Punchestown Festival 2022 Archives - SportsNewsIreland https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/tag/punchestown-festival-2022 Sports News, Live GAA scores, GAA fixtures Fri, 29 Apr 2022 18:36:43 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/www.sportsnewsireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/sni-icon.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Punchestown Festival 2022 Archives - SportsNewsIreland https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/tag/punchestown-festival-2022 32 32 229439223 Honeysuckle wins the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle at Punchestown https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/news/honeysuckle-wins-the-paddy-power-champion-hurdle-at-punchestown https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/news/honeysuckle-wins-the-paddy-power-champion-hurdle-at-punchestown#respond Fri, 29 Apr 2022 18:36:43 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=24253 A record crowd of 40,984 came to Punchestown this afternoon to see Honeysuckle and the brilliant mare delivered. The Henry De Bromhead-trained mare was a three-length winner over Echoes In Rain (18/1) with Darasso (33/1) another 4 lengths further behind in third place. Honeysuckle tracked the race leaders in third place for much of the […]

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]]> A record crowd of 40,984 came to Punchestown this afternoon to see Honeysuckle and the brilliant mare delivered.

The Henry De Bromhead-trained mare was a three-length winner over Echoes In Rain (18/1) with Darasso (33/1) another 4 lengths further behind in third place.

Honeysuckle tracked the race leaders in third place for much of the race and was ridden to challenge two out. The Rachael Blackmore-ridden mare kept on strongly in the run in and put three lengths between herself and the rest of the field as she stretched her unbeaten record to 16 wins.

Eventual runner-up Echoes In Rain kept on at the same pace to hold off Darasso by a further four lengths.

Twelve-time Grade 1 winner Honeysuckle has now claimed two Champion Hurdles at both Cheltenham and Punchestown as well as the Mares Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Winning trainer Henry De Bromhead intimated post-race that the top-class mare is likely to have four runs next season prior to retirement.

Another Grade 1 for Townend and Mullins

Paul Townend and Willie Mullins added another Grade 1 success to their long list of victories this week as they combined with State Man (11/10f) in the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle.

The 2 mile 3 furlong contest saw the Cheltenham County Hurdle-winning five-year-old achieve a comfortable 7 lengths success from Flame Bearer (8/1) with Three Stripe Life (11/4) half-a-length further behind in third.

Jezarus (15/2), owned by the Cribben Family, won the Stanley Asphalt Hunters Steeplechase for the Bishopscourt Cup. Trained by Ted Walsh, the winning jockey Ian Cribben was having his first racecourse ride in the 2 mile 5 furlong contest which is restricted to farmers farming land in the Kildare Hunt District.

El Barra (8/1) was a winner for champion conditional jockey-elect, Jack Foley, when the eight-year-old won the EMS Copiers Novice Handicap Chase (Grade A), another winner this week for champion National Hunt trainer Willie Mullins. The Rich Ricci-owned brown gelding was third to Bob Olinger in his most recent start at the Cheltenham Festival last month.

Billaway completes Cheltenham-Punchestown Hunters Chase double

Billaway (11/8) was crowned Champion Hunter Chaser with victory in the Irish Daily Star Champion Hunters Steeplechase over 3 miles. Ridden by Patrick Mullins, Billaway followed up his victory in the Cheltenham Hunters Chase with success at the County Kildare venue this evening.

The even-money favourite Vaucelet was the winner’s only challenger throughout the contest but gave way to the Closutton runner by one-and-a-quarter lengths.

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]]> https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/news/honeysuckle-wins-the-paddy-power-champion-hurdle-at-punchestown/feed 0 24253 Mullins and Townend Grade 1 double at Punchestown https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/news/mullins-and-townend-grade-1-double-at-punchestown https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/news/mullins-and-townend-grade-1-double-at-punchestown#respond Thu, 28 Apr 2022 18:22:03 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=24248 Reigning Ladbrokes Stayers Hurdle champion at Punchestown Klassical Dream (11/10) successfully defended his title this afternoon. In the colours of Joanne Coleman, the Paul Townend mount looked comfortable throughout the nearly 3 mile event. As the came into the home straight, the Cork rider oozed confidence on the previous 7-time winner. Once the Closutton favourite […]

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]]> Reigning Ladbrokes Stayers Hurdle champion at Punchestown Klassical Dream (11/10) successfully defended his title this afternoon.

In the colours of Joanne Coleman, the Paul Townend mount looked comfortable throughout the nearly 3 mile event. As the came into the home straight, the Cork rider oozed confidence on the previous 7-time winner. Once the Closutton favourite was asked to make his move, he cruised easily past the longtime front runner Gentlemansgame and Rachael Blackmore.

Ashdale Bob (11/2) was eventually Klassical Dream’s nearest rival but a length-and-a-quarter separated them at the line. The brave Gentlemansgame (10/1)stayed on for third spot, a further two-and-a-half lengths behind the runner up.

For the third day in a row, the main highlight went to the Paul Townend-Willie Mullins combination, having harvested the Grade 1 races so far during this year’s Festival.

15 year old Ballyboker Bridge wins La Touche Cup

Fifteen-year-old Ballyboker Bridge won the Mongey Communications La Touche Cup Cross Country Steeplechase for Kildare trainer Peter Maher. The bay gelded son of Gold Well, who had previously won three of his 27 races, and had attained 13 places, was retired by his handler after the race.

The opening Specialist Joinery Group Handicap Hurdle went to 10/1 chance Broomfield Hall under Luke Dempsey as he held off the race 100/30 favourite Gin Coco by a length, with Pike County (28/1) a length-and-a-quarter further back in third.

Robbie Power and Henry De Bromhead teamed up to take the www.pigsback.com Handicap Chase with Magic Daze (3/1). The winner who kept in well in the run in beat Mt Leinster (7/2) and Sil Ver Klass (11/1). Following his win, jockey Robbie Power confirmed that he will retire after tomorrow’s Punchestown Champion Hurdle, Friday’s feature race.

Local trainer Denis Cullen provided top owner JP McManus with a winner in the Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle when the Niall Flynn-bred A Great View took the honours at 10/1. In the hands of Mark Walsh, A Great View had two-and-three-quarter lengths in hand on Bugs Moran (11/1) with 14/1 chance Maze Runner next home in third in the 25-runner handicap.

Lilith (4/1) and Rex Dingle provided the visitors with their first win of the Festival 2022 when the Henry Honeyball runner claimed the Close Brothers Irish EBF Mares Handicap Chase at 7.10.

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]]> https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/news/mullins-and-townend-grade-1-double-at-punchestown/feed 0 24248 Allaho wins the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/news/allaho-wins-the-ladbrokes-punchestown-gold-cup https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/news/allaho-wins-the-ladbrokes-punchestown-gold-cup#respond Wed, 27 Apr 2022 18:21:26 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=24232 Willie Mullins completed a Grade 1 treble, and have four winners in total, on Day 2 of Punchestown 2022 as 19,934 patrons attended the Co. Kildare venue. The Closutton trainer won two Grade 1s yesterday and was dominant this afternoon in the top-level races. Allaho (6/5f) produced a scintillating performance when winning the Ladbrokes Punchestown […]

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]]> Willie Mullins completed a Grade 1 treble, and have four winners in total, on Day 2 of Punchestown 2022 as 19,934 patrons attended the Co. Kildare venue.

The Closutton trainer won two Grade 1s yesterday and was dominant this afternoon in the top-level races.

Allaho (6/5f) produced a scintillating performance when winning the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup this evening. In the colours of Cheveley Park Stud, Paul Townend took the Willie Mullins-trained runner into the lead in the early stages of the race. Though he had the company of Clan Des Obeaux (11/2) for a period of the race, the winner was never seriously challenged as he ran his opposition into submission in the €275,000 race.

Allaho, the Rynair Chase winner at Cheltenham last month, came into the 3-mile race with stamina doubts but they were quickly dispelled as the son of No Risk At All was a 14-length winner ahead of English challenger Clan des Obeaux, with former dual Cheltenham Gold Cup victor, Al Boum Photo (20/1) another length-and-a-half back in third.

The Nice Guy wins Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle

The Grade 1 Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle saw the Willie Mullins pair The Nice Guy (15/8f) and Minella Cocooner battle out the finish in the 2 mile 7 furlong race. In the colours of Malcolm Denmark, The Nice Guy and Paul Townend upheld the Cheltenham Festival form as he again defeated his stable mate, this time by only three-quarters-of-a-length. Despite dictating the fractions from flag fall, the eventual runner-up, Minella Cocooner, gave everything under Danny Mullins at the death but agonizingly failed to better The Nice Guy, who remains unbeaten in five runs.

Facile Vega wins Champion Bumper

Facile Vega (8/15f), winner of the Weatherbys Champion Bumper added the Race & Stay At Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race to his CV this afternoon as the daughter of Quevega completed a Grade 1 treble for Willie Mullins.

In the hands of the winning handler’s son, Patrick, Facile Vega was made to work hard by his stable companion Redemption Day (10/1) under Jodie Townend. Mullins Jnr and the winner were made to work hard for their victory as the bay ends the season unbeaten after four races. American Mike, runner-up to Facile Vega at Cheltenham, was third today fifteen-and-a-quarter lengths behind the winner.

The opening Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle Series Final went the way of trainer Henry de Bromhead and jockey Mikie O’Connor. Life In The Park, in the colours of Barry Maloney, took the contest by a length-and-three-quarters ahead of 16/1 Rock Road with 7/2f Thanksforthehelp another three-quarters-of-a-length back in third.

40/1 winner

Ambitious Fellow (40/1) and Sam Ewing got the nod ahead of Rebel Ivy (14/1) in the Connolly’s RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series Final. Handled by Peter Fahey and ridden by Sam Ewing, the bay gelded son of the late Fame And Glory came late on the outside to deny James Motherway’s runner by a head, with The Road To Fame (33/1) another nine lengths behind in third.

Crosshill (15/2) fought back in the home straight to get the better of both Classic Getaway and English challenger Fils D’oudairies in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle. The Nicky Henderson horse looked the likely winner well into the home straight before, first Classical Getaway and then the eventual winner, Crosshill challenged. Under a strong Robbie Power ride, the Ronnie Bartlett-owned son of Sholokhov fought tenaciously to get his head in front at the line. Following an enquiry Fils D’oudairies was promoted to second with Classic Getaway demoted to third.

The OMC Claims Handicap Chase was won by Royal Rendezvous (12/1), giving Willie Mullins a treble on the day and the victorious rider Paul Townend a double.

The last race of the day, the Weatherbys General Stud Book Irish EBF Mares Flat Race was won by The Model Kingdom (9/2) for Noel Meade and Pat Taffee.

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]]> https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/news/allaho-wins-the-ladbrokes-punchestown-gold-cup/feed 0 24232 Four wins for Elliott and three for Mullins at Punchestown https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/news/four-wins-for-elliott-and-three-for-mullins-at-punchestown https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/news/four-wins-for-elliott-and-three-for-mullins-at-punchestown#respond Tue, 26 Apr 2022 18:54:51 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=24218 Gordon Elliott claimed a four-timer on Day 1 of the 2022 Punchestown Festival but it was Willie Mullins who took two Grade 1s among his opening day treble. Energumene (4/7f) backed up his Champion Chase win at Cheltenham last month by impressively taking the William Hill Champion Steeplechase at Punchestown this afternoon. In the hands […]

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]]> Gordon Elliott claimed a four-timer on Day 1 of the 2022 Punchestown Festival but it was Willie Mullins who took two Grade 1s among his opening day treble.

Energumene (4/7f) backed up his Champion Chase win at Cheltenham last month by impressively taking the William Hill Champion Steeplechase at Punchestown this afternoon. In the hands of Paul Townend, the Willie Mullins inmate was an eight-and-a-half length winner over his stablemate, Chacun Pour Soi (5/2) under Patrick Mullins, with 11/1 chance Envoi Allen another six-lengths further back in third place.

“I think we’ve seen the new Champion here today” winning handler Willie Mullins stated as the Closutton team achieved a 1-2, in the opening day Grade 1 highlight.

Mullins Grade 1 double

Capodanno (11/4) gave Mullins a Grade 1 double when winning in the colours of JP McManus. The Mark Walsh-ridden winner beat Lifetime Ambition and Robbie Power, in a race where the fortunate Cheltenham winner and favourite today, Bob Olinger, was pulled up.

Capodanno, a son of Manduro, was six-and-a-half lengths better than the runner-up while there was another nine lengths back to Fury Road (15/2) and Jack Kennedy in third place.

Patrick Mullins brought up a Closutton 1-2 in the Mick The Tent Flat Race when Lisnagar Fortune (11/4jf) gave owner-breeder Denis Fitzgerald a winner. Lisnagar Fortune overtook Vadsa Queen and Jodie Townend in the dying stages of the races for Team Mullins.
Gordon Elliott four-timer, double for Jack Kennedy

Mighty Potter (20/1) was a surprise winner of the Grade 1 Bective Stud Champion Novice Hurdle, the gelding’s second Grade 1 victory of the season.

The race had been billed as a clash between the Willie Mullins-handled pair Desert Dynamo, a faller at Cheltenham, and Sir Gerhard, winner of the Grade 1 Ballymore Novice Hurdle last month.

Desert Dynamo was the first runner beaten, however, having cut out the running for most of the race. When Sir Gerhard made his effort to challenge he didn’t have enough to battle past the Gordon Elliott-trained Jack Kennedy-ridden Mighty Potter who went away for a four-length success. Big outsider Gatsby Grey (100/1) took the runner-up spot ahead of 4/7f Sir Gerhard a further six-and-a-half lengths back in third under Paul Townend.

Party Central (9/42f) got back to winning ways following her seventh place finish at Cheltenham, when taking the opening contest, the Howden Insurance Brokers Mares Novice Hurdle (Listed). The daughter of four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats, had a length-and-a-quarter in hand on Instit from the Willie Mullins yard.

Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy were back in the winners’ enclosure after the third race, The Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle. The Gigginstown House Stud’s Felix Desjy (11/1) was a three-quarters-of-a-length winner over Farout (17/2), with Tax For Max (12/1) next in third.

The Elliott-trained Absolute Notions (25/1) claimed the Goffs Land Rover Bumper over two miles by six-and-a-half lengths from the front running Lady Augusta (16/1), who had five-and-a-half lengths in hand on third-placed Nucky Johnson (14/1).

The Elliott four-timer bought the trainer to 1,999 career winners, with the Co Meath-based conditioner expected to pass the major milestone of 2,000 winners during this week’s Punchestown Festival.

Vital Island goes one better in the Ladies Perpetual Cup

The Kildare Hunt Club Cross Country Chase for the Ladies Perpetual Cup went the way of Vital Island (7/2), who went one place better than last year. The bay gelding held off the strong late challenge of Patrick Mullins on Good Bye Sam, who gave the runner-up 12 pounds.

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]]> https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/news/four-wins-for-elliott-and-three-for-mullins-at-punchestown/feed 0 24218 Patrick Mullins on the Punchestown Festival https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/racing_irish/patrick-mullins-on-the-punchestown-festival https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/racing_irish/patrick-mullins-on-the-punchestown-festival#respond Tue, 26 Apr 2022 14:43:48 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=24214 Provided by Irish Racing Resources on behalf of Punchestown Racecourse When it comes to an insatiable appetite for success, the apple did not fall far from the Willie Mullins tree when it comes to his son, Patrick. Mullins Jnr, who is also assistant trainer at Closutton, has broken countless records as an amateur jockey and […]

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]]> Provided by Irish Racing Resources on behalf of Punchestown Racecourse
When it comes to an insatiable appetite for success, the apple did not fall far from the Willie Mullins tree when it comes to his son, Patrick.

Mullins Jnr, who is also assistant trainer at Closutton, has broken countless records as an amateur jockey and will be crowned champion for a staggering 14th time at the Punchestown Festival this week.
Included among a glittering array of prizes in a stacked CV is a remarkable tally of 22 Grade 1s, the majority of them coming over obstacles against the professionals – quite an achievement for a 6’1’’ man, though he plays down any notion of an achievement on his part to have done so much and lasted so long given that stature and a sweet tooth.
Quite a number of those Grade 1s have come at “Ireland’s biggest festival”, as he labels the climax to the jumps campaign, and indeed, he reveals an ambition to complete the Grand Slam of championship races at Punchestown, having secured the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle, William Hill Champion Chase and Ladbrokes Champion Stayers’ Hurdle.
All that is left is the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup, in which he once finished runner-up in, and with dual Ryanair Chase hero Allaho likely to be participating along with dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Al Boum Photo, who he warns is not a beaten docket yet having not been suited by a steady pace in the Prestbury Park feature last month, he might just get an opportunity to tick off another incredible box.
This is among a number of topics the 32-year-old discusses in an online interview ahead of the Punchestown Festival. He also comments on the likely clash between Cheltenham Champion Chase victor Energumene and stablemate Chacun Pour Soi as well as the scheduled Punchestown appearances of some of the yard’s other record-breaking haul of Cheltenham winners (ten), Sir Gerhard, Facile Vega and Vauban among them. He also asserts an expectation that Klassical Dream will win the Ladbrokes Stayers’ Hurdle for a second consecutive season.
His observations on his father’s enduring hunger are notable though, particularly when he describes his own disappointment at losing his championship to Jamie Codd in 2017 and how driven he was and continues to be to prevent that happening again until he retires.
“I remember pulling up on Wicklow Brave (after winning the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle) and David Mullins gave me a tap on the back and said, ‘Oh that’ll make up for not winning the championship,’ and I kind of shook my head and David couldn’t understand it,” Mullins details.
“We have our knees-up at the end of the meeting but I went off and got a McDonald’s on my own and rang a friend in England just to chat. I was after having four winners, two Grade 1s, but to lose the championship was very disappointing and definitely I was determined to get it back the next year because I feel that riding for Willie, you should be winning it.
“Last season it went down to the wire again, myself and Jamie, and we came out the right side of it. Not that I got no pleasure out of it, but I got no pleasure out of putting Jamie into the position where I had been. When you put a lot into the season and you just come up short in the last couple of days, it is tough.”
As evidenced by the setting of new goals, despite all he has achieved, Mullins wants more. Listen to his description of his father, and whether he recognises it or not, he might as easily be talking about himself.
“What sums Willie up is the year we lost the 60 Gigginstown horses. Willie would’ve been in his late 50s, he’d have been champion trainer eight or nine times, it would have been very easy just to sit back and consolidate. But he didn’t. He went out and got more owners, he got more horses, he got more staff, he got more problems and now we have more horses than we had before then.
“Being a good trainer is more than having fit horses. He’s well able to source good owners and he’s well able to source good horses for those owners and that’s the key.
“We have so many expensive horses coming into our yard every season. There’s new blood every year and that’s it. He’s never sat back. He’s continually looking for the next crop of horses and the next crop of owners as well.”
Long before he was successful at the Punchestown Festival, Mullins had fond memories of it, even when Closutton was not the pre-eminent operation and Noel Meade was the perennial champion.
“Florida Pearl was the horse. He’d a big, white face. The red colours of the O’Learys from Cork. Him winning the Gold Cup under Barry Geraghty stands out.”
The aforementioned triumph on Wicklow Brave was part of a famous day in 2017 when Mullins rode a treble, including two Grade 1s to help his father leapfrog Gordon Elliott and snatch the champion trainer title on the penultimate fixture of the season.
The following year, “Duracell Bunny”, Un De Sceaux gave him the thrill of galloping to victory in the William Hill Champion Chase. Last season, he finished leading rider and bagged two more Grade 1 prizes, including the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers’ Hurdle on Klassical Dream.
Earlier on, there was a first ever Cheltenham/Punchestown Champion Bumper double, achieved with Cousin Vinny in 2008, when he was just a Leaving Cert student. He repeated the trick on Champagne Fever in 2012 and this time, celebrated appropriately.
Uncle Junior’s two La Touche Cup wins might stand out most of all, however.
“He was a real character, he was grumpy. He had a big wart on his ear, he wasn’t very pretty. Some days he’d go, some days he wouldn’t. He used be way out the back and then fly home.
“I think his first La Touche is one of the favourite races of my career, if not the favourite… he had 12-7 on his back and we got up in the last stride. I just thought, 12-7, four and a half miles, getting up and winning by a short head; that was for me what jump racing is all about and I got immense satisfaction from that.
“A couple of years we got up and beat Nina (Carberry) in a tight finish on good ground and any time you beat Nina was memorable. He was a horse who gave me some fabulous memories.”

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