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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.

 

Award Winning Tech Firm eCOMM Merchant Solutions Take Up Grade 1 Status at Punchestown

Punchestown Racecourse today welcomed eCOMM Merchant Solutions as the most recent high profile addition to the sponsorship portfolio ahead of the 2021 Punchestown Festival.

The award winning tech company will take over the first Grade 1 of the season finale, the eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle, on Tuesday 27th April. This two mile contest boasts a prize fund of €100,000 and an enviable role of honour including household names such as Hurricane Fly, Faugheen and the great Moscow Flyer. Champion trainer Willie Mullins will bid for a fourth consecutive and eighth overall win of the race as this year’s Punchestown Festival gets underway in just three weeks’ time.

With offices in Navan and London, eCOMM Merchant Solutions is a pioneer in providing innovative payment technology solutions and works with customers right across Europe.

Noel Moran, Founder and CEO of eCOMM Merchant Solutions, said: “We are delighted to support the Punchestown Festival as one of the flagship events in the Irish sporting calendar. It is truly a golden age in Irish racing and Punchestown will be a fitting home-coming and grand finale for the champions of the season.”

Punchestown CEO Conor O’Neill welcomed eCOMM: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome eCOMM Merchant Solutions to the sponsorship ranks at Punchestown. This is a dynamic, fast-growing company, and we are very excited that they have decided to align their brand with one of the feature Grade 1 contests at the 2021 Punchestown Festival. eCOMM Merchant Solutions founders Valerie and Noel Moran have been fantastic supporters of Irish racing and this further emphasises their continued support and commitment.”

The 2021 Punchestown Festival gets underway on Tuesday 27th April and runs until Saturday 1st May. The event will be televised on RTÉ and Racing TV with full interactive coverage available on the Punchestown social media channels.

To learn more about eCOMM Merchant Solutions

 

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

Ladbrokes Double Down with Dual Feature Deal at the Punchestown Festival

Longstanding Punchestown Festival supporters Ladbrokes have today further extended their backing at the home of Irish jump racing with a double header deal that will see the leading bookmaker add the 2021 Punchestown Gold Cup to the their continued sponsorship of the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle.

Ladbrokes have been the title sponsors of the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival since 2008 and that is set to continue when the flagship Festival returns from 27th April to 1st May. A new addition to their impressive racing sponsorship portfolio will be the €250,000 Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup on day two of the season grand finale event.

This news will see Ladbrokes sponsor the two championship three mile races at the Punchestown Festival and the two highest rated horses in the respective three mile divisions are on target to go to Punchestown.

Trainer Gavin Cromwell has already earmarked the Grade 1 €250,000 Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown for his newest stable star Flooring Porter who was an emphatic winner of the equivalent race at Cheltenham, while the third home that day was Paisley Park and his trainer Emma Lavelle has also mentioned Punchestown as a potential target for the three time Grade 1 winner.

Trainer Gavin Cromwell said: “Punchestown is definitely the aim for Flooring Porter. He’s good. He came out of Cheltenham fine and is back in full work. We’re happy with him so all roads lead to Punchestown.

“It is really just about getting him back in the routine. He’s obviously very fit so it’s only a matter of ticking him over, but it doesn’t take very much to get ready.”

Flooring Porter earned a rating of 165 equal to the two mile champion Honeysuckle and not even a late change of rider due to injury could deter Flooring Porter from a career best at Cheltenham.

“It was a huge shame for Jonathan Moore but he is a big part of the team,” Cromwell continued. “We’re optimistic Jonathan will be back from injury to renew his partnership after Danny Mullins filled in so well at Cheltenham. He’s still quite sore at the moment but will hopefully be fine by the time Punchestown comes around.”

The last renewal in 2019 of the now Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup was certainly a historic one as it marked the end of an era for racing as Ruby Walsh retired following his victory in the race on Kemboy and already punters are counting down the days to 28th April to see Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Minella Indo return to home soil for a potential rematch with Al Boum Photo.

When Gold Cup hero Minella Indo won at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival he followed up with success at the Punchestown Festival and his trainer Henry De Bromhead is hoping the Barry Maloney-owned eight-year-old will once again return to the County Kildare venue.

De Bromhead said: “It was a hard race, as you would expect, and A Plus Tard pushed him all the way but he seems to be good since. Like all the horses that ran in Cheltenham, we will give him as much time as he needs and just see how he is before getting going again but we would hopefully be returning to Punchestown with him.

“He won the Grade 1 three-mile novice hurdle at the festival two years ago, following up from the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham, so he does like it around Punchestown. We will see how he is and discuss it with the Maloneys but there is a good chance at this stage.”

With his team in top form at the moment, De Bromhead expects to have a big team heading for Punchestown.

“We will hopefully be going to Punchestown with a strong team,” confirmed the Waterford trainer. “I would like to do that but we will have to see how they are and talk to the owners. But they are in good form at home now and we will only pick things up again when they are ready. When that happens will determine which of them will line up but we are hoping that many of them will be there.”

Adrian Osman, Ladbrokes Head of Sponsorship, said: “Ladbrokes has been a committed and longstanding supporter of Irish horse racing for many decades and we are thrilled to be taking such a leading role at the Punchestown Festival with sponsorship of these two fantastic Grade 1 races.”

Entries for the 2021 Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup and the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle along with 10 additional Grade 1 races will be available from Monday 12th April.
Coolmore and Irish EBF join forces for the richest mares Jump Race in Ireland and UK

Punchestown Racecourse are delighted to welcome Coolmore as the new co-sponsors of the Grade 1 Mares Champion Hurdle on the final day of the 2021 Punchestown Festival, Saturday 1st May.

The Grade 1 Coolmore Kew Gardens Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle benefits from an increased prize fund as a result of the collaboration and at €120,000 it becomes the most valuable mares race over hurdles in Ireland and the UK.

This will be the eighth running of the two-and-a-half-mile championship contest and thus far champion trainer Willie Mullins has landed six out of seven including back-to-back doubles with stars such as Annie Power and Benie Des Dieux. It was in 2017 that their former stablemate Apples Jade interrupted the clean sweep.

Albert Sherwood, manager of Coolmore’s Grange Stud said: “Coolmore are delighted to support Punchestown and the mares programme in sponsoring this Grade 1. Cheltenham showed the quality of true National Hunt-bred racemares around at the moment so hopefully we’re in for another great renewal.”

John O’Connor, Chairman of Irish EBF commented: “Irish EBF welcomes Coolmore as co-sponsor of this illustrious Grade one mares hurdle race. This collaboration will further enhance the rewards for mares and continue to attract quality runners who in turn will enhance the breeding stock for the future. Irish EBF has a strong record of supporting National Hunt mares races, with recent winners showcasing how well the programme is working. The Irish EBF board are committed to continue that focus into the future.”

Punchestown CEO Conor O’Neill welcomed the announcement: “The benefits of a strategically enhanced mares programme are plain for all to see with fantastic performances in recent weeks. This grade 1 championship mares race was introduced in 2013 and has been backed by the Irish EBF ever since. The further support from a such a prestigious organisation as Coolmore elevates the race to the next level, in fact to the top level as the race is now the richest of its type in Ireland and the UK. We look forward to seeing what superstar adds her name to the list of winners.”

Entries for the 2021 Coolmore Kew Gardens Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle will be available from Monday 12th April.

Punchestown rescheduled for next Monday, March 1

Horse Racing Ireland has announced that the Punchestown meeting, which was to be held today (Wednesday 24th February) but was cancelled due to waterlogging, will now be rescheduled on next Monday, March 1.

This meeting will close for fresh entries by 12 noon tomorrow Thursday, February 25 with declarations to run to be made by 10am on Saturday, February 27.

The time of the first race will be 2.15pm.

TG4 & HRI announce Valentine’s Day special with live coverage from Punchestown
Sunday February 14 February

After a highly successful week broadcasting the Listowel Harvest Festival in September 2020, TG4 have announced additional racing coverage for 2021.

On Sunday February 14, TG4 will be in Punchestown to broadcast their St Valentine’s day meeting at the iconic County Kildare racecourse. Beginning at 2.45pm, five races will be shown live with the first race broadcast at 3pm – ‘The Valentines Maiden Hurdle’.

The week in County Kerry was the sixteenth consecutive year broadcasting the famous racing festival in Listowel and TG4 are now delighted to extend its live racing coverage to Punchestown this February.

TG4’s live coverage from Punchestown will be presented by Seán Bán Breathnach and Mánus Ó Conghaile and they will be joined by reporter Daragh Ó Conchúir who will provide all the latest news and views.

Along with the five live races, there will also be a chance to see the first two races replayed in full during the afternoon’s broadcast. The day’s main event is the sixth race at 4:30pm ‘The Punchestown Grand National Trial Handicap Steeplechase’ and no doubt this will be a great spectacle for the viewing public.

Conor O’Neill, CEO of Punchestown Racecourse and Chairperson of Horse Racing Ireland’s Media Rights Committee, said: “This is a fantastic development, and I must acknowledge all concerned in their efforts in bringing it to fruition. The team at TG4 have always been great supporters of Irish racing and indeed of Punchestown and this further supports that commitment.

“TG4 has long been associated with the Listowel Harvest Festival which has been the highlight of their racing coverage for many years. They have previously previewed the Punchestown Festival and of course we recently enjoyed the fantastic Dawn Run documentary which featured the iconic match race that took place here at the track in 1986.

“This is a great opportunity to showcase additional race meetings on terrestrial television to homes throughout Ireland and the racing will also be available on the TG4 Player on www.tg4.ie/live. Horse racing is an integral part of Irish culture and I’m delighted to welcome the TG4 broadcast team to the home of Irish jump racing on February 14. We wish TG4 every continued success and we look forward to developing this relationship further for Irish racing. Go n-éirí an bóthar leat.”

Rising star Envoi Allen heads a final field of six in Sunday’s Sky Bet Killiney Novice Chase at Punchestown (12.50).

The unbeaten seven-year-old has yet to taste defeat in his 10-race career and is two from two over fences this season following a faultless start to a novice chasing campaign.

A winner of the Grade One BARONERACING.com Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse when last seen in November, Gordon Elliott’s charge bids to keep his winning sequence going in this Grade Three event in the hands of Jack Kennedy.

It might be a drop in class for the Cheveley Park-owned horse, but the opposition looks strong and is headed by Willie Mullins’ Grade One-winning novice hurdler Asterion Forlonge.

Running in the same now famous black and yellow check Joe Donnelly colours of Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo, Asterion Forlonge won on his chasing debut at this track before falling in the Grade One Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick over Christmas.

Dinny Lacey, Fils D’oudairies, Ounitive and Sempo complete the field.

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The Donnelly colours are also on show with eight set to go to post in the Grade Two Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Hurdle at 1.20 with Mullins’ Ganapathi bidding to build on his stable debut victory at Cork on November 22.

Mullins has an exceptional record in this event and won it in four consecutive years from 2013 to 2016, with Cheltenham Festival heroes Vautour, Douvan and Min winning three of those races.

The last two years the prize has gone to Elliott and he’s represented by the JP McManus-owned Magic Tricks on Sunday, a horse that won his maiden hurdle by eight-and-a-half lengths at Navan last time out.

Both of those horses will have to raise their game to beat Master McShee, though, the form pick in this after winning a Leopardstown handicap hurdle by five lengths off a mark of 132 over the festive season.

Now rated 143, Paddy Corkery’s seven-year-old sets the standard in a race that has historically had a significant bearing on the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

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Sunday’s seven-race card at Punchestown also showcases the Sporting Life Beginners Chase over the extended 2m6f at 2.50.

Won in 2018 by Elliott’s Goodthynemilan, the County Meath handler could well have the answer again this year with his Gigginstown-owned Hell On Earth setting the standard following a good second to Itsalonglongroad at Tramore on January 1.

Paul Cawley takes 7lb off the Germany gelding, who faces 14 rivals in the contest.

 

ENDS

Power’s Dream To Pack A Punch

The Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase will bring some early festive cheer to the winning connections of Sunday’s €80,000 feature at the County Kildare venue.

A race which boasts a roll of honour including household names such as Florida Pearl, Beef Of Salmon, Flemenstar, and Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Kicking King, Don Cossack and Sizing John, has attracted a field of eight runners for the 2020 renewal.

The octet includes the Willie Mullins-trained Min, who is bidding to become the first three-time winner of the race since its inception in 1968. Mullins is responsible for half of the field with Allaho, Melon and Tornado Flyer forming a formidable team for the champion trainer.

Gordon Elliott, who won the race with Don Cossack in 2014, also holds a very strong hand this time around with Battleoverdoyen and Samcro set to lock horns for a second time in just over a month.

Battleoverdoyen got the better of his Cheltenham Festival winning stable companion at Down Royal on their seasonal reappearance and Elliott is looking forward to targeting more Grade 1 success at Punchestown.

“From the minute Battleoverdoyen crossed the line in Down Royal, it was always the plan to come to Punchestown for the John Durkan,” Elliott said on Friday morning.

“He’s in good form and he has improved from his first run at Down Royal but he’ll need to improve for a race like Sunday as he steps into open company for the first time. He won a bumper at Punchestown, he won a novice chase here last season so he likes the track and the trip suits him so we are looking forward to it but he’ll have to be on top of his game.”

Elliott has won four of the five Grade 1 races in Ireland this season and his hand on Sunday is further enhanced by Samcro, although the trainer himself acknowledges not all factors will suit the eight-year-old.

“Samcro would prefer better ground,” Elliott said. “He just made a mistake at the wrong time at Down Royal and the lack of a run just told against him then. He has definitely come forward for Down Royal but maybe he is a horse that comes to himself in the spring of the year now. The better the ground, the better we’ll see Samcro but I’m happy with him going into the weekend and looking forward to running both of them again.”

Joseph O’Brien will welcome the long-absent Le Richebourg back on track as the highly promising seven-year-old is set to make his first start since winning the Irish Arkle at the 2019 Dublin Racing Festival.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained Chris’s Dream went down narrowly to The Storyteller at Down Royal last time out and his jockey Robbie Power is hopeful his new normal will pay dividends on Sunday.

Power was forced to make the difficult decision to base himself in England this season due to travelling restrictions in place caused by the pandemic.

Punchestown’s fixture on Sunday will be Power’s second visit home in a week after he returned for Fairyhouse last Sunday and he’s hopeful of going narrowly better on Chris’s Dream then when he last paired up with the eight-year-old.

“Chris’s Dream ran a blinder at Down Royal and I wouldn’t swap him on Sunday,” said the leading jockey.

“It’s always good to get the opportunity to come back and ride good horses and the slight easing of restrictions this week now means I can come back for any graded races and not just Grade 1 races so hopefully I’ll be able to make the most of any opportunities that arise.”

Power, who won the John Durkan Chase on Sizing John in 2017, is hoping to help Henry de Bromhead win the race for a first time.

“Chris’s Dream won the Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park last season over two and a half miles and he travelled very strongly at Down Royal so I don’t see any negative to him dropping back in trip this weekend. The horse that beat him (The Storyteller) at Down Royal had match fitness which we didn’t have but Chris’s Dream ticks all the boxes on Sunday and now he has had a run under his belt which some of his opposition won’t have.”

Of his move to base himself across the water, Power added; “I’d be lying to say it was an easy decision, it certainly wasn’t, but this has been an extraordinary year and the commute I was able to do last year by basing myself in Ireland and going over to ride for Colin Tizzard two or three days a week isn’t possible at the moment and it’s as simple as that.

“I have a wife and a daughter at home and it’s difficult to be away from my family but Colin has a lot of ammunition and I felt that was where I needed to base myself while the restrictions are the way they are. We have to just get on with it and hopefully things will ease again shortly in the new year.”

Also on Sunday, a field of eight will line up for the Voler La Vedette Mares Novice Hurdle. Mick Winter looks to have another nice horse in his care with the Trevor Hemmings-owned Sayce Gold stepping up to listed company after two impressive victories last month.

2020 Punchestown Festival Cancelled

Punchestown Racecourse today confirmed the cancellation of the 2020 Punchestown Festival which was scheduled to take place from Tuesday 28th April to Saturday 2nd May.

Following consultation with Horse Racing Ireland and the relevant statutory bodies the Punchestown Festival has been cancelled in response to the ongoing threat to public health due to Covid-19.

Punchestown Racecourse would like to take this opportunity to reassure all of their clients that they will be operating a full refund policy as a result of the event not going ahead. The Punchestown team will communicate directly with all clients in due course as they endeavour to manage this process as efficiently as possible. The Punchestown team are adhering to government work place restriction guidelines and the commencement of the refund process will take place at the earliest opportunity.

The 2021 Punchestown Festival is scheduled to take place from Tuesday 27th April to Saturday 1st May.

Speaking on behalf of Punchestown Racecourse, CEO Conor O’Neill said “The cancellation of the 2020 Punchestown Festival is of course very disappointing although in these unprecedented times it is certainly the appropriate decision. Above all, the health and safety  of our visitors, clients, staff and participants is of paramount importance and that has been the key focus in the decision making process. These are very difficult times for everyone both from a business and a personal point of view and I would like to reassure all of our clients that we will offer a full refund policy.

O’Neill continued “On behalf of the directors, management and staff of Punchestown Racecourse, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those that have supported us from our sponsors and clients to the racing industry and the community of Kildare and beyond. In particular, thank you for your patience over the past number of weeks which has enabled us to work in conjunction with Horse Racing Ireland and the relevant government authorities as we have continuously monitored and assessed the feasibility of various scenarios before ultimately making the decision to cancel the event in its entirety. In these difficult and challenging times we send our support and best wishes to all and together we can look forward to better days ahead”.

**ENDS**

REFUND POLICY 

Punchestown operates a full refund policy and all clients will be contacted.

Hospitality clients will be contacted by email (please check junk mail folder also)