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A collection of Ireland’s premier racehorses are on course to line up at Punchestown’s Premiere Weekend next month as Grade 1 racing returns to the home of jump racing.
Ireland’s highest rated hurdler and highest rated chaser feature among the entries for the Grade 1 Unibet Morgiana Hurdle and the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase respectively. Both races will see an increase in prize money this year with the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle receiving a €25,000 boost and the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase prize being upped by €50,000.
State Man is one of 12 horses entered for the €150,000 Unibet Morgiana Hurdle which takes place on November 23rd, while dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs could be set for another Punchestown showdown with dual Punchestown Gold Cup winner Fastorslow on November 24th in what could potentially be one of the races of the entire season.

Willie Mullins has only had the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle prised away from his keeping once since 2011, that was when Abacadabras claimed the 2020 renewal for Gordon Elliott and Mullins once again has a strong supporting cast alongside Champion Hurdle hero State Man.
Seeking a hat-trick of victories in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle, State Man is joined among the entries by Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle winner Ballyburn, KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle winner Mystical Power and Coolmore Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle winner Lossiemouth as well as Daddy Long Legs, Sir Gerhard and Winter Fog.
Gordon Elliott’s quest for a second victory in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle relies on the Grade 1 winning novice Brighterdaysahead and Fils d’Oudairies who was third in this race last year.
Recent Punchestown winner Aspire Tower may well stick to hurdling for this assignment after getting his season off to a good start at Punchestown this month for Henry de Bromhead, while the potential line up is completed by the locally trained No Looking Back for Oliver McKiernan, and the Andy Slattery-trained Smooth Tom.

A mouthwatering list of 20 horses have been entered for the €150,000 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase, headed by Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow.
Galopin Des Champs has reigned supreme twice in the Cheltenham Gold Cup but Fastorslow has had his measure in two editions of the Punchestown Gold Cup as well as the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase last season. Added into the mix is the Gordon Elliott-trained Gerri Colombe and the Joseph O’Brien-trained Banbridge is a fascinating entry having won the Grade 1 William Hill Champion Chase here in April.
The Jimmy Mangan-trained Spillane’s Tower ended the season with a Grade 1 double when claiming the WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse before signing off a fine campaign in the Dooley Insurance Champion Novice Chase at the Punchestown Festival and could make his seasonal deubt back at the Kildare venue.

Conor O’Neill, CEO of Punchestown Racecourse, commented: “This is one of the most exciting times of the year for all of the team here at Punchestown Racecourse as we reignite the jump season with quality Grade 1 racing. We have 32 horses entered across our first two big races of the season, the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle which has six individual Grade 1 winners entered and the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase with 16 of the 20 entries already proven as Grade 1 winners.
“It is already promising to be a fantastic weekend at Punchestown and we can’t wait to welcome back so many familiar faces who will be in for an absolute treat.”

A weekend ticket to cover both days of the Punchestown Premiere Weekend is just €25 and more details on all available packages can be found at www.punchestown.com

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.