TWENTY of the best jockeys across Ireland will swap saddles for runners on Ladbrokes Gold Cup Day at Punchestown for the first ever Irish Ladbrokes Jockey Sprint.
This Wednesday some of the most successful names in racing will lace up for the inaugural Irish Ladbrokes Jockey Sprint Cup before the first race, featuring a stellar line-up including Patrick Mullins, Danny Mullins, Darragh O’Keefe, Brian Hayes and Aine O’Connor to name but a few.
Ladbrokes hosted the first ever UK Jockey Sprint at Ayr in September 2025 and since then Irish jockeys have been clamouring for their own edition to crown the fastest jumps jockey at a fitting Irish jumps course.
Jockeys were encouraged to join the race with Ladbrokes pledging €250 per jockey running to be donated to the Irish Injured Jockeys.
Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes commented: “We’ve all seen how fast these jockeys can go on horseback, but just how fast can they go on their own two legs across 200m? This cup would definitely hold pride of place in any jockey’s trophy cabinet and for a very worthy cause too.”
Janet Creighton, of Punchestown commented: “With €250 charity donation per athlete on the table it’s truly is a case of taking part that counts although knowing some of the jockeys in the line up it’s as much about winning on horseback or on foot! . Thank you to them and of course to Ladbrokes for this engaging initiative for a great cause. ”
The Ladbrokes Irish Jockey Sprint is due to take place at approx. 1.15pm on Ladbrokes Gold Cup Day – Wednesday 29th April.
Visit www.punchestown.com for ticket bookings and full event details.
PUNCHESTOWN ON COURSE TO SURPASS GOLDEN BENCHMARK
The challenge is set and the countdown is on for the 2026 Punchestown Festival, one of the most anticipated fixtures in the Irish sporting and social calendar, taking place from Tuesday 28th April to Saturday 2nd May.
With an ideal weather forecast on the radar, the Racecourse of The Year is preparing to go even bigger and better than last year’s record level attendance with advance ticket sales indicating a crowd of over 130,000 across five days. Whilst the best of Irish and British racing talent will battle it out across 40 races for the record €3.6 million prize fund, this occasion has evolved far beyond sport to become a flagship national entertainment event.
Punchestown CEO Conor O’Neill explains the scale and impact of the Festival: “World class championship sport remains at the heart of what we do and alongside this our strategy is to enhance, elevate, and excel in an extremely competitive leisure and entertainment market. The Punchestown Festival is big business, has a huge economic impact of over €70 million, boosts tourism by filling every hotel room in the region and attracts international interest from as far as the USA and Australia. Whilst the enclosures, pavilions and bars are packed with festival goers enjoying racing, great live entertainment, style, shopping, food and beverage, we will host over 24,000 people from 800 companies as Ireland’s largest corporate hospitality event with seasonal, locally sourced menus prepared and served by excellent teams of over 600 staff”.
O’Neill adds “I’m delighted to say that our hospitality is totally sold out midweek despite expanding capacity by 2,500 seats and introducing the new Horse Walk venue. Saturday has a handful of seats left”.
From Tuesday 28th April, the trainer and jockey championship battles will be decided whilst the social hub Southern Enclosure will host the iconic Sky Bar After Party, Pony Club live music stage and the coveted Bollinger Best Dressed Style award. New for 2026 will be the Kildare Village Grand Pavilion, Ireland’s biggest singles event in the Your Friend My Friend Saturday Pavilion, mobile DJ sets, the expanded Britvic Family fun zone and a host of new beverage and dining options across a huge variety of bars and pop-up outlets.
The very last ticket deal wraps up at midnight on Sunday 26th April after which premium Festival prices kick in for all those except seniors, students, teens and family who buy on the day. Organisers strongly advise using public transport where possible especially on Festival Friday. A complete transport plan is available on the website with plenty of additional local shuttle and regional bus services added for 2026.
With so many moving parts including compelling championship narratives, over 60 British raiders, ever-expanding hospitality, style stakes and entertainment reminiscent of the Oxegen years, the 2026 Punchestown Festival is poised to deliver another unforgettable chapter. The stage is set. The legacy is strong. The expectation is clear. See you at Punchestown.
Visit www.punchestown.com for ticket bookings and full event details.
RECORD €3.6 MILLION PRIZE FUND ANNOUNCED FOR 2026 PUNCHESTOWN FESTIVAL
Five Handicaps up from €50,000 to €75,000
Introduction of Matchbook 50:50 Graduation Bonus Series
Update on Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series
Media Release: March 2026 – With just eight weeks to the upcoming Punchestown Festival the home of Irish jump racing today announced a record-breaking total prize fund of €3,600,000 for the 2026 renewal, taking place Tuesday 28th April to Saturday 2nd May.
This consecutive increase of funds marks the highest level of prize money in the Festival’s history. The increase further reinforces the racecourse of the year’s position as the premier Irish jump racing fixture and a seasonal target for the best of Irish and British racing.
The continuous growth in prize money is part of a long-term strategic plan to keep Punchestown ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive Irish and UK racing calendar. By investing in record-level funds, the Festival rewards current participants, attracts future talent, and supports the wider racing and breeding industry.
The 2025 Festival highlighted the importance of this investment, with 19 different winning trainers and 30 winning owners, demonstrating the depth and competitiveness of the fields. Each season a concerted effort to focus on a particular category has benefited a cross-sector of races. In recent years, the mid-level handicap hurdlers benefited from the introduction of the €100,000 Albert Bartlett Final which has met and fulfilled the objective with syndicates and partnership’s enjoying their moment in the Punchestown Festival spotlight. This series has also greatly assisted in restoring numbers of UK visitors with 66 overseas runners and eight UK trained winners in 2025.
The Matchbook 50:50 Graduation Bonus Series is set to add an exciting new dimension to the 2026 Punchestown Festival, with a remarkable bonus valued at €100,000 on offer. This initiative offers a €50,000 bonus to the first horse that wins a designated qualifier (12 in total) and subsequently is the first of those qualifiers to capture a Grade 1 at the 2026 Punchestown Festival. In addition, Matchbook will reward existing Matchbook users with €50,000 worth of free bets. Leading contenders to land the bonus include Leader D’allier, How’s Hannah, Koktail Brut & The Passing Wife.
Punchestown Racing Manager Richie Galway discussed the on-going strategy: “Punchestown has always set the standard in offering some of the most competitive and rewarding racing in Ireland. With a record prize fund, we are reaffirming our commitment to excellence and ensuring the Festival continues to attract the very best horses, trainers, and owners from Ireland and the UK. We continue to work closely with the HRI team who support our shared aims with regard to improvements of Festival prize money and racing programme”
Key Prize Money Increases for 2026
Five €75,000 handicaps up from €50,000:
- 2m Handicap Hurdle (150=11st 12lbs)– The Killashee Hotel (Tuesday)
- 2m Handicap Chase (150=11st 12lbs) – Frontline Security (Thursday)
- 3m Handicap Hurdle (145= 11st 12lbs)– The Conway Piling (Thursday)
- 3m Handicap Chase (0-150) – Palmerstown Pat Taaffe (Saturday)
- 3m7f Handicap Chase (Rated 0-145) (Saturday)
- Minimum race value increased to €20,000 across 7 races up from €15,000.
- Continued enhancements for the bumper programme which has produced graduates including 2025 El Cairos, Soldier In Milan, Koktail Brut, and King Rasko Grey.
- Punchestown continues to champion the traditional cross-country races recognising this as an essential part of Punchestown’s heritage since 1850.
- Open Grade 1’s: €300,000
- Novice Grade 1’s: €125,000
- Champion Bumper: €100,000
- Grade 3 Handicaps: €100,000
- Listed Handicaps: €75,000
- Minimum Race Value: €20,000
The record prize fund ensures that the Punchestown Festival continues to reward excellence and whilst attracting the biggest names in jump racing, the programme provides opportunities for all disciplines and levels to have stage time at the most prestigious jump racing festival in Ireland.
The 2026 Punchestown Festival takes place from Tuesday 28th April to Saturday 2nd May 2026. 12 Grade one races close on Wednesday 8th April with a further four races closing on 20th April.
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