Osprey Hotel Continue Punchestown Festival Partnership and Entertainment Programme
With just eight weeks to go to the 2020 Punchestown Festival the racecourse team are excited to continue our association with official accommodation partner Osprey Hotel. Launched at the 2019 festival, the centre piece of the partnership, Osprey Avenue, is back for the 2020 event taking place from Tuesday 28th April to Saturday 2nd May. Osprey Avenue is a boutique shopping venue with a wonderful selection of fashion, art, millinery and accessories on offer across all five days of the event.
Further to the success of the partnership last year Osprey Hotel are pulling out all the stops and providing a fantastic week of hospitality and entertainment both in advance of and after racing each day at the four star venue located in Devoy Quarter, Naas. Back for 2020 is the very appetising Bottomless Bubbles Brunch hosted in the stylish Herald & Devoy restaurant. This package is priced at €32 per person and can be pre-booked with the hotel or via eventbrite. There will be two sittings at 11.30am and 1.30pm on Thursday, Friday & Saturday with a complimentary shuttle bus service to solve any transport queries.
On Tuesday through to Friday from 12.30pm they will have well known tipsters on hand to provide their expert opinions on all the weeks racing, Tuesday and Wednesday will see Katie Walsh and top jockey Robert ‘Puppy’ Power along with Boylesports Leon Blanche will be in Osprey Bar on Thursday and Friday.
Perhaps the highlight of Osprey Hotel’s action packed entertainment programme will take place on Friday 1st May when the Ultimate Festival Finale Party will entertain a full house of festival goers. Guest D.J’s and the ever popular Manilla Strings will entertain in the lobby while the ticket only Punchestown Party featuring the massively well known Springbreak, fresh from supporting Cher in Belfast will take place in the brand new Osprey ballroom.
The ballroom has recently underwent a massive refurbishment with an investment of €800k which will only add to the atmosphere.
Looking forward to an exciting festival week Osprey Sales and Marketing Manager Catherine Bunn said “We are so thrilled to be back with Osprey Avenue and a preferred sponsor with Punchestown again for 2020, it really was a no brainer on our part following the success of last year. Our on-course presence with Osprey Avenue together with pre and post racing entertainment means Osprey will be your one stop Festival venue. The fact we have just finished a refurbishment of our ballroom with an investment of €800K will really add to the finale night, if that’s even possible. Adding a well-known band such as Springbreak who have a fantastic following already to the mix is an added bonus. I hope everyone is ready for a fun packed few days of racing, music, delicious food and fun party atmosphere!”
Janet Creighton, Punchestown Commercial Manager welcomed Osprey Hotel “We look forward to welcoming around 130,000 visitors to Punchestown in just eight weeks time and whilst we can do our best to ensure they have a great day at the track it is our hotel partners that play an intrinsic role by providing top class hospitality before and after racing. Osprey Hotel is a wonderful venue located just minutes from Punchestown and their festival entertainment programme is packed to the brim. Having toured the Osprey Spa it is somewhere I will definitely be visiting for a treat after a hectic festival week!”
For full details of the Osprey Hotel Festival schedule please visit https://www.ospreyhotel.ie/events/punchestown-festival or call +353 (0)45 881111. The Punchestown Festival takes place from Tuesday 28th April to Saturday 2nd May
Following 26mm of rain overnight and a further 27mm since 8am this morning racing at Punchestown has been cancelled today 9th February. The meeting is now scheduled to take place on Tuesday 11th February.
For information on ticket and hospitality arrangements please contact 00 353 45 897704 or email info@punchestown.com
| Young trainer Gearoid O’Loughlin is gearing up for a potentially big day at Punchestown on Sunday where he will field strong contenders for both of the day’s main events with Space Cadet set to represent him in the featured €100,000 BoyleSports Grand National Trial Handicap Chase.
Space Cadet is among 23 entries for the three and a half mile contest in which he finished fourth two years ago. The ten-year-old pulled up in the Welsh National last time but would be among the leading contenders if returning to the form of his fine fourth in the Troytown Chase at Navan in November.
“Space Cadet is in great form. He didn’t travel over that well to Chepstow so we are happy to put a line through that Welsh National run and we’re looking forward to Sunday. He’s going to have a lovely weight and he’s run well in the race before and this is the sort of test that should bring out the best in him,” said the trainer.
Gordon Elliott has won this race for the last two years and he has a team of eight engaged this time around with his entry headed by the Paddy Power Chase hero Roaring Bull and the impressive Cork winner Minella Till Dawn.
Top weight in Sunday’s €100,000 contest is the 2018 Aintree Grand National runner-up Pleasant Company, while the in form trainer James Nash could be represented by Forza Milan.
O’Loughlin, who sent his first winner 13 months ago and runs owner Chris Jones’s pre-training base at Killeen Glebe nearing Dunsany in Co Meath, also hopes to field the exciting Cedarwood Road in Sunday’s Listed I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Novice Hurdle for which eleven horses have been entered.
Cedarwood Road emerged as one of this season’s most exciting novices when winning a maiden hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival by an impressive eleven lengths.
“He’s in good form and worked well this morning so all being well he will run on Sunday. For us it’s great to have a horse like him in the yard. It’s what you get up for in the morning and there’s a great buzz around the yard at the moment as he’s a horse we really like. This is going to be step up in class for him but we’re really looking forward to running him,” commented O’Loughlin.
Other entries for this race including the promising Front View. Joseph O’Brien’s charge won a bumper at last season’s Punchestown Festival and chased home Envoi Allen at Down Royal on his first run of the season before defeating the high class Uhtred in a Cork maiden hurdle in November. The Jessica Harrington-trained Exit Poll may also make the step up in class following his Fairyhouse success recently.
Cheltenham Festival clues will be on offer in the opening P.P. Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase in which Enda Bolger has included specialists in this sphere Josies Orders and Yanworth.
A seven race card on Sunday is due to start at 1.45pm and the ground at Punchestown is currently described as yielding. |
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Punchestown racecourse today (21st January 2020) made the major announcement that Ballymore have returned as title sponsors of the final day of Ireland’s most prestigious jump racing festival.
The Ballymore Festival Family day will take place on Saturday 2nd May 2020 and concludes not only the Punchestown Festival but the Irish jump racing season itself. The €100,000 Grade 1 Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle is the centre piece of a top quality seven race card.
The Ballymore Festival Family Day has rapidly become one of the best attended fixtures on the Irish racing calendar attracting a massive crowd of 37,206 at the 2019 event. As the name suggests, the focus of the day is on community, introducing families to Punchestown and opening the world of horse racing to children. A full programme of activities, games and entertainment will be on offer for families with a dedicated indoor Junior Jockey Fun Club available throughout the day.
Ballymore co-founders Sean and Bernardine Mulryan have been long-time supporters of Punchestown. In fact, in 2008 when the Saturday was first integrated into the festival proper, Ballymore were an integral part of the initiative backing the title race of the day. Following a hiatus from horse racing, the award winning international property group returned to the sponsorship ranks in 2017 when sponsoring the valuable Ballymore Handicap Hurdle before taking the opportunity to back the family day concept. The Mulryan’s return to horse racing has been a fortuitous one and could hardly have gone better when their own horse City Island trained by Martin Brassil landed the Ballymore Novices Hurdle at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival.
Sean Mulryan, Ballymore Chairman & CEO looks forward to Ballymore Festival Family Day saying “The Punchestown Festival is a unique sporting experience and Punchestown itself is special for myself and my family. We have been involved for decades with Punchestown and the opportunity to return to sponsor the family day gives me great pride. I’m delighted to see it go from strength to strength.”
Conor O’Neill Punchestown CEO added “We always say that Punchestown is personal. That goes for the staff, customers, sponsors, locals and members of the racing industry. Everybody who visits Punchestown or does business here should feel like they are part of the place. We are so fortunate that Sean and Bernardine Mulryan share that view and have such special regard for Punchestown. They have been incredible supporters down the years through thick and thin. They are true racing and community people. The Ballymore Festival Family Day gives us the opportunity to introduce this unique event and venue to many families that may be new to the area but also to strengthen the sense of community for all those locals who have been enjoying Punchestown for years. To the Mulryans and Ballymore we say thank you”.
The 2020 Punchestown Festival takes place from Tuesday 28th April to Saturday 2nd May and expects to attract crowds in excess of 125,000 over the five days. Billed as the highlight and grand finale of Irish jump racing the Punchestown Festival boasts 12 Grade one races and a prize fund of over €3.2 million attracting the best of Irish and British racing talent. The Punchestown Festival is a massive contributor to the local economy generating over €60 million. With 45 event sponsors, over 17,000 corporate hospitality guests and a huge influx of UK based racing fans Punchestown is a social, sporting and commercial flagship event on the Irish calendar each year.
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| Trainer Joseph O’Brien will be hoping to add his name to the Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle roll of honour for the first time with two fascinating runners in the Grade 2 contest at Punchestown this Sunday.
Meticulous, who was second to the unbeaten Envoi Allen in a Grade 2 bumper last season, will be hoping to become the first horse to win the Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle as a maiden. The six-year-old son of Fame And Glory carries the famous colours of Michael Tabor and will be joined in the race by his very progressive stable companion Anything Will Do.
Anything Will Do was a Punchestown course and distance winner on his two most recent starts and will bid to make it four consecutive victories when tackling a field of five runners on Sunday.
“Both Anything Will Do and Meticulous are in good shape,” O’Brien reported on Friday morning. “Anything Will Do is a very consistent horse with solid form and if he runs his race again hopefully he’ll be able to give Andy Dufresne a run for his money.”
“It would look a tough ask for Meticulous having his first run over hurdles but it comes to a point in the season when you want to get him out. His bumper form has worked out very well and there is no doubt that he is a decent horse so we look forward to seeing what he can do over obstacles. We are looking forward to getting him started.”
Gordon Elliott, who won the race last year with the Gigginstown House Stud-owned Felix Desjy, relies on the JP McManus-owned Andy Dufresne for this renewal.
Andy Dufresne will drop back to two miles on Sunday having finished second to the classy Latest Exhibition at Navan last time out and earlier this week Elliott reported his runner to be in fine fettle ahead of this assignment.
“Andy Dufresne got beaten by a very good horse of Paul Nolan’s last time (Latest Exhibition) and he’s been in good shape since then. The way he jumps and travels two miles should be no problem for him,” Elliott said.
Henry de Bromhead is represented by the impressive Navan maiden hurdle winner Captain Guinness who made a notable impression when winning first time out and is once again the mount of Rachael Blackmore this weekend.
Shanroe is another who will look to win the race as a maiden over hurdles and give trainer Karl Thornton the biggest success of his career, while the field is completed by the John Ryan-trained The Little Yank.
The Grade 3 Killiney Novice Chase looks set to be a memorable renewal with the Cheltenham Festival winner City Island taking on the Willie Mullins-trained Carefully Selected.
City Island recorded a first Cheltenham Festival victory for trainer Martin Brassil and owners Sean and Bernardine Mulryan last season when taking the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and will be hoping to make his mark on Sunday ahead of the upcoming spring festivals.
The Matthew Smith-trained Lord Schnitzel finished less than four lengths adrift of Carefully Selected in beginners chase earlier this season and since competed at Grade 1 level at Leopardstown when third behind Battleoverdoyen and Champagne Classic.
Elliott runs Dallas Des Pictons in the Killiney Novice Chase and the field is completed by Halsafari and Speak Easy.
The first of seven races at Punchestown on Sunday is due off at 12.30pm. |
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Grade 2 Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle
Previous Winners
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| Year Horse Jockey Trainer Age Price
2019 Felix Desjy S W Flanagan Gordon Elliott 6 11/4
2018 Getabird Mr. P W Mullins W P Mullins 6 1/1Fav
2017 Any Second Now M P Walsh T M Walsh 5 6/1
2016 Min R Walsh W P Mullins 5 1/7Fav
2015 Douvan R Walsh W P Mullins 5 1/3Fav
2014 Vautour P Townend W P Mullins 5 1/4Fav
2013 Mozoltov R Walsh W P Mullins 7 9/4
2012 Trifolium D N Russell C Byrnes 5 7/4Fav
2011 Gagewell Flyer P Townend W P Mullins 7 13/8Fav
2010 Luska Lad A J McNamara John J Hanlon 6 7/2 |
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| The Grade 1 winning Abacadabras heads the entries for Sunday’s Grade 2 Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Hurdle at Punchestown as Gordon Elliott looks to add another high class novice race to his tally this season.
Elliott holds a strong hand at the five-day entry stage for Punchestown’s renowned Supreme Novices Hurdle trial with very well regarded Andy Dufresne, Easywork and Run Wild Fred featuring among a dozen acceptors for the €44,500 contest.
Felix Desjy triumphed in the race 12-months ago for Elliott and Sean Flanagan and the Meath based trainer is hopeful of snaring top honours again on Sunday.
“Both Easywork and Andy Dufresne ran over two and a half miles last time but they could easily come back in trip,” Elliott suggested on Tuesday.
“I was impressed with Easywork at Limerick and he looks quite exciting. Andy Dufresne got beaten by a very good horse of Paul Nolan’s last time and he’s been in good shape since then. The way he jumps and travels two miles should be no problem for him.
“We have also given Abacadabras an entry and we’ll just see how the horses come through their work this week and make a decision on who goes where,” Elliott added.
Willie Mullins has a fantastic record in the Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Hurdle with household names such as Vautour, Douvan, Min and Getabird among his recent winners and the champion trainer has included Blackbow, Janidil and Tiger Tap Tap in this renewal.
Joseph O’Brien has a couple of intriguing entries for the Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Hurdle with the dual course and distance winner Anything Will Do a possible runner alongside stable companion Meticulous who carries the colours of Michael Tabor and has yet to make his hurdling debut.
Impressive Navan maiden hurdle winner Captain Guinness may attempt to give Henry de Bromhead a first win in this race since Mister Watzisname scored in 2008.
The Cheltenham Festival winning City Island is a notable name on the list of entries for the Grade 3 Killiney Novice Chase on Sunday.
Martin Brassil’s stable star pulled up following a mistake on his chasing debut at Leopardstown over Christmas but is in line for a quick reappearance at Punchestown this weekend.
Willie Mullins’ entries are the recent winners Bapaume and Carefully Selected while Dallas Des Pictons looks set to spearhead Gordon Elliott’s challenge on the race.
“Dallas Des Pistons has had a light season so far but he began to thrive this time last year and I’m looking forward to seeing him back in the novice chase this weekend,” Elliott said. |
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