Punchestown Announce The Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series
€100,000 Prize Fund announced under new series partnership
Punchestown racecourse today made the exciting announcement that Albert Bartlett, the UK’s leading producer of potato products, will sponsor the newly branded Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series in a significant three-year deal that will see the series final prize fund grow to €100,000.
Further to today’s announcement the initiative will expand from ten to a total of twelve qualifying races divided between England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The first qualifier will take place on Saturday 23 rd November at Punchestown’s Premiere Weekend fixture and culminate on the opening day of the 2025 Punchestown Festival, Tuesday 29 th April, with the €100,000 Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Final.
Launched in October 2023, the initial concept for the series was to provide an opportunity for horses in the competitive two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle category, with ratings of up to 120, to compete for an impressive prize on a feature festival day. Born from the success of the inaugural running, Albert Bartlett have increased the number of qualifiers and boosted the final prize fund from €80,000 to €100,000.
Albert Bartlett Chairman Ronnie Bartlett outlined the key driver behind their support of the series: “We were really impressed with the first running of the concept in 2023. We hope partnering to create the Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series will enhance the series further to encourage travel, cohesion and alignment throughout jump racing in the UK and Ireland with the exciting involvement of UK trained and owned horses competing at Punchestown. The series allows owners and trainers to visit new tracks, cross the Irish sea, meet with new peers, all built around enjoying flagship race days and competing for meaningful prize money. Ultimately we hope this will create more really entertaining days for race fans to enjoy and that’s what it is all about.”
Punchestown CEO Conor O’Neill, said: “We are delighted to announce The Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series and really look forward to optimising this exciting concept alongside the Albert Bartlett team who share in our vision and objectives for the initiative. Together we aim to create an inclusive prospect for horses at a particular level to compete for a significant prize pot on the big stage whilst providing an excellent opportunity to open up the sport even further by encouraging owners and trainers to travel and compete across what is a relatively small jurisdiction. To this end we couldn’t have hoped for a better result of the inaugural running when Herefordshire trainer Tom Lacey won the final with Tune In A Box owned by the Woolhope Hopeful Syndicate.”
Reflecting on their Punchestown Festival Experience, Rachel Tobey, member of 2024 series final winning owners Woolhope Hopefuls, said: “We had the most wonderful and memorable experience at Punchestown. The welcome was exceptional. A group of us travelled over expecting the visit to the highlight but as our name suggests we were hopeful that Tune in a box could deliver. To win was beyond our dreams! We think that what is now the Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series initiative is absolutely brilliant. Without it we would probably have never had a runner at Punchestown and now we are fully focused on returning again!”
The 2024/2025 Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Qualifiers
1. 23rd November – Punchestown
2. 5th January – Chepstow
3. 12th January – Punchestown
4. 26th January – Naas
5. 23rd January – Huntingdon
6. 14th February – Kelso
7. 15th February – Gowran Park
8. 26th February – Wincanton
9. 7th March – Ayr
10. 17th March – Down Royal
11. 20th March – Cork
12. 28th March – Wetherby
** 29th April – Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Final, Punchestown Festival**
Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Details
• The Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series includes twelve qualifying races that will take place across Ireland and the UK with the €100,000 final taking place on the opening day of the 2025 Punchestown Festival, Tuesday 29th April.
• The qualifying races in the series will take place from November 2024 to March 2025.
• Each qualifier will be a hurdle race over a distance of between two miles two furlongs and two miles six furlongs, exclusively for horses rated 0-120. The series culminates with a 130 =11st 12lb final, allowing horses that improve their handicap marks throughout the season to still compete in the final.
• The first five home in each qualifier will be eligible to enter the Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series final.
• Qualifier placings will take precedence over handicap ratings in the ballot process, ensuring the most competitive horses earn their chance to compete in the final.
• The Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series final will be run over two miles four furlongs at the 2025 Punchestown Festival.
• The Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series will be kindly hosted in association with geographically selected tracks across England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
• This series launches on day one of the Punchestown Premiere Weekend, 23rd November 2024 and culminates on the opening day of the 2025 Punchestown Festival, Tuesday 29th April.
THE PUNCHESTOWN PREMIERE WEEKEND INFO PAGE
When – Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 November
Feature Races
- Saturday – Gr1 Unibet Morgiana Hurdle, Gr2 Boodles Florida Pearl Novice Chase and Conway Piling Beginners Chase.
- Sunday – Gr1 John Durkan Chase, Gr2 BetVictor Craddockstown Novice Chase, Frontline Security Grabel Mares Listed Hurdle & Rick Of Thunder Cross Country
Times
- First race 11.30am.
- Last race around 3.30.
- Gates at 10am.
- Last orders one hour after the last. (Times may vary slightly)
Tickets – BOOK HERE
- Best deal in sport – €25 all-weekend ticket. Ends 17th November
- Advance (until 9pm the day before) – €15
- On The Day – €20
- Seniors & Students – €15 on the day only
- Family – €25 2 x adults with kids on the day only
- Children 14 years and under race for free.
Our Famous Race & Dine from €65pp – VIEW HERE
Enhance your race day with family and friends from only €65pp up to €115pp. Options range from private suites with tailored menus to our flagship Corinthian and Watch House restaurants offering some of the most highly reviewed food in racing enjoyed with the best views in sport.
Transport
- FREE bus service from Naas (Poplar Square & Post Office) from 10am returning as per demand after racing. Keep an eye on social media for updates.
- Dublin city centre to Punchestown direct service – INFO & BOOKINGS
- Free parking and plenty of it!
Family Friendly Venue with Free Kids Stuff!
All children under 14 race for free. Santa Truck here on Saturday. Santa Train on Sunday. Hay Cafe and The Feedroom Cafe offering full menu of snacks, carvery, salads, barista coffee and of course child sized portions.
All families in attendance can enter to Win a Trip to Lapland.
Music, shops, snacks and strolls.
Aside from top class grade one racing there will be live music from Evolution (Saturday) and The Sandmen (Sunday) available to all and located in the grandstand.
A festive shopping pavilion will welcome visitors at the turnstiles and as always there will be something for all ages throughout the enclosures.
Pick up a barista coffee and warm pastries or chips and a pint and enjoy a stroll around one of Ireland’s favorite venues in the foothills of the Dublin and Wicklow mountains.
What To Wear:
It’s Ireland….in November….so wrap up to enjoy the best of the day. If you are attending one of our restaurant or suite venues we suggest at least smart casual to fully suited and booted. There are plenty of comfortable cosy indoor venues with great access to the parade ring and viewing stands.
Can We Assist ?
The best way to keep up to date is to follow our social media channels. Please feel free to contact our team for further assistance on 00 353 (0)45 897704 or contact info@punchestown.com
Media Release – Friday 13th September 2024: As Punchestown prepares to host its sole flat meeting of the season, the racecourse today announced that leading horsebox manufacturer Overlander, are to join the sponsorship line-up at the famous sporting venue.
The new partnership will see Overlander named as Punchestown’s preferred horse transport vehicle alongside a 2025 Punchestown Festival race sponsorship with a complete digital, video, print and social media branding package that will run throughout the season.
Based in the N7 Commercial Centre in Naas, Co. Kildare, the Overlander team place emphasis on quality, safety and service. The model range is expertly engineered around the horse to offer an elevated, user-friendly design that incorporates the highest standards for safe, durable equine transport. In essence, Overlander vehicles work hard and look good doing it.
Joining an existing strategy that includes sponsorship with Naas racecourse and an ambassador role held by trainer Ted Walsh, Punchestown is the latest marketing move by N7 Commercials Managing Director and Overlander Vehicles Co-founder Robert McDonnell. Commenting on the sponsorship announcement McDonnell said: We’re all thrilled at Overlander to have the opportunity to work with Punchestown Racecourse. Our brand stands for durability, style and reliability – driving innovation in horse transport while supporting the champions who inspire it. This partnership reflects our commitment to equestrian excellence and together we are transporting the future of equestrian excellence one race at a time”.
Leona Hughes, Punchestown sponsorship manager welcomed the Overlander team by saying: “It is always a pleasure to work with a team that share the same values and ambitions. The Overlander team use the phrase ‘built beyond’ which emphasises that ethos of exceeding expectations. This together with emphasis on quality, customer service and hard working products and services is our common ground and the reason why we are very happy to welcome Overlander to Punchestown”.
The Punchestown season gets underway on Tuesday 17th September with an all flat card ahead of the return of jump racing on 15th and 16th October.
To view the full overlander range please visit www.overlandervehicles.co.uk/horsebox or www.n7commericalcentre.ie/
Harry Derham: To have horses going to the Punchestown Festival this early in my career is still a bit of a pinch-yourself moment
For many years, Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson led the British assault on the vast prize money on offer at the Punchestown Festival but while the venerable duo remain at the peak of their powers, the succession race is on and there is a new gang in ‘Town.
Anthony Honeyball has an amazing strike rate at Ireland’s traditional end-of-season jamboree and will be bidding extend his winning sequence to a fourth consecutive festival next week.
The Full Circle Series, designed to provide more opportunities for horses rated 130 or less, has attracted the attention of a number of Honeyball’s compatriots as a result of half of the ten qualifiers being held on the other side of the Irish Sea.
The €80,000 final takes place on Tuesday’s opening leg of the five-day carnival of jumps racing, and among the British conditioners represented are Honeyball, Ben Pauling, Tom Lacey, Venetia Williams and Charlie Longsdon.
Harry Derham does not have a horse among the 34 still standing in the final, but he plans to mark the end of his first full season as a trainer by bringing former Derby fancy, Brentford Hope and three other horses to Kildare to bag a slice of the riches on offer.
The last time Derham was in Punchestown, he was in select company, with the world ground to a halt by Covid.
As assistant trainer to his uncle, the aforementioned Nicholls, he was oversaw the preparations of two-time King George VI Chase victor, Clan Des Obeaux for the Ladbrokes Gold Cup in 2021. Given a peach of a ride by Sam Twiston-Davies, Clan held off the valiant challenge of dual Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo.
They proved it could be done then, as Honeyball has more recently and Sophie Leech also did 23 months ago.
Derham may be just 29 and in the nascent stages of his new career, having saddled his first runner as a trainer at the end of 2022 after 11 years in Ditcheat, but he doesn’t like to place limits on himself.
A Cheltenham Festival winner as a jockey, who gave up riding young, the neophyte is clearly ambitious and talented but also pragmatic. He knows he is entering the lion’s den but given what Mullins, in particular, has managed everywhere from Nakayama to Auteuil, from Nashville to Melbourne and from Royal Ascot to Riyadh and that he will be crowned British champion jumps’ trainer tomorrow at Sandown, there doesn’t seem any point in running and hiding.
Go out and grab a slice of the pie for yourself is the Derham approach as he embarks on the succession trail, doing what his erstwhile boss did before him. With a strike rate of 25% since saddling his first runner towards the end of 2022, the neophyte is making his presence felt and it would be the cherry on top to come away from Punchestown with a winner.
“The first time I was in Punchestown (in 2014), I rode in the boys’ race (the Martinstown Opportunity Series Final) for John Kiely,” Derham remembers. “Gave the horse (On The Way Out) a terrible ride. Then I rode for Paul and Graham Wylie, a horse called Grandioso in a handicap chase and he ran well.
“Then I came back and represented Paul when Clan Des Obeaux won the Punchestown Gold Cup behind closed doors. It was a very odd experience because obviously you win an enormous race like that in front of about seven people!
“The two occasions I’ve been there, I’ve been blown away by the track. It’s an absolutely amazing racecourse. To have runners there next week is really cool.”
Recalling that surreal experience of three years ago, the Boxford-based handler continues: “That was a day I genuinely will never forget… You never take being part of a prestigious race like the Punchestown Gold Cup for granted.
“To me that was my favourite performance of Clan’s that day, He was really brave. It was a great performance. It was just a shame that nobody was there! I remember giving Sam a hug after and then realising, ‘Oh, you can’t do that!’
“I was struck by how well we were looked after and there was no expectation for that given Covid, so I’m looking forward to heading over there in normal times.”
Derham has nothing but respect for the record-breaking feats of Mullins and hails the Closutton supremo as a hugely positive influence on horse racing. But he will not run away if he spots an opportunity, regardless of venue or jurisdiction.
“Anthony Honeyball is a great example. He’s done fantastically well at Punchestown. It shows it can be done. Paul always said to me, ‘Wherever you’re going, whether it be Wincanton, Punchestown or Newbury, you have to have the right horses.’ If you get to the right races with the right horses then you have a chance.
“I have nothing but admiration for Willie and what he’s built. I’ve heard myself correcting a lot of people recently saying, ‘Oh it’s all right for him, he gets the best horses.’ He didn’t always get the best horses. He didn’t start with 250 horses. He’s got them because he’s the best. He’s the bar that everybody else has to get to and I don’t begrudge him anything. I think it’s phenomenal what he’s doing.
“I think he’s good for the sport and it’s something to be celebrated. I’m not going to say I’d love to get to his level as it would be a mad thing to say, but he is, without question, the person all of us jump people have to beat if we want to get to the top.”
He is fully aware how difficult it will be to saddle a winner next week but is hopeful of four good runs that will yield some nice prize money.
Brentford Hope has won five times over hurdles for The Optimists Syndicate since being bought from stout Punchestown supporters and sponsors, Seán and Bernardine Mulryan out of the Richard Hughes yard. The seven-year-old son of Camelot’s rating has increased from 114, when he won his maiden at Wincanton 13 months ago, to its current mark of 145.
Tuesday’s Listed Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle is the target now.
“He has been a real flagbearer for the yard. We didn’t feel Cheltenham was his track. We’ve tried to keep him to slightly more level tracks. I know Punchestown is a little bit undulating but it’s a lot more gradual than it would be at Cheltenham. A horse like him deserves to go to a festival now.
“Sir Psycho, who’s running in the Listed EMS Copiers Novice Handicap Chase on the Friday has done well for me all season. He’s run good races and it’s his last chance to run in a novice chase. It’s worth €100,000 as well. What a fantastic chance for him to run in a race like that.
“On Thursday, Molly’s Mango will run in the Listed Close Brothers Mares’ Novice Hurdle which is a nice race for mares that haven’t won graded races, which takes out a couple of the top ones like Jade De Grugy and (her former Gordon Elliott stablemate) Brighterdaysahead. Molly ran well at Cheltenham. She’s a lovely mare who’s going to go novice chasing in the autumn and there’s a lovely programme for mares’ novice chases in England but I think she will run a nice race.
“Queensbury Boy is a winner of a bumper over here. We were going to go for a valuable bumper just after Cheltenham but he wasn’t just quite right. He’s a really, really nice horse and will be a smart novice hurdler next season but he is going to take his chance in the JP & M Doyle Bumper on Thursday.”
All his owners apart from one are making the trip and the excitement is growing.
“For me, Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown are the three monster meetings of the jumps racing calendar.
“I want to win and I’m bloody competitive but to have horses going to the Punchestown Festival this early in my career is still a bit of a pinch-yourself moment. I’m certainly not taking for granted how cool it is after 18 months as a trainer to be taking four to a meeting of that magnitude.”
Introducing The Fruit Shoot Family & Schools Activation
Punchestown Racecourse today welcomed Britvic Ireland as official soft drinks pouring partner in a three-year deal that will commence at the upcoming Punchestown Festival running from Tuesday 30th April to Saturday 4th May 2024.
The deal provides exclusivity across all catering partners and retail outlets throughout the Punchestown enclosures for the Britvic range that includes Pepsi, 7Up, Ballygowan and the premium mixer range London Essence Co.
Britvic is an international business that, like Punchestown, is rich in history and heritage. Britvic is a global organisation with 39 much-loved brands sold in over 100 countries.
In addition to the pouring rights element, Britvic have also come onboard to support the Family Day Schools and Activation programme under the Fruit Shoot brand. In keeping with tradition, over twenty local primary schools partake in a festival themed art competition with entries displayed at the Festival Family Day, Saturday 4th May. This year the students were tasked with creating a model racecourse using sustainable and recycled products. There will also be a Fruit Shoot zone in the family area at the Festival on Saturday, where families can engage with the brand and sample some product.
Caroline Hyde, Marketing Manager at Britvic said: “We are delighted to be partnering with a flagship venue like Punchestown Racecourse. The Punchestown Festival is not only one of Ireland’s premium sporting and social events but it’s also Ireland’s largest corporate hospitality occasion. Hyde continued: “The schools activation is a perfect fit for the Fruit Shoot brand. At Fruit Shoot we champion kids and everything they love and with our great tasting on the go drinks kids they’re free to get on with being themselves’’
The 2024 Punchestown Festival returns from Tuesday 30th April to Saturday 4th May 2024. The sporting and social highlight will attract crowds of up to 100,000 across the five days. The unique blend of top-class sport, vibrant enclosures, style, food and lie entertainment has earned the event a ‘must do status’.
For further information please visit: www. Punchestown.com
New equine centre to be named in memory of Jack de Bromhead at the ChildVision campus in Drumcondra
€1,000,000 funding already secured through donations
Original Honeysuckle silks to be auctioned at next week’s Punchestown Festival
Today ChildVision, the specialist therapy and education centre for children with visual impairment, announced that a much-needed new indoor equine therapeutic centre, named in memory of Jack de Bromhead, will be built this year as a result of generous donations from a group of family and friends of the de Bromhead family.
The new indoor facility at the ChildVision campus will give children who are blind, multi-disabled and neurodiverse access to the best global equine activities in a supportive and purpose designed environment and will allow the ChildVision equine team and volunteers to extend their services to reach more children over more hours making a life-changing difference, especially through the winter months and in bad weather conditions.
Spearheaded by de Bromhead family friend and well-known racehorse owner Chris Jones, and with the blessing of Jack’s parents Heather and Henry, the €1,000,000 donation target required to complete the equine therapeutic centre, was reached last December.
To continue to donate towards the running costs of ChildVision’s equine programme, Kenny Alexander, owner of equine superstar Honeysuckle, which was trained by Henry, has donated the racing colours that Rachael Blackmore wore in all of their major races including four Cheltenham Festival victories and nine Irish Grade 1 winners. The iconic silks, signed by Rachael, Henry and Kenny, will be auctioned at the Goffs sale at the Punchestown Festival on Thursday, May 2.
The de Bromhead family – Henry, Heather and their daughters Mia and Georgia, said of today’s announcement: “The equine centre will be a wonderful legacy for our beloved Jack, a hugely missed son and brother. Horses are a huge part of our lives, and we know the physical experience of riding a horse offers so many potential benefits, especially helping address a host of physical, social and emotional issues. More so, it will be a place of learning and hope, full of laughter and joy, traits that were such a part of Jack, all facilitated by the much-treasured horses and ponies that call the ChildVision stables home. We are looking forward to following the development and construction of the new equine therapeutic centre and being there to cut the ribbon when it is completed. We are forever grateful to those who came on board to support us – we know Jack would be really proud of what this life-changing generosity will enable.”
Speaking about how the idea came about, Chris Jones, said: “I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit ChildVision last summer and to see first-hand the therapeutic impact that equine can have on children with complex needs. I knew that Henry and Heather already had a connection to ChildVision and knowing that many friends and family members wanted to find some way to mark Jack’s love of horses in a tangible way, the Jack de Bromhead Equine Centre concept came to fruition. The response to my call for donations was unbelievably kind and generous. It’s a testament to the high regard the de Bromheads are held in, that we are in a position to make the equine centre at ChildVision in Jack’s name, a reality.”
Barry Sheridan, ChildVision CEO, commented: “We have an ambitious plan for the ChildVision campus and front and centre was trying to secure funding for an equine therapeutic centre. We had already raised over €500,000 but without this extraordinary fundraising support we would not have been in a position to break ground in 2024 on this vital facility. We would like to thank the de Bromhead family, Chris Jones and the other wonderful benefactors for enabling our dream to come true. We will ensure that Jack’s legacy and that of his loving family, who so generously agreed to share his name with us, will live on for generations to come.”
Speaking about the Honeysuckle colours to be auctioned at the Punchestown Festival, Rachael Blackmore, said: “Honeysuckle gave me some of the best days of my career – her colours hold a lot of very special memories. Zoe, Henry’s travelling head girl, always kept this one special set aside just for Honeysuckle and I wore them in all of Honeysuckle’s big days at Fairyhouse, Leopardstown, Cheltenham and Punchestown. They are going to be auctioned at the Goffs sale on day three of the Punchestown Festival, Thursday May 2 and all money raised will be donated to the operating costs of the new Jack de Bromhead Equine Centre. The donation will make a lasting difference to those children and their families who will benefit so much from the amazing work that they do at ChildVision, where hopefully many more great memories will be made.”
Garvan Hanley of Hanley Taite Design Partnership based in Virginia, County Cavan has been commissioned by ChildVision to design the new centre on the campus. The new equine centre is a contemporary, tensile fabric curved roofed building with timber and brick clad walls providing an enclosed sand arena, stables for up to 10 horses and ponies, changing facilities, offices, a viewing area/learning space and all ancillary accommodation. The building extends to 1375 sq.m. and will provide services in all weathers and on dark evenings in an environment that will offer comfort and safety to its users.
Follow ChildVision:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChildVisionVI/
Instagram: @childvisionvi
Twitter: @ChildVisionVI
Website: www.childvision.com
For further information on the Jack de Bromhead equine centre at the ChildVision campus, please contact:
Joanne Byrne, Presence PR – joannebyrne@presence.ie or 087 2494 668
For information on the Honeysuckle colours auction, please contact:
Barbara White, Horse Racing Ireland – bwhite@hri.ie or 087 251 1482
NOTES TO EDITORS
ChildVision’s Equine Assisted Activities (EEA) Programme is an excellent national therapeutic horse-riding programme with proven success of supporting children with physical, emotional, social and cognitive difficulties. With the help of nine fabulous horses, the team complete on average 120 interventions per week, using the horse as an unparalleled therapeutic medium. The caseload comprises of children from ChildVision who experience sight loss and complex needs, individual autistic children, children with cerebral palsy, and those with complex medical needs. EAA works on a strengths-based approach. The aim and ethos of all sessions is to work with the child’s strengths to improve upon their weaknesses. Each session is individualised and created specific to the child’s unique needs. Reported benefits of EAA include improved concentration and learning, sensory regulation, communication and social skills, tone and gross body posture etc.
The programme also supports the whole family unit. The movement method, as part of the horse boy training, looks at ways of carrying over the impact from the equine yard into the classroom and home. The EAA group run parents’ evenings throughout the school year, facilitating learning and creating an opportunity for parents to form peer support groups within a dedicated space; pivotal for supporting emotional and mental health well-being.
Global Major Appliance Brand Haier Join Punchestown Festival Sponsor Line Up
Media Release Monday 22nd April 2024: Punchestown Racecourse are delighted to welcome global market leading appliance specialists Haier to the 2024 festival sponsor line up. The sporting and social highlight event takes place from Tuesday 30th April to Saturday 4th May.
The €15,000 Haier Flat Race will be the concluding contest on the opening day, Tuesday 30th April, of the 2024 Punchestown Festival. Thus providing a fitting finale to a flagship event in the Haier calendar as they commence their day with a conference followed by a special hospitality event at the racecourse.
Established in 1984, Haier has over thirty years of experience and is dedicated to design of high-quality reliable appliances for a discerning customer base. Euromonitor International has appointed Haier as the worlds number one global major appliance brand for the 15th consecutive year*. Operating across 200 markets, with 138 factories and ten research and development centres Haier employs upwards of 100,000 people.
Liz Addinall, Haier Trade Marketing Manager for Haier Smart Home in Ireland looked ahead to the Haier Punchestown activation saying, “Haier is delighted to be involved with the prestigious Punchestown Racing Festival as a sponsor this year. We are excited to be showcasing our brand and products to our Irish audience. Haier’s stylish products go across all categories from cooling to cooking and laundry. They offer the highest level of energy efficiency and a solution that tailors to our customers needs.
“We look forward to building on our relationships with retailers and furthering the visibility of the brand in Ireland with this sponsorship.”
Welcoming Haier to the Punchestown Festival line up Punchestown Sponsorship Manager Leona Hughes said, “The Haier principles of customer service, high quality and reliability align perfectly with the Punchestown model and so it is a pleasure to welcome the Haier team to the 2024 Festival. As Ireland’s largest sporting corporate hospitality event we take pride in treating our clients guests like our own. People Make Punchestown and we look forward to welcoming Haier as a new sponsor and client in a few weeks time”.
The 2024 Punchestown Festival takes place from Tuesday 30th April to Saturday 4th May. With over €3.4 million in prize money across forty contests including 12 grade one races, the Punchestown Festival is Ireland most prestigious jump racing festival. Over 100,000 people are expected to attend across the five days. For full event information and ticket options please visit www.punchestown.com
ENDS
For more information on Haier in Ireland visit Haier.ie
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(*Source: Euromonitor International Limited; Consumer Appliances 2024, % share of units, 2023 volume sales data)
HAIER
Established in 1984, Haier Group is a world-leading provider of solutions to a better life. Focusing on user experience, Haier has been included on the list of BrandZ™ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands for two consecutive years as the world’s first and only IoT ecosystem brand. Haier has topped Global Major Appliances.
Brand Rankings by Euromonitor International for 15 consecutive years. Its subsidiary Haier Smart Home is among the list of Global 500 of Fortune. Haier Group is committed to working with its world-class ecosystem partners to continuously build premium brand, scenario brand and ecosystem brand, and to set up IoT ecosystems in clothing, food, accommodation, travel, health, elderly care, biomedicine and education, and to tailor personalised smart life for users around the globe.
Media Contacts:
Leanne Wellings Tel: 0203 8703976 Email: leanne@agent42.co.uk
Sandra Coffey Tel: 0203 8703976 Email: sandra@agent42.co.uk
“Have the conversation – say YES to Organ Donation”
Punchestown Charity Race – Saturday 4th May 2024
Kidney Transplant recipient Sara Jane Tracy to ride at the Punchestown Festival to highlight the success of Organ Donation and Transplantation
The 33rd running of the annual Punchestown Charity Race will take place on Saturday 4th May at the Punchestown Festival. To date this race has raised over €1.8 million for various kidney related projects for the Kildare based, registered Irish Charity, The Punchestown Kidney Research Fund.
This year will be a very special year as amongst the 25 jockeys taking part will be Sara Jane Tracy who is a kidney transplant recipient from Kill, Co. Kildare.
Sara Jane explains “In a life-altering moment in November 2021, my godfather Alex Tracy gifted me a second chance at life by donating his kidney. This selfless act, supported by his family and the exceptional medical teams at Beaumont and St. Vincent’s hospitals, marked the end of a challenging five-year wait on the transplant list and catapulted me from severe illness to robust health. Overwhelmed with gratitude, I am now committed to giving back to those who face similar challenges.”
- Sara Jane is keen to raise as much Organ Donor awareness in Ireland by participating in the “Kidney” race at the Festival. Sara Jane will have her cousin, Jack Tracy flying in from Germany to take part alongside her.
• Maurice McCarthy & Patrick Chesters will be representing England and Niall McCarthy representing Co. Down.
• Elite marathoner runner and popular jockey’s agent Garry Cribbin is participating and will be critiqued closely by Rachel Blackmore, Mark Walsh, Darragh O’ Keefe and Sean Flanagan
• Wicklow’s Grace O’ Rourke won the RTE Ultimate Hell Week competition in 2019 and agrees this is just as big a challenge.
• Athy based horse trainer Adrian Sexton hopes his previous appearance on Ireland’s Fittest Family will have him ready for the big occasion. While Kildare locals Anna Cropper, Paddy Hayes and Eimear Smullen are sure to have huge local support.• Joan Tyner will be flying the Goff’s flag and Tim Doyle’s daughter Cora will be making her second appearance in the race.
• Punchestown debutants include Kilkenny hurler Dan Blanchfield, David Morgan, Nina Dibrita , Conor Hawkins and Joanna Thornton
• The dark horse might be the very stylish jockey Glen Norris who has previous racecourse experience as have Grace Dorgan, Paddy Leigh, Michelle O Brien, Peter Rathigan, Gary Harkin and Jamie Kavanagh.
Along with Sara Jane all the riders will have lots of local support as the race is the curtain closer to the week’s racing and is always a highlight for the 30,000 people in attendance on the big day.
In 2024 there were 74 applicants for the 25 places and all the 25 amateur jockeys have completed a fitness assessment at the jockey’s apprentice school R.A.C.E. in Co. Kildare. Also, they have all had to pass a medical in order to participate. On top of that before taking part all 25 jockeys have to raise a minimum of €1,500 for the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund, which is a Kildare based, registered Irish Charity.
- €1.8 million has been raised to date and during the past 5 years the PKRF managed to support the following projects:
• We supported the building of a brand new Renal Ward at Temple Street Children’s Hospital, Dublin.
• We sponsored and helped the IKA establish a Peer Support program for all Kidney patients in Ireland. This program offers vital supports to patients and their families who are dealing with all the various issues and concerns that is all part of being a Dialysis or Transplant patient.
• We established the James Tracy/PKRF/Kidney Beam Exercise program for all Dialysis & Transplant patients, which will enable all patients to access free, online, live and on demand exercise classes, specifically tailored to all different levels of fitness and specifically for Kidney patients.
• We continued our research into Polycystic Kidney Disease in partnership with the Irish Nephrology Society under the guidance of the Irish Research Council.
• We continued our support for our “State Man” Art Therapy programs for Dialysis Patients in Tallaght & Waterford hospitals – and expanded this to Wexford in 2024.
• We continued to support Sports Programs for Dialysis & Transplant Patients.
For more information please contact James Nolan at 086/2349919.
SBK Announced as Sponsor and Official Betting Partners on Punchestown Festival Saturday
SBK, the sportsbook app powered by Smarkets, has been announced at the new official betting partner on the final day of the 2024 Punchestown Festival.
The €100,000 SBK Gold Trophy H’cap Hurdle on Saturday 4th May is one of the hottest betting contests across the five-day jump racing grand finale. The 2023 running of the SBK Gold Trophy provided The Galaxy Horse Racing Syndicate with a dream follow up to a recent Cheltenham Festival win when the John McConnell trained Seddon landed the spoils under jockey Ben Harvey.
SBK first stepped on to the Punchestown stage during the 2023 /2024 jump season. Since then, SBK have enhanced their involvement and are now official betting partner and race sponsor on the concluding day of the Irish jump racing season.
Adam Baylis, Director Of Marketing at SBK , said: “It’s super to be further enhancing our involvement at the home of Irish jump racing. The quality of national hunt racing in Ireland has never been stronger. The champions and heroes of the season will gather for what is a fitting grand finale and homecoming. We are very pleased to be part of that occasion and look forward to working alongside the Punchestown team”.
In addition to prominent branding the new deal will see the betting app host an interactive fan zone and giveaway on the day of their sponsorship. Looking ahead to their involvement Punchestown’s Sponsorship Manager Leona Hughes said “What is now the newly named SBK Gold Trophy on Festival Saturday is an extremely important race on our festival programme. Always full and hotly contested with a good track record for UK runners this race is a competitive number and one for the punters. It’s super to welcome the SBK team to Punchestown. They were here on the quieter days over the winter to we look forward to sharing a busy, vibrant festival experience with them in May”.
The 2024 Punchestown Festival returns from Tuesday 30th April to Saturday 4th May. The Sporting and social highlight will attract crowds of up to 100,000 across the five days. The unique blend of top-class sport, vibrant enclosures, style, food and lie entertainment has earned the event a ‘must do status’.
For further information please visit: www. Punchestown.com
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Channor Real Estate Group Announced as Major New Sponsor Ahead of 2024 Punchestown Festival
Media Release 16th April 2024: As the countdown to the 2024 Punchestown Festival gets underway the home of Irish jump racing today welcomed Channor Real Estate Group as the latest high-profile grade one sponsor in a major three-year deal.
The €125,000 Channor Real Estate Group Grade 1 Novice Hurdle takes place on day two of the prestigious Punchestown Festival, Wednesday. Formerly run as the Irish Mirror Hurdle, the role of honour for this contest could not be more prolific with dual Gold Cup champion Galopin Des Champs and stand out Cheltenham performer Gaelic Warrior featuring as victors in the last three years.
The Punchestown sponsorship will be the Channor Real Estate Group’s debut commercial partnership on the Irish racing scene. The second-generation family-owned property investment and development company was established in 1990 and prides itself on ‘creating great places to live and work’. Having been involved in property development in the UK and New Zealand, Channor Real Estate Group would be best known as the developers of Blanchardstown Corporate Park where they have built over 1.5 million square feet of office and industrial property.
Darren Harrison, Channor Real Estate Group CEO, gave an insight on their decision to sponsor at the Punchestown Festival: “The synergy between horse racing and our business community is unmistakable. Having attended last year’s festival, I witnessed first-hand the strong presence of our clientele, and it became clear Punchestown is something we’d like to get involved with. It makes sense to be where they are and Punchestown is the industry leader when it comes to Irish racing events”.
Punchestown Racecourse CEO Conor O’Neill welcomed the Harrison family and Channor team by saying: “The Channor Real Estate Group is exactly the kind of company we enjoy working alongside – family owned and quality focused with a keen eye on longevity. The Channor team have identified that involvement here at Punchestown makes good commercial sense for them. On behalf of Punchestown we welcome Darren and the team and look forward to optimising this partnership for them over the next three years”
The 2024 Punchestown Festival takes place from Tuesday 30th April to Saturday 4th May. The Channor Real Estate Group Grade 1 Novice Hurdle is one of twelve grade one races featured across the five-day jump racing grand finale. Full ticket, hospitality and event information available at www.punchestown.com
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