Get out your diary and write ‘PUNCHESTOWN RACES’ alongside Wednesday 29 April. That’s the day you don’t want to miss.
The five-day festival starts on the Tuesday – and I wouldn’t put you off going on that afternoon either – but at this stage it looks like Wednesday’s Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup is going to be the race of the week.
For many of you, the racing is incidental. Punchestown is first and foremost a social occasion. It attracts between 20,000 and 30,000 people each day and there is tons to keep you occupied before, during and after racing.
Even this racing nut would nod along with that assessment. Don’t get me wrong – the racing is (mainly) top class but, following the seriousness of Cheltenham and the drama of Aintree, there is very much an end-of-term giddiness about Punchestown.
You go along, you see some great horses win easily and some others run inexplicably badly. But the main thing is you’ve had a great day out, meeting familiar faces everywhere and catching up on all the gossip.
At €35 a ticket, it’s a good value proposition for five or six hours of entertainment. I’d love to say that this is where I chip in with a few winners to make it a free day out. I’ll do my best but let’s just say friends and family no longer text me for tips, and with good reason.
As always the best tip is to check the weather forecast on Sunday evening (26 April) and decide then which day you’re phoning in sick from work.
Tuesday
Race of the day: the William Hill Champion Chase should see a clash between last year’s winner Marine Nationale and the horse who has taken his Cheltenham crown, Il Etait Temps. And then there’s the mercurial Majborough, who has all the talent; if only you could trust him to focus on his jumping. For me, it has to be Marine Nationale, unbeaten in three starts at this track.
Supporting card: Willie Mullins had 15 winners across the week here last year and is the man to follow in both the PRL Champion Novice Hurdle (He’s On Fire, Sober or King Rasko Grey) and the three-mile Dooleys Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase (Final Demand or Kitzbuhel).
Wednesday
Race of the day: gather around for the rematch between Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Gaelic Warrior and his old rival Fact To File. The pair had a brilliant duel here in November over two and a half miles. Gaelic Warrior won that battle narrowly, and arguably the longer trip will suit him even better. In Fact To File’s favour is that he missed Cheltenham due to unsuitable ground conditions, and he did beat Gaelic Warrior convincingly in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown. Cheltenham winners have a mixed record here, so we’ll side with Fact To File.
Let’s hope they jump the last together and serve up another epic finish.
Supporting card: the Champion Bumper is likely to see Noel Meade’s Cheltenham winner The Mourne Rambler challenged by Gordon Elliott’s Charismatic Kid, who missed Cheltenham due to quick ground there and bolted up at Fairyhouse instead. If connections are happy to risk Charismatic Kid on the ground, that will do for me.
Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File will hopefully give us another epic finish in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup
Photo: Healy Racing
Thursday
Race of the day: the Cheltenham-Aintree winner Home By The Lee is set to skip Punchestown in favour of a French race next month. This opens the door to Teahupoo, winner of this race for the past two seasons. He struggled with the quick ground when only sixth at Cheltenham last month, but can be relied on to run to his best here, even if it doesn’t rain.
Supporting card: we’re in for a mouth-watering rematch in the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase between stable companions Kargese and Kopek De Bordes, first and second respectively, at Cheltenham. The bookies say Kopek Des Bordes will reverse the form but you underestimate the mare Kargese at your peril. She’s a great jumper and hard to pass.
Friday
Race of the day: the Boodles Champion Hurdle is likely to be a virtual walkover for Lossiemouth. The form of her Cheltenham win has worked out well and none of her main rivals from that race are likely to turn up here.
Supporting card: Lossiemouth’s trainer Willie Mullins will surely win the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle with either He’s Our Fire or King Rasko Grey.
Saturday
Race of the day: not meaning to be sniffy but the race of the day is not at Punchestown – I’m more excited about the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
The final day feature race at Punchestown is the SBK Champion Mares’ Hurdle. But without Lossiemouth (runs Friday) or Brighterdaysahead (on holidays), this is likely to be fought by ‘B team’ players Wodhooh (Gordon Elliott) and Jade De Grugy (Willie Mullins). Wodhooh deserves it, but Jade De Grugy will push her close.
Supporting card: how many will Willie Mullins run in the Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle? He ran nine in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, won by unknown quantity Apolon De Charnie. It’s worth chancing an outsider, and if Henry de Bromhead runs Matin Midi Et Soir, then take the hint.
Get out your diary and write ‘PUNCHESTOWN RACES’ alongside Wednesday 29 April. That’s the day you don’t want to miss.
The five-day festival starts on the Tuesday – and I wouldn’t put you off going on that afternoon either – but at this stage it looks like Wednesday’s Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup is going to be the race of the week.
For many of you, the racing is incidental. Punchestown is first and foremost a social occasion. It attracts between 20,000 and 30,000 people each day and there is tons to keep you occupied before, during and after racing.
Even this racing nut would nod along with that assessment. Don’t get me wrong – the racing is (mainly) top class but, following the seriousness of Cheltenham and the drama of Aintree, there is very much an end-of-term giddiness about Punchestown.
You go along, you see some great horses win easily and some others run inexplicably badly. But the main thing is you’ve had a great day out, meeting familiar faces everywhere and catching up on all the gossip.
At €35 a ticket, it’s a good value proposition for five or six hours of entertainment. I’d love to say that this is where I chip in with a few winners to make it a free day out. I’ll do my best but let’s just say friends and family no longer text me for tips, and with good reason.
As always the best tip is to check the weather forecast on Sunday evening (26 April) and decide then which day you’re phoning in sick from work.
Tuesday
Race of the day: the William Hill Champion Chase should see a clash between last year’s winner Marine Nationale and the horse who has taken his Cheltenham crown, Il Etait Temps. And then there’s the mercurial Majborough, who has all the talent; if only you could trust him to focus on his jumping. For me, it has to be Marine Nationale, unbeaten in three starts at this track.
Supporting card: Willie Mullins had 15 winners across the week here last year and is the man to follow in both the PRL Champion Novice Hurdle (He’s On Fire, Sober or King Rasko Grey) and the three-mile Dooleys Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase (Final Demand or Kitzbuhel).
Wednesday
Race of the day: gather around for the rematch between Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Gaelic Warrior and his old rival Fact To File. The pair had a brilliant duel here in November over two and a half miles. Gaelic Warrior won that battle narrowly, and arguably the longer trip will suit him even better. In Fact To File’s favour is that he missed Cheltenham due to unsuitable ground conditions, and he did beat Gaelic Warrior convincingly in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown. Cheltenham winners have a mixed record here, so we’ll side with Fact To File.
Let’s hope they jump the last together and serve up another epic finish.
Supporting card: the Champion Bumper is likely to see Noel Meade’s Cheltenham winner The Mourne Rambler challenged by Gordon Elliott’s Charismatic Kid, who missed Cheltenham due to quick ground there and bolted up at Fairyhouse instead. If connections are happy to risk Charismatic Kid on the ground, that will do for me.
Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File will hopefully give us another epic finish in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup
Photo: Healy Racing
Thursday
Race of the day: the Cheltenham-Aintree winner Home By The Lee is set to skip Punchestown in favour of a French race next month. This opens the door to Teahupoo, winner of this race for the past two seasons. He struggled with the quick ground when only sixth at Cheltenham last month, but can be relied on to run to his best here, even if it doesn’t rain.
Supporting card: we’re in for a mouth-watering rematch in the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase between stable companions Kargese and Kopek De Bordes, first and second respectively, at Cheltenham. The bookies say Kopek Des Bordes will reverse the form but you underestimate the mare Kargese at your peril. She’s a great jumper and hard to pass.
Friday
Race of the day: the Boodles Champion Hurdle is likely to be a virtual walkover for Lossiemouth. The form of her Cheltenham win has worked out well and none of her main rivals from that race are likely to turn up here.
Supporting card: Lossiemouth’s trainer Willie Mullins will surely win the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle with either He’s Our Fire or King Rasko Grey.
Saturday
Race of the day: not meaning to be sniffy but the race of the day is not at Punchestown – I’m more excited about the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
The final day feature race at Punchestown is the SBK Champion Mares’ Hurdle. But without Lossiemouth (runs Friday) or Brighterdaysahead (on holidays), this is likely to be fought by ‘B team’ players Wodhooh (Gordon Elliott) and Jade De Grugy (Willie Mullins). Wodhooh deserves it, but Jade De Grugy will push her close.
Supporting card: how many will Willie Mullins run in the Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle? He ran nine in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, won by unknown quantity Apolon De Charnie. It’s worth chancing an outsider, and if Henry de Bromhead runs Matin Midi Et Soir, then take the hint.
SHARING OPTIONS