchestown Festival memories and look ahead to their respective stable stars running next week.

Among the a wide range of topics discussed were their own hurling careers, Rachael Blackmore, their initial steps into becoming trainers, battling through difficult times, Punchestown memories and healthy living!

Magical Mares set for Punchestown battle

• Three of racing’s great characters laugh their way through Tea With The Trainers podcast
• Cheltenham winners Mrs Milner and Heaven Help Us on course to step up in grade at Punchestown Festival
• Fairytale mare Skyace has Shark dreaming of more

Paul Hennessy has lifted the lid on the marvellous powers of recovery and unruffled temperament his star mare Heaven Help Us possesses.

Speaking in the Tea With The Trainers podcast, which featured countless hilarious exchanges between Hennessy, his former hurling teammate Shark Hanlon, and another man with a stout hurling pedigree as an All-Ireland winner Paul Nolan, Hennessy detailed how little the exertions of trouncing the Coral Cup field at Cheltenham by nine lengths took out of the seven-year-old daughter of Yeats he bred himself.

“I went over myself and drove the lorry and the whole nine yards. And that was grand. Lead her up and do the whole lot,” explained Hennessy, a hugely successful greyhound trainer who won the English Derby twice with dogs owned John Turner, in whose colours Heaven Help Us runs.

“But then she won and we’d no-one to hold her and they wanted me to go into the presentation. I said, ‘I’ll bring her in with me,’ so that caused pandemonium. But see, we do that with the greyhounds the whole time, we bring them into the picture. So we brought the mare in – she didn’t mind, she was just standing there.

“But then they had to go to the vet’s box and wash her, and there was someone wanted to talk to me, so for luck, Willie (Mullins) was watching and asked one of his girls, (Monkfish’s groom) Brigitta (Doran) to come and take the mare. She brought her off, done the vet, washed her down, dried her off, and when I got back up to the box – dying for a mug of tae myself and a sandwich – we put her back in.

“When I put her back in her box, she went looking for food. I had to go back out to the lorry, get a scoop of nuts, an armful of hay and bring it in to feed her and she gobbled the whole lot up, within an hour of running.”

Heaven Help Us holds entries for Thursday’s Grade 1 Punchestown Ladbrokes Champion Stayers’ Hurdle and the Coolmore Kew Gardens Irish EBF Mares’ Champion Hurdle at the Festival two days later and Hennessy can’t wait to be involved, whichever race he chooses.

“This thing only started with me as a hobby and we’ve just been blessed with the mare we’ve got. The fun we’ve had with her has been amazing.

“I love Punchestown. We were running her in those good races anyway when we weren’t supposed to and we got a great kick out of it. Now we have to. It’s a bit different because there’s no back door now (like the GAA). Isn’t it great?”

The Nolan-conditioned Mrs Milner, who fell in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ Handicap Hurdle won by Heaven Help Us at the Dublin Racing Festival in Leopardstown last February before going on to bolt up in the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham by five lengths from The Bosses Oscar, holds the same two entries as Hennessy’s heroine, as well a potential engagement in the BARONERACING.COM Handicap Hurdle, but she will be aimed at one of the Grade 1 contests.

“She’s a tough little bit of stuff,” said Nolan, who aggravated an old Achilles tendon injury celebrating the Softco-owned six-year-old’s Cheltenham triumph.

“We’ll go to Punchestown. We’ll decide a little bit later on whether we’ll go for the Mares’ race or the Stayers’ Hurdle. Like Paul, there’s no point being stuck in the handicaps anymore. She’s in with the big boys now. She’s only a young mare and I’m hoping to God she’ll continue to improve.

“She’s on the go a while, she was on the go during the summer as well with little breaks in between. I’m not saying Punchestown will be a step too far, she’s giving us no signs of it at home. She’s put on a bit of weight again. It only took a couple of days to get over Cheltenham.”

Awaiting the pair if they opt for what could be a mouth-watering Coolmore Kew Gardens Irish EBF Mares’ Champion Hurdle, is the Hanlon-trained Skyace, who has been one of the stories of the season.

Bought by her trainer for just £600 for the Birdinthehand Syndicate, the upwardly-mobile mare has won five times, most recently in the Grade 1 Irish EBF Mares’ Novice Hurdle Championship Final in Fairyhouse, in the process providing Hanlon with his maiden top-flight success after countless near misses over the years.

“You wouldn’t know she had a race,” Hanlon declared. “I know she won a Grade 1 – it mightn’t have been the best Grade 1 in the world. A lot of the horses were after being in Cheltenham, and all had tough-ish races, including my own one. But she came home brilliant, I gave her a couple of days off and she’s in mighty form again, so please God everything goes well again next week.”

Hanlon, Nolan and Hennessy are three of the best characters in Irish racing and the slagging was never far away during the Tea With The Trainers podcast. Among the a wide range of topics discussed were their own hurling careers, Rachael Blackmore, their initial steps into becoming trainers, battling through difficult times, Punchestown memories and healthy living.

The full exchange, which is well worth listening to, can be heard following the link below and all content can be used for features ahead of the Punchestown Festival.

The 2021 Punchestown Festival will take place from Tuesday 27th April to Saturday 1st May. Full coverage will be available each day on RTÉ and Racing TV as well as interaction on all Punchestown social media platforms.

Colm Quinn Horse Power at the Punchestown Festival

Colm Quinn BMW Group are the most recent high profile and final addition to the sponsorship line-up for the 2021 Punchestown Festival, Tuesday 27th April to Saturday 1st May.  

The Athlone based luxury car firm, with further retail centres in Galway and Drogheda with Sligo due to open late 2021, has committed to a cross card double on the concluding day of the prestigious festival and indeed entire national hunt racing season, Saturday 1st May. The pair of sponsored races kicks off with the three mile seven furlong Colm Quinn BMW Group Handicap Chase off at 2.50pm. The second of the newly sponsored races, the penultimate of the entire event and a new addition to the programme for 2021,  is the €20,000 Colm Quinn BMW Group Mares Handicap Hurdle over two and a half miles.

The Colm Quinn BMW Group have become established as one of the firm favourites for the Irish racing industry and a go-to for many leading owners, trainers and jockeys. Founder and CEO, Colm Quinn welcomed the announcement “We are delighted to further extend our support of Irish racing with this dual-sponsorship at the Punchestown Festival. It is a fitting grand finale for a sport and industry that we are deeply involved in and an ideal opportunity to be part of what a special day that recognises the incredible achievements during the past season”.

Conor O’Neill, Punchestown CEO said “At every race meeting throughout Ireland you will see Colm Quinn BMW cars being driven by many top owners, jockeys and trainers. Those professional sports people do serious mileage throughout the season, a season that culminates on the final day of the Punchestown Festival, so it is a very fitting occasion for Colm Quinn BMW group to be part of and we welcome them to the home of Irish jump racing”.

The 2021 Punchestown Festival runs from Tuesday 27th April to Saturday 1st May with full coverage available on RTE, Racing TV and via the Punchestown social media channels.

 

Peerless Punchestown power-packed with quality as entries confirmed

• First Flow and Nube Negra confirmed for William Hill Champion Chase
• Clan Des Obeaux supplemented for Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup
• Flooring Porter seeking Cheltenham/Punchestown double
• Tiger Roll given entry for the La Touche

Season defining races aplenty are in store for the Punchestown Festival next week following the latest forfeit stage for the opening three days of the meeting confirming a very select delegation from Britain that adds real intrigue.

Clan Des Obeaux, officially the highest rated horse in Britain, was this morning supplemented by trainer Paul Nicholls for Wednesday’s €250,000 Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup where he is on course to face the reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup hero and highest rated chaser in Ireland, Minella Indo and dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo. The 2019 winner of this race Kemboy is also among the 11 entries remaining, while Joseph O’Brien has retained the option for another recent Aintree winner, Fakir D’oudairies.

Paul Nicholls is no stranger to Punchestown Festival success and especially in the feature race of the week having won the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup with Neptune Collonges in 2007 and 2008 and his decision to supplement Clan Des Obeaux at a cost of €25,000 comes on the back of the nine-year-old’s emphatic 26-length win at Aintree earlier this month.

Nicholls said today: “Clan Des Obeaux has been supplemented this morning and this weather is ideal for him. I wouldn’t have been that keen if it was soft ground but normally this time of year suits him. The track should suit him, right-handed. He’s in good shape and looks fantastic.

“He won well at Liverpool but he’s won at Kempton twice. Right-handed just seems to suit him better. I think he’s a much more mature horse but just Cheltenham doesn’t suit him at all, that race and the ground at the time. This is much better for him and he does seem to like this time of year when the sun’s shining and he looks great. If he performs like he did at Aintree, he’s gotta be right in the mix.

Albeit a Festival with a difference this year, Nicholls is looking forward to returning to Punchestown with a live contender.

“We’ve been very successful at Punchestown in the past with Neptune Collonges, Master Minded and other horses but it’s all about having the horses that are good enough to be competitive in those races. You can’t just pluck them out of the air, you’ve got to have horses that are good enough. I think this is the right race for Clan Des Obeaux and Dan Skelton is doing the same with his horse (Nube Negra) in the two mile chase. It puts some extra spice in the racing next week and of course we want to go out there and win.”

Champion trainer Willie Mullins this week confirmed that Chacun Pour Soi and Ryanair Chase winner Allaho will take each other on in Tuesday’s €250,000 William Hill Champion Chase, and the leading Closutton duo have a strong British pair to contend with as Dan Skelton-trained Cheltenham Champion Chase runner-up Nube Negra and the Kim Bailey-trained First Flow are among nine strong entries for Tuesday’s highlight.

First Flow has some ground to make up on his Cheltenham form but a change of direction gives Bailey cause for optimism.

“It’s all systems go for Punchestown with First Flow. The horse leaves here on Sunday and I’m looking forward to it,” Bailey said on Thursday.

“He’s a horse that has a preference for going right-handed so Punchestown will suit in that regard. He came out of Cheltenham well. He ran very well there even though he wasn’t going at any stage in the race left-handed.

“I will come over myself on the ferry with First Flow and lock myself up in the hotel when I arrive. It’s what we have to do nowadays. It’s all rather sad, isn’t it? But we are thankful that racing has been carrying on and looking forward to being part of the Punchestown Festival.”

The Joseph O’Brien-trained Fakir D’oudairies also has the option of signing off the season by dropping back to the minimum distance, while Castlegrace Paddy, Cilaos Emery, Daly Tiger and Put The Kettle On are the other acceptors.

“There’s a good chance he’ll likely run in one of the two big races, the William Hill Champion Chase or the Ladbrokes Gold Cup” O’Brien confirmed. “There hasn’t been a final decision made. He’s going to be left in both races and a final decision will be made closer to the time.

“He came out of Aintree well. He’s been training well since then. We’re pleased with him. We’ll probably see what the ground is like before speaking to JP (McManus) and Frank (Berry) and deciding what race we’re going to go for.”

Flooring Porter will bid to become the first horse to complete the Cheltenham-Punchestown double in the three mile division for senior hurdlers since Anzum in 1999 when lining up in Thursday’s Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle.

The Gavin Cromwell-trained son of Yeats wasn’t quite the outsider 40/1 shot Anzum was at Cheltenham but at 12/1 he did surprise a few in the Cotswolds and with regular rider Jonathan Moore expected to be back onboard next week, Flooring Porter is likely to be sent off favourite on this occasion.

Sire Du Berlais, who chased Flooring Porter home at Cheltenham last month and the Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle 1-2 from last season, Lisnagar Oscar and Ronald Pump are all included in a fascinating race that also features the Cheltenham Festival winning mares Heaven Help Us and Mrs Milner among 19 entries that stood their ground today.

As well as Sire Du Berlais, Sneezy Foster has also left The Storyteller in the Ladbrokes Stayers Hurdle.

Foster said: “Sire Du Berlais ran a smashing race in the Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham and just found Gavin’s horse too good on the day. This looked the obvious race to go for after Cheltenham and he’s in good shape so hopefully he will run his usual solid race.

“The Storyteller is a great favourite in the yard and he’s such a lovely, versatile horse as he has shown throughout this season. He has a few options over the week as he is in the Gold Cup and the Stayers Hurdle and we’ll just have a look at both races before deciding where to go. He has run some great races at Grade 1 level throughout the season and he’s such an honest horse as he always turns up and gives his all.”

Elsewhere over the opening three days, Appreciate It heads the potential field of 13 in the eComm Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle on Tuesday, while his stable companion Monkfish is one of four Willie Mullins-trained entries poised to take on Envoi Allen in the Dooley Insurance Champion Novice Chase.

Gavin Cromwell’s Vanillier may face other Cheltenham Festival winners in Galopin Des Champs and Telmesomethinggirl in the Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle for which 18 horses remain at this entry stage and Cape Gentleman is another interesting inclusion.

Sir Gerhard and Kilcruit will lock horns once again in the ITM – Supporting Irish Store Sales Champion Bumper on Wednesday with Three Stripe Life and Eric Bloodaxe also included.

Joseph O’Brien said of Eric Bloodaxe: “The plan is run in the Champion Bumper. He’s been off the track for an extended period of time and it’ll be a big ask to go straight into a race like that but he’s been training well and we’ve targeted this race with him. We’re hoping he can run well but it’s a big ask after such an extended lay-off.”

Some old favourites are likely to appear in one of Ireland’s longest distance and most historic races, the 4m2f Mongey Communications La Touche over Punchestown’s famous banks course with the most popular of them all, Tiger Roll, getting an entry along with Alpha Des Obeaux, Ballyboker Bridge, Josies Orders and Kruzhlinin also appearing on a list of 25 entries for that one.

Henry de Bromhead has kept his options open for Envoi Allen who also appears in the Ryanair Novice Chase alongside stable companion Captain Guinness. It is a race that will hopefully see Energumene make his much anticipated return to action and he could be joined by his neighbour and Janidil who was a Grade 1 winner at Fairyhouse over Easter.

The 2021 Punchestown Festival will take place from Tuesday 27th April to Saturday 1st May. Full coverage will be available each day on RTÉ and Racing TV as well as interaction on all Punchestown social media platforms.

 

Bar One Bar None On Festival Saturday at Punchestown

 Thursday 22 April 2021Punchestown racecourse are delighted to welcome one of Ireland’s leading independent bookmakers as sponsor of the BARONERACING.COM Handicap Hurdle on the concluding day of next weeks festival running from Tuesday 27th April to Saturday 1st May.

The €100,000 two and a half mile BARONERACING.COM Handicap Hurdle is the latest addition to the Louth based company’s extensive sponsorship portfolio throughout Irish racing and secures the position as official bookmaking partner for festival Saturday at Punchestown.

Champion trainer Willie Mullins will bid for a fourth consecutive win in the valuable contest with the diverse 2019 winner Mr. Adjudicator following up his Punchestown Festival win with a Grade 2 hurdle victory in Auteuil, France and win on the flat at the Galway Festival.

Barney O’Hare, Bar One Racing company Director, said, “Bar One Racing are delighted to be partnering with Punchestown for the first time. The Punchestown Festival is a huge week from a business perspective and we expect turnover to soar with Irish racing on the crest of a wave at present. It will be fascinating to see can the Cheltenham heroes back up their successes at Punchestown. It will be a super week of sport and I look forward to a fiercely competitive BARONERACING.COM handicap hurdle on day five.”


Punchestown CEO Conor O’Neill welcomed the announcement, “Barney O’Hare and his Bar One Racing team are huge supporters of Irish racing so it is our pleasure to welcome them to Punchestown for this years festival. The concluding day is a fitting finale for not only the most prestigious jump racing festival in the country but also for the entire jump racing season. I think it’s fair to say we all look forward to being part of an event that marks what was an landmark time in Irish sport. We really look forward to working alongside a home grown dynamic customer focused company like Bar One Racing”.

The BARONERACING.COM Handicap Hurdle will go to post at 5.05pm on the final day of the 2021 Punchestown Festival which runs from Tuesday 27th April to Saturday 1st May. Going at the home of Irish jump racing is Good to Yielding on the chase, hurdle and bumper courses with watering on-going.

Both RTE and Racing TV will broadcast the festival live from Punchestown each day. Get involved on Punchestown Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.  Visit www.punchestown.com

 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL VIDEO

Mullins relishing a return to Punchestown amphitheatre

• Allaho v Chacun Pour Soi to kick off Punchestown Festival on Tuesday
• Al Boum Photo & Kemboy working well ahead of Punchestown Gold Cup
• “No racetrack like it in the world” says Mullins

There are many factors contributing to the stunning rise of Willie Mullins to the dominant force he is now in jump racing.

Of those, perhaps the unflappability of the Closutton maestro, on the cusp of being crowned champion trainer in Ireland for the 15th time at the conclusion of the Punchestown Festival and having brought his Cheltenham Festival tally of winners to 78 as he left Prestbury Park with another leading handler’s prize, is a mite undervalued.

“Lots of people get their knickers in a twist about things,” Mullins observes with a smile of his focus on controlling controllables and not stressing about a potential problem, before it materialises. “What can you do about it? That’s the way it is. Just tackle it when it arrives in front of you.”

So it was that he refused to get flustered in advance about doomsday predictions regarding the potentially toxic alchemy of Brexit and Covid-19 for Cheltenham, and he is the same about the availability or otherwise of stable jockey Paul Townend for Punchestown’s end-of-season carnival.

Townend injured a foot after a fall at Fairyhouse on April 4 and has been out of action since but his boss doesn’t intend enquiring about the Cork pilot’s fitness until he needs to know.

“It is progressing but very slowly,” declares Mullins of Townend’s recovery. “I didn’t speak to Paul for a few days but I just said, ‘Let’s not talk, you just do what you have to do and get your boots made.’ He is going to have to have a protective boot made for the leg that is injured and I just said, ‘Get yourself ready and I’ll talk to you the morning we are doing declarations and we’ll see how he is.’”

Paddy and Maureen Mullins always had Punchestown in their sights and their eldest son’s earliest memory of it is being allowed see the action while attending Coláiste na Rinne in the Waterford Gaeltacht of Rinn Ó gCuanach.

“The Fear An Tí brought me into his house to watch my mother’s horse winning whatever big hurdle race it was at the time – I won’t tell you when that was!

“Punchestown is what we always look forward to. There is huge prize money, fantastic racing, they always produce great ground and just the amphitheatre of Punchestown itself.

“I love going up there on the Sunday before the Festival to walk the track and just looking back on the track from the top of the hill, it is just an amazing place.

“I often think there is no racetrack like it in the world when you see it laid out for five days racing and all the different rails that are set up. It’s just amazing and the whole concept of the Punchestown Festival is huge when you see the work and preparation that goes into it.

“Prize money is key to any sport, I think. The new Punchestown is a different ball game altogether, my father would have been delighted to be training nowadays to see the facilities and the ground that they produce.”

One notable facet of the Mullins machine has been how often his champions have been able to put an exclamation mark on their campaigns at Punchestown, despite having endured and overcome significant tests throughout the term.

“It has surprised me as well over the years that, after going to Leopardstown at Christmas, Cheltenham, maybe Aintree and some of them maybe back to Fairyhouse, that they can still perform so well. We don’t take that for granted, we are delighted and maybe as surprised as other people looking because you don’t expect your horses to be at top level coming into the last month of the year but we’ve often found that horses might even put in their best performance all year there.

“They all get a break after whatever big Festival and everyone has their different ways of giving their horses a break but you’ve got to get back into them then and make sure they are all good and have enough done. Some horses take very little work, others take a lot of work.

“The different members of staff that ride the horses are able to tell me and give me feedback and with their feedback and our own eyes we make decisions and they can work. Some of them don’t work, you hear of the ones that do work but we’ve come home from Punchestown with lots of disappointments too.”

Looking ahead to the battalions that Mullins is readying for battle at the Punchestown Festival, we can expect both quantity and quality as the Punchestown prize money is too lucrative to ignore.

“There is fantastic prize money so we are not putting them out to grass just yet. They’ll get plenty of grass in the summer!”

Day one of the Punchestown Festival on Tuesday is set to see a clash of Closutton titans in the Grade 1 William Hill Champion Chase as Chacun Pour Soi faces Allaho.

“The William Hill Champion Chase could be a good race,” he mused. “At the moment I’m looking at the race for Allaho. I’d just like to see what he can do over two miles, he jumps so efficiently and so well, that is where my head is at at the moment.

“I love horses that jump as quick as him and if you can jump that quick usually you can come back in trip a bit. I think Allaho has the jumping technique to jump with two milers and he gallops well enough, we all saw that in Cheltenham. It’s worth a craic I think, we’ve got to ask the question in Punchestown and then we will know where we want to go next year.”

Reflecting on Chacun Pour Soi’s performance at Cheltenham, Mullins said: “I just didn’t think we made enough use of Chacun Pour Soi (at Cheltenham). Maybe our tactics just let us down on the day. It is easy be wise afterwards.

“I think this is the natural race for him. There will be plenty of pace on and Cilaos Emery will probably go there as well so we will be well represented in the race.”

The tone of strong representation for the champion trainer will be set in the opening Grade 1 event of the week, the eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle in which Appreciate It leads the charge.

“Appreciate It has surprised me,” Mullins admitted. “I never dreamt he had that much speed but he jumps, he gallops as well. He probably takes a lot of speed out of horses with the cruising speed he has as well and will definitely go for the eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle.

“Blue Lord is in there as well and he was going to run a fantastic race at Cheltenham before he fell at the last. I think he will improve for the flatter track and the nicer ground we will have at Punchestown. Echoes In Rain is interesting. She will probably go for the mares’ race but her performance in Fairyhouse was very good and she is in the eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle on Tuesday getting a nice fillies allowance so we’ll see.”

Tuesday’s Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase has the potential to be a race for the ages with Envoi Allen and Monkfish likely to lock horns for the first time and once again the Mullins support cast is enviable.

“Monkfish didn’t jump with the same flair that he jumped (with previously) and he didn’t gallop with the same flair (at Cheltenham) but he’ll go for the three mile race.

“Colreevy has been covered by Walk In The Park and she will go for the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase. That will probably be her last run. The Flynns are out and out breeders and she is a fantastic looking mare and hopefully she’ll be lucky.

“From winning the Arkle at Christmas over two miles I think I’m going to put Franco De Port in over three miles for and that will tell us where we are going next year. We’ll have a good hand in that race.”

Wednesday’s feature race is the Ladbrokes Gold Cup, a race in which Mullins saddled the first and second when it was last run in 2019 as Kemboy got the better of Al Boum Photo and Ruby Walsh retired on the spot.

Both horses are reported to be well ahead of a return to that stage where they’ll be joined by stable companions Melon and Easy Game and will face the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo and the Paul Nicholls-trained Clan Des Obeaux who is due to be supplemented for the race tomorrow.

“Lots of people could say that Al Boum Photo’s run might have been good enough to win the last two Gold Cup’s and he just met two good horses on the day. I’m not saying he’d have won the Gold Cup but I thought he could have run better, maybe he didn’t fire as well as he has. Certainly the last five jumps weren’t as strong as they were last year. He has worked well in the meantime and I’m happy with him where he is at the moment.

“Kemboy will go for the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup again and he worked very well the other morning, I was very pleased with him and I’m finding it hard to find a race for Easy Game so he will probably take his chance in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup.”

The ITM – Supporting Irish Store Sales Champion Bumper will see the first two home from the Cheltenham equivalent clash as Sir Gerhard and Kilcruit top the entries.

“I imagine Kilcruit will run, Sir Gerhard will run and we have a few more there. Ramillies is a horse whose homework is good. It might not be as good as the other two (Kilcruit and Sir Gerhard) but it is good and I still think there is a good horse lurking in there somewhere and it has to come out. Maybe a change of track and a flat track like Punchestown might bring it out in him. Grangee is there, she will probably go for the mares bumper.

“I think the track might suit Kilcruit better so we’ll see. It’ll be different and worth watching anyway.”

The Paddy Power Champion Hurdle will be the target for Sharjah who followed home Honeysuckle at Cheltenham last month.

“Sharjah ran a fantastic race in Cheltenham. I don’t think he could have improved much more. He’ll go for the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle. I’ve got James Du Berlais, Klassical Dream and Saldier in that race as well and we’ll see what way they go.

“James Du Berlais disappointed me at Cheltenham as his homework was way better than that. He holds entries in the two mile and the three mile hurdles so we’ll see when they do their final bits of work which direction they go.”

Energumene was a high profile absentee from the Cheltenham Festival but remains on course to return to action in the Ryanair Novice Chase.

“Energumene had a little mishap before Cheltenham and I thought that was him for the season but he recovered quickly. I was trying to get him ready for Fairyhouse and then I felt it wasn’t fair on the horse to go to Fairyhouse so I said I’d wait for Punchestown and he’s been fine since so I’m looking forward to getting him out.”

The 2021 Punchestown Festival will take place from Tuesday 27th April to Saturday 1st May. Full coverage will be available each day on RTÉ and Racing TV as well as interaction on all Punchestown social media platforms.

 

Punchestown Gift The Festival Curtain Raiser to Long-Time Charity Partner PKRF

Festival racing at Punchestown will pick up where it left off with today’s announcement that the first race of this year’s festival has been gifted to the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund.

Traditionally, the final race of the Punchestown Festival has been the extremely popular PKRF charity sweepstakes, a concept that gives people the opportunity to experience the thrill of race riding whilst raising funds. In a bid to adapt and continue the tradition the newly introduced, Have The Conversation Say Yes to Organ Donation Novice Handicap Hurdle,  will help raise much needed awareness until the charity race can hopefully resume in its traditional format.  An incredible €1,570,000 has been raised to date and the fund has supported many initiatives including the landmark project – the state of the art renal unit in Temple Street Children’s Hospital, contributed to the refurbishment of the dialysis unit at Sligo General Hospital, continuous research programmes and sponsored trips to Takers Ski Camps for younger kidney patients.  

PKRF founder, transplant recipient and 2002 Punchestown charity race winner James Nolan outlined the objectives for this years campaign: “There are two important reasons for our charity to be part of Punchestown Festival. The first is to raise funds to support all our different projects, the second is to promote organ donor awareness.  There were an incredible 123 kidney transplants carried out during a very difficult and challenging 2020.  However, there are over 600 people on the list for a lifesaving kidney transplants so we would ask people to have the conversation at home about organ donation.  It is much easier for everyone if your family know your wishes.  Anyone can free text the word DONOR to 50050 and either click on the link to receive an Organ Donor Card by post or download a digital organ donor card”.

Conor O’Neill, Punchestown CEO said “Since we started planning this unique running of the Punchestown Festival as far back as last summer we had committed to a charity element. James Nolan and the Punchestown Charity Race are part of the fabric of the place. Not only is the charity race a wonderful way to conclude the festival every year but it is also fair to say it is the most important race of the week as it makes such a difference to so many people’s lives. We feel it’s more important now than ever to send a message of solidarity and support and we hope that the race continues to make a difference by prompting people to have the conversation about organ donation”.

Action at this year’s Punchestown Festival will get under way at 3.40pm on Tuesday 28th April with The Have the Conversation Say Yes to Organ Donation Novice Handicap Hurdle. Full live coverage available on RTE2 and RacingTV each day of the festival. Follow Punchestown’s social media channels for the latest news and behind the scenes action. Free text the word DONOR to 50050 to receive an organ donor card.  

The Punchestown Kidney Research Fund Projects

The PKRF is a registered Irish Charity (CHY 16613) which has raised €1,570,685 to date and supported a wide number of projects over the past number of years including:

Free text the word DONOR to 50050 to receive an organ donor card.  

History makers and record breakers on course for Punchestown Festival as Grade 1 entries revealed

• Honeysuckle, Put The Kettle On, Minella Indo, Al Boum Photo, Epatante, Monkfish, Envoi Allen and Tiger Roll all among stellar entries
• 46 trainers with Grade 1 options at Punchestown
• 36 individual Grade 1 winners among the entries

In a season where history has been made and records have been broken the spotlight on jump racing pivots to what will be a fitting grand finale as Grade 1 entries for the 2021 Punchestown Festival are today revealed.

From Tuesday 27th April to Saturday 1st May, Punchestown will play host to a home coming of champions with 40 races over the five days including a dozen grade one contests attracting the highest rated horses over hurdles and fences. Meanwhile, running alongside the top class racing action will be two nail-biting jockey championship battles the first of which centres around title holder Paul Townend and the ground breaking Rachael Blackmore, whilst Patrick Mullins bids to hold off Jamie Codd in the amateur championship.

Heroes and heroines from throughout the season and both the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals feature strongly and include class acts such as the Henry de Bromhead duo of Champion Hurdle star Honeysuckle and Gold Cup winner Minella Indo. Importantly, and what has become integral to the status of the Punchestown Festival itself, is a continued strong representation from across the Irish Sea as, Epatante, Goshen, Nube Negra and Ahoy Senor feature with overseas runners entered in 10 of the 12 early closing races. Furthermore, Mica Malpic is a potential first French runner at Punchestown since 2005 and may line up for the Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle.

Conor O’Neill, CEO Punchestown Racecourse said: “The performances and achievements by Irish horses, trainers, jockeys and owners throughout this season have been nothing short of outstanding. It is an honour and privilege to welcome these flagbearers of our great sport back to the home of Irish jump racing for what is shaping up to be one of the best quality renewals of the Punchestown Festival in recent memory.
“Whilst this year’s Punchestown is not going to be the brilliant social event that we have all known and enjoyed for so many years we look forward to sharing the action with everyone through coverage on RTÉ, Racing TV and the various Punchestown social media channels. Believe us when we say that preparations are already underway for the much anticipated return of crowds for the 2022 Punchestown Festival.”

Tuesday 27th April
William Hill Champion Chase Day

Champion Chase rematch on the cards
It’s On – Monkfish versus Envoi Allen

Following a historic raid on the major festivals so far, Henry de Bromhead’s Punchestown Festival campaign will hit the ground running on the opening day with Put The Kettle On in the newly sponsored €250,000 William Hill Champion Chase. The magnificent mare will attempt to emulate the 2013 feat of Sprinter Sacre by completing the Cheltenham and Punchestown double in the two-mile chase division.
A potential rematch with Cheltenham runner-up Nube Negra is on the cards as Dan Skelton eyes a first Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival following his best ever season domestically.
Willie Mullins won the last two renewals with Un De Sceaux and has the notable entry of Ryanair Chase winner Allaho engaged alongside Chacun Pour Soi and Cilaos Emery, while Joseph O’Brien’s Aintree winner Fakir D’oudairies is also a significant contender.

Grade 1 action will commence with the eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle of €100,000 and stand-out novices Appreciate It, Bob Olinger and Echoes In Rain would look the most likely to join a roll of honour that includes Douvan, Faugheen, Jezki, Hurricane Fly, Brave Inca and Moscow Flyer.

The opening day of the Punchestown Festival has produced some of the most memorable racing moments in the past and one of the clashes of the entire season is on the cards here in the Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase where Monkfish and Envoi Allen could lock horns in what would be a battle for the ages. Further depth is added to the field by the likes of Chatham Street Lad, Colreevy, Janidil and Latest Exhibition.

Punchestown Grade 1 Entries – Tuesday 27th April

Wednesday 28th April
Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup Day

Golden moments assured on day two of the Punchestown Festival

The best staying chaser in the land will be crowned at the Punchestown Festival with Minella Indo and his two-time Cheltenham predecessor Al Boum Photo set to serve it up to each other in the €250,000 Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup.
In a golden age of staying chasers residing in Ireland, Minella Indo, already a Grade 1 winner at the Punchestown Festival as a novice hurdler, recorded a memorable success at the Cheltenham Festival last month when winning the Gold Cup there. A successful Cheltenham-Punchestown double in this division was last completed by Sizing John in 2017 and War Of Attrition in 2006 before that.

Al Boum Photo had to settle for minor honours when this race was last run in 2019, a renewal that will be forever remembered for Kemboy’s success which marked Ruby Walsh’s retirement from the saddle. Al Boum Photo, Kemboy, Melon and the dual Grand National winner Tiger Roll are among those that could stand in the way of Minella Indo from achieving the illustrious Cheltenham-Punchestown double while Allaho and Fakir D’oudairies have this option as well as the two mile Champion Chase on the opening day.

The Grade 1 €100,000 Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle might well be the next port of call for Scottish raider Ahoy Senor who upset the odds with a big race success at Aintree last week for trainer Lucinda Russell. Their potential rivals would include the Gavin Cromwell-trained Vanillier who recorded a career best to win at Cheltenham last month, while other Cheltenham winners, Galopin Des Champs and Telmesomethinggirl join the Emmet Mullins-trained Cape Gentleman in a 24-strong list of entries for this three miler.

The future stars of the sport will come to the fore in the Grade 1 ITM – Supporting Irish Stores Sales Champion Bumper with the rematch between Sir Gerhard and Kilcruit likely to divide opinion even within the Willie Mullins stable where they both reside. Three Stripe Life, Grangree and Ramillies who were fourth, sixth and eighth respectively in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham also appear among the 14 entries, while Belle Metal, Dysart Dynamo, O’Toole and Teuchters Glory could put their unbeaten record on the line.

Punchestown Grade 1 Entries – Wednesday 28th April

Thursday 29th April
Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle Day

Four Cheltenham Festival winners add flavour to fascinating Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle

Multiple Greyhound Derby winning trainer Paul Hennessy has already proven his adaptability by enjoying major festival success and his stable star Heaven Help Us is one of 25 entries for the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown. The seven-year-old daughter of Yeats destroyed a competitive field in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival and would face her toughest task yet when taking on Stayers Hurdle winner Flooring Porter who gave trainer Gavin Cromwell another winner at the top level.
The €250,000 Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle has attracted the largest entry of the championship races at Punchestown with Agrapart, Lisnagar Oscar, Paisley Park, Third Wind and Vinndication forming a strong British delegation.
Paul Nolan has earmarked this target for his latest Cheltenham Festival winner, Mrs Milner, while the Emmet Mullins-trained The Shunter holds multiple Grade 1 entries at Punchestown and the Cheltenham Festival winner is an intriguing inclusion here.

The Willie Mullins-trained Energumene is unbeaten in his last five starts and has racked up victories with a combined total of 53½ lengths in four outings over jumps and he spearheads the entries for the €115,000 Ryanair Novice Chase. Nicky Henderson has kept the Punchestown option open to his unbeaten chaser Shishkin who could look to do the Cheltenham-Aintree-Punchestown treble that Henderson completed with Sprinter Sacre. The talented Captain Guinness and vastly improving Jungle Junction also feature, while Henry de Brohmead has given himself the choice to drop Envoi Allen back to the minimum distance also.

Punchestown Grade 1 Entries – Thursday 29th April

Friday 30th April
Paddy Power Champion Hurdle Day

Get ready for Ladies Day at Punchestown as Honeysuckle and Epatante renew rivalry

The 2021 Champion Hurdle heroine Honeysuckle is on course to continue Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead’s historic run but may face old rivals in the battle of the mares as 2020 champion hurdle winner Epatante features in the entries for the €250,000 Paddy Power Champion Hurdle. In addition to Epatante, Henderson has included the 2019 winner of this race, Buveur D’air, while Gary Moore has already booked Goshen’s ticket to County Kildare for the penultimate day of the Punchestown Festival.

The Evan Williams-trained Grade 1 winner Silver Streak could come over from Wales, while the home challenge to Honeysuckle is headed by a couple of her stable companions at Henry de Bromhead’s all-conquering Waterford base, Aspire Tower and Jason The Militant. No stranger to breaking records himself, champion trainer Willie Mullins will bid for a ninth win in this years renewal with his top class team of Sharjah, Saldier, Klassical Dream and James Du Berlais, while Aintree winner Abacadabras could go in search of more big race glory for Sneezy Foster.

Henry de Bromhead keeps his options open with leading novice hurdler Bob Olinger as he also features in the €100,000 Grade 1 Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle over two and a half miles. The 26-strong list holds a similar look to the other Grade 1 novice hurdles in the week with Appreciate It, Cape Gentleman, Echoes In Rain and Telmesomethinggirl all likely to be Punchestown bound and sure to set up a fascinating tussle within the novice ranks.

Punchestown Grade 1 Entries – Friday 30th April

Saturday 1st May
Ballymore Family Day

Big names turn up as richest ever mares hurdle race is up for grabs

Skyace, who has been transformed by trainer Shark Hanlon from humble beginnings in the sales ring as a shrewd £600 purchase to Grade 1 winner, is among 15 entrants for the €120,000 Grade 1 Coolmore Kew Gardens Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle.
Dreams became a reality for connections of Skyace at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday and the richest ever hurdle race for mares in Ireland or the UK was immediately put to the top of the agenda for Skyace who will face stiff opposition once again with Willie Mullins holding a typically strong hand.

Burning Victory, Concertista, Echoes In Rain, Great White Shark, My Sister Sarah, and Stormy Ireland make up the potential team for the champion trainer, while Cheltenham winners Heaven Help Up, Mrs Milner and Telmesomethinggirl add loads of depth to this two and a half miler.

Mica Malpic, a winner in France, is a fascinating inclusion in the Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle, where he could take on the rapidly improving Jeff Kidder who has racked up wins at Cheltenham and Fairyhouse for Noel Meade. The standout name in the list is the Triumph Hurdle winner Quillixios who would be seeking to close a memorable chapter in the season for Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore.

Punchestown Grade 1 Entries – Saturday 1st May

The 2021 Punchestown Festival will take place from Tuesday 27th April to Saturday 1st May. Full coverage will be available each day on RTÉ and Racing TV as well as interaction on all Punchestown social media platforms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PUNCHESTOWN WELCOME WILLIAM HILL AS CHAMPION CHASE SPONSOR IN MAJOR THREE YEAR DEAL

Leading bookmaker William Hill are the new title sponsor on the Punchestown Festival’s opening day as a major three-year deal is today announced.

The famous €250,000 Grade 1 feature, now known as the William Hill Champion Chase, has hosted some of the most memorable battles staged at the home of Irish jump racing. Of all the Grade 1 features at the Punchestown Festival, the William Hill Champion Chase trophy has gained the most air miles with British trainers Colin Tizzard, Tom George, Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls and Philip Hobbs among the role of honour.

Perhaps one of the most memorable renewals was Sprinter Sacre’s win over Sizing Europe in 2013, an occasion that broke attendance records for the festival’s opening day. The Willie Mullins trained Un De Sceaux has landed the last two runnings of the famous speed test, and as entries are revealed on Monday 12th April, we will learn contenders for the 2021 running of the €250,000 William Hill Champion Chase.

William Hill Ambassador, Sir AP McCoy, said: “I loved coming across to Punchestown. It is a brilliant meeting and I always enjoyed taking on the best of the Irish horses at one of Ireland’s feature festivals. As an ambassador for William Hill, I’m delighted that they will be sponsors of the Champion Chase for the next three years. It’s an extremely exciting partnership.”

Conor O’Neill, Punchestown CEO, welcomed the announcement: “William Hill have shown their commitment to both Punchestown and Irish racing with this major three-year deal. The William Hill Champion Chase is a jewel in the crown of the racing calendar. You only have to look at the illustrious roll of honour to see the quality of the race, so it is befitting to have such a high profile and reputable brand as William Hill sponsoring. This is year one, and we look forward to working with the William Hill team to develop the partnership further as crowds return to Punchestown for future festivals.

The 2021 Punchestown Festival gets underway on Tuesday 27th April and runs until Saturday 1st May. The William Hill Champion Chase is the feature race on the opening day.