BOOKIES PADDY POWER OFFER £100K BONUS FOR ANY BRITISH TRAINED HORSE TO WIN THE PUNCHESTOWN CHAMPION HURDLE

BRING IT ON: BOOKIES PADDY POWER OFFER £100K BONUS FOR ANY BRITISH TRAINED HORSE TO WIN THE PUNCHESTOWN CHAMPION HURDLE

Ireland dominated the Cheltenham Festival last month – winning 23 of the 28 races – but now British trained horses have one hundred thousand reasons to travel to Punchestown at the end of April to try their luck again.

Irish bookies Paddy Power have offered up a £100,000 bonus to any British raider who comes over to the Punchestown Festival and wins the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle.

The Cheltenham Champion Hurdle saw an Irish 1-2 as the unbeaten super-mare Honeysuckle romped home for Henry De Bromhead ahead of Willie Mullins’ Sharjah.

Epatante finished third for Nicky Henderson and was the best of the Brits, despite being more than nine lengths off the winner. 

ITV pundit Mick Fitzgerald said before the Dublin Racing Festival in February that British trainers were afraid to ‘come over to the lion’s den and take on the big guns’, while UK trainer Dan Skelton said earlier this year that Willie Mullins got ‘freebies’ in Ireland due to the lack of competition.

But now there are no excuses, and with a £100k bonus on the line the Brits shouldn’t need any more incentive.

Spokesperson Paddy Power said: “We gave the Brits a beating at Cheltenham and now we’re laying down a challenge to the tune of £100k – come and have a go if you think you’re good enough.

“Honeysuckle blew her rivals away last month and will be well fancied for the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle at Punchestown but now there’s an extra cash  incentive for any British raider who thinks they can dethrone the queen.” 

For all the latest racing odds at Aintree, Punchestown and more, gallop over to: www.paddypower.com/horse-racing