Punchestown Archives - SportsNewsIreland

Three wins for Mullins but Connell claims Champion Chase

Breandán Ó hUallacháin — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 15:42:12 +0000

Willie Mullins dominated the Grade 1 proceedings on day one of the 2025 Punchestown Festival, but it was Barry Connell’s Marine Nationale (2/1) who won the Grade 1 William Hill Champion Chase.

The Closutton handler won both the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle with Irancy (18/1), and then followed up in the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase with Champ Kiely (22/1).

Irancy was ridden by Mark Walsh, while Danny Mullins was the successful rider on board Champ Kiely, meaning the reigning champion jockey and Closutton number one, Paul Townend, ended the day without a winner.

Mullins completed a treble on the card courtesy of Wonderful Everyday (16/1) and Ruth Dudfield in the €100,000 Goffs Defender Bumper.

Two British-trained winners

The visitors won two of the opening three races of the 2025 Punchestown Festival.

Buy Some Time (50/1) led home a cross-channel trained 1-2 as the father and son combination of Mike and Sam Smith claimed the Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Final Handicap Hurdle ahead of the Fay Bramley-handled Almuhit (11/2) under Richie McLernon.

The Listed Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle was another 1-2 for the British-based runners, as Ascending Lark (8/1) came late to defeat Jonjo O’Neill’s Wilful (13/2).

Wexford handler Richard O’Keeffe had a day to remember when providing the winner and runner-up in the Kildare Hunt Club Cross Country Chase for the Ladies Perpetual Cup.

The winner, Transcript (22/1), ridden by Tony Doyle, and the Barry Stone-guided runner-up Turnupdevolume (5/1), both carried the winning conditioners colours.

The Willie Coonan Memorial INH Flat Race went to the Gavin Cromwell-trained debutant Bud Fox (16/5). Ridden by Derek O’Connor the four-year-old could be picked out a long way from home.

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Third Punchestown Champion Stayers Hurdle for Klassical Dream

Breandán Ó hUallacháin — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 17:24:34 +0000

Klassical Dream won the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon for the third year in-a-row.

Ridden by Paul Townend, the nine-year-old held off the challenge of Sire Du Berlais and Mark Walsh by a half length.

Klassical Dream just LOVES @punchestownrace!

2021
2022
2023@WillieMullinsNH's star stayer wins his THIRD Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle plus records his fourth Punchestown Festival victory

What a performance! @PTownend pic.twitter.com/c0Ut5Mnvmk

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 27, 2023

It was another Grade 1 winner of the Festival for successful trainer Willie Mullins thanks to the gelded son of Dream Well.

"Willie didn't make it a secret that his prep for Cheltenham wasn't ideal."

Klassical Dream bounces back to his best to win the @Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle @punchestownrace, and @irishkor caught up with @PTownend afterwards pic.twitter.com/1AGsnSOcW6

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 27, 2023

It was a fourth Punchestown Festival success in total for the Joanne Coleman-owned bay, and his three triumphs in this race put him alongside Derrymoyle, who won it three times in four seasons.

Sire Du Berlais was bidding to create history by completing the Cheltenham-Aintree-Punchestown treble in the staying division.

Winning rider Paul Townend said of Klassical Dream:

“He loves it here. His record here is very good. We just held on. I was trying to leave it late and I still managed to get there too soon. He hasn’t had the most straightforward of season and all credit to Dave (Casey) and the gang at home for getting him back here in such good form on that bit of nice ground.”

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Fastorslow wins Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup

Breandán Ó hUallacháin — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 17:50:55 +0000

Fastorslow created a major upset in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup this evening when claiming the week’s feature race at the Co Kildare track.

Going to post a 20/1 chance, the Martin Brassil-trained seven-year-old had the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Galopin Des Champs, the runner-up, Bravemansgame, and the winner of the Ryanair, Envoi Allen among his opponents, along with the Gordon Elliott-handled Fury Road making up the five-runner field.

Fastorslow (20-1), who finished second to subsequent Grand National winner Corach Rambler in the Ultima at Cheltenham, shocks the big guns in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup on just his fifth start over fences. pic.twitter.com/y4r2hOkCqo

— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) April 26, 2023

The English challenger made most the running throughout the race, before being challenged out his outside by Galopin Des Champs on entering the Punchestown home straight. With Fasterslow in third position at this stage, it looked as thought the ‘big-two’ would fight out the finish. As Harry Cobden on Bravemansgame and Paul Townend on the odd-on race favourite went for victory, J.J. Slevin continued to coax the eventual winner back into contention.

In the final furlong, Fasterslow was the strongest as he held off the top two in the betting marker to record a two-and-a-quarter length win to the surprise of the silent stands.

“It was unreal.”

Fastorslow filled second in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Just over a month later, he is a @Ladbrokes @punchestownrace Gold Cup hero!

JJ Slevin reflects on the victory for Martin Brassil’s charge pic.twitter.com/Se6sYAwvlA

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 26, 2023

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Allaho wins the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup

JoeNa Connacht — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 18:21:26 +0000

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.

Allaho strikes Gold

Allaho is relentless once again as he powers to victory in the @Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup for @CPStudOfficial and lands a quickfire Grade 1 double for @PTownend and @WillieMullinsNH @punchestownrace | #PTown22 pic.twitter.com/UXNYIkJn00

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 27, 2022

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.

Facile Vega
Four races
Four wins
G1 Champion INH Flat Race
G1 Champion Bumper
Son of the great Quevega

A Grade 1 treble for @WillieMullinsNH as Facile Vega extends his unbeaten record with a gutsy victory under Patrick Mullins @punchestownrace | #PTown22 pic.twitter.com/J29XsisS8N

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 27, 2022

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.

What a race!

Crosshill is all heart to see off Classic Getaway and Fils D’oudairies and wins a thriller under @Robbie_Power_ for trainer @Jessica_Racing @punchestownrace | #PTown22 pic.twitter.com/sLUqajLmqI

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 27, 2022

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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Punchestown Sunday Preview: Envoi Allen turns up the heat

JoeNa Connacht — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 19:15:37 +0000

A crisp winter day will turn to boiling point at Punchestown shortly before 2 pm on Sunday as the biggest field since 2007, and arguably the best ever goes to post for the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase.

The ten-runner contest is headed by odds-on favourite Envoi Allen, who returns to Grade 1 company for trainer Henry de Bromhead and the darling of Irish racing Rachael Blackmore, but the popular seven-year-old will face his toughest ever assignment on this occasion.

De Bromhead’s Aintree Grand National hero Minella Times will make his first public appearance of the season and is a plum spare ride for amateur Derek O’Connor.

The history-making Waterford trainer said of Minella Times: “He gets his season started and we’ll see how we go. He seems in great form and is ready to run.

“He’s been back in since August so we’re looking forward to getting him going now, with the obvious aim being a return to Aintree to defend his crown.”

While in the same colours as de Bromhead’s Envoi Allen, Cheveley Park’s emphatic Ryanair Chase winner Allaho will take aim with last year’s winning jockey Patrick Mullins aboard for his father Willie, who saddles seven.

2019 Punchestown Gold Cup winner Kemboy is the mount of Danny Mullins, while the Gold Cup-winning colours of the Donnelly family will be carried by Asterion Forlonge (Bryan Cooper) and Melon (Brian Hayes).

The champion trainer also gives Franco De Port, Janidil and Tornado Flyer their seasonal bows in Sunday’s feature, with Britain’s most successful female jockey, Bryony Frost an eye-catching booking for the former.

Fit and well from his Clonmel Oil Chase romp last month, Fakir D’oudairies adds heightened intrigue to the race in the first colours of owner JP McManus for Joseph O’Brien and Mark Walsh in what must be the race of the season so far for jump enthusiasts.

It could be another day to remember for red-hot jockey Bryan Cooper, who is looking to augment what has already been a memorable campaign with top-tier success on Asterion Forlonge.

The pair are returning to Punchestown having signed off last term with a 14-length blitzing of what looked a strong line-up in a Grade A novice handicap over the same trip at the end of April and Cooper is relishing the prospect.

“He’s a high-class horse who’s held in high regard in Closutton,” says Cooper. “He didn’t have the rub of the green earlier on in the season last year but things finished off on a high note and he couldn’t have been any more impressive.

“He’s back into Grade 1 company now and I’m looking forward to him. He won at the Punchestown Festival like a graded horse in handicap company so that would have done his confidence a world of good.

“Clearly Punchestown is a track he likes so going back there will suit him. He’s an exciting ride.”

The former Gold Cup-winning pilot also appears to have a good chance of success in the BetVictor Irish Racing Mares’ Novice Hurdle with the Gordon Elliott prepared Humble Glory.

It is clear that he is a man in demand again, having endured a fallow period before knuckling down to rebuild his career in commendable fashion, with 32 victories already this season.

“It was an exciting morning looking at the declarations. I’m trying to keep everybody happy and so grateful to be getting opportunities from everyone – from Gordon, Willie, the Nolans, Noel Meade, everyone. It’s not easy keep everyone happy but it’s a great position to be in.

“It’s great to be getting the opportunities but you have to be seen to be making the most of them as well, so you just keep working hard but it would be very special to win on John Durkan day at Punchestown, better again if we could win the big one.”

Cooper paid tribute to the Paul Nolan-trained Latest Exhibition, who he credited with kickstarting his renaissance as a Grade 1 winner and regular competitor at the highest level before suffering a fatal injury last weekend.

“Latest Exhibition came along at a very important time in my career. He really helped me to get back on the big stage.

“It was sickening what happened to him and we’ll miss him. They’re horses of a lifetime and you don’t come across them every week.”

Racegoers at Punchestown on Sunday will get to see a fascinating renewal of the BetVictor Beginners Chase also, as Grade 1 Champion Bumper winner Ferny Hollow will have his first start since beating Bob Olinger in a maiden hurdle in November 2020 on what is set to be a massive day for the gelding’s owners, Cheveley Park Stud.

The first of an eight race card goes to post at the earlier time of 11.55 am. Racegoers are reminded that gates open at 10.30 am and to allow additional time for the Covid compliance access system.

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Video – Willie Mullins talks about his list of main runners at Punchestown

JoeNa Connacht — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 11:22:00 +0000

It’s a great week for racing fans, but this year we will be watching on tv, Video – Willie Mullins talks about his list of main runners at Punchestown.

Sorry, there was a YouTube error.

Mullins relishing a return to Punchestown amphitheatre

Allaho v Chacun Pour Soi to kick off Punchestown Festival on Tuesday

Allaho v Chacun Pour Soi to kick off Punchestown Festival on Tuesday
Al Boum Photo & Kemboy working well ahead of Punchestown Gold Cup
“No racetrack like it in the world” says Mullins

There are many factors contributing to the stunning rise of Willie Mullins to the dominant force he is now in jump racing.

Of those, perhaps the unflappability of the Closutton maestro, on the cusp of being crowned champion trainer in Ireland for the 15th time at the conclusion of the Punchestown Festival and having brought his Cheltenham Festival tally of winners to 78 as he left Prestbury Park with another leading handler’s prize, is a mite undervalued.

“Lots of people get their knickers in a twist about things,” Mullins observes with a smile of his focus on controlling controllables and not stressing about a potential problem, before it materialises. “What can you do about it? That’s the way it is. Just tackle it when it arrives in front of you.”

So it was that he refused to get flustered in advance about doomsday predictions regarding the potentially toxic alchemy of Brexit and Covid-19 for Cheltenham, and he is the same about the availability or otherwise of stable jockey Paul Townend for Punchestown’s end-of-season carnival.

Townend injured a foot after a fall at Fairyhouse on April 4 and has been out of action since but his boss doesn’t intend enquiring about the Cork pilot’s fitness until he needs to know.

“It is progressing but very slowly,” declares Mullins of Townend’s recovery. “I didn’t speak to Paul for a few days but I just said, ‘Let’s not talk, you just do what you have to do and get your boots made.’ He is going to have to have a protective boot made for the leg that is injured and I just said, ‘Get yourself ready and I’ll talk to you the morning we are doing declarations and we’ll see how he is.’”

Paddy and Maureen Mullins always had Punchestown in their sights and their eldest son’s earliest memory of it is being allowed see the action while attending Coláiste na Rinne in the Waterford Gaeltacht of Rinn Ó gCuanach.

“The Fear An Tí brought me into his house to watch my mother’s horse winning whatever big hurdle race it was at the time – I won’t tell you when that was!

“Punchestown is what we always look forward to. There is huge prize money, fantastic racing, they always produce great ground and just the amphitheatre of Punchestown itself.

“I love going up there on the Sunday before the Festival to walk the track and just looking back on the track from the top of the hill, it is just an amazing place.

“I often think there is no racetrack like it in the world when you see it laid out for five days racing and all the different rails that are set up. It’s just amazing and the whole concept of the Punchestown Festival is huge when you see the work and preparation that goes into it.

“Prize money is key to any sport, I think. The new Punchestown is a different ball game altogether, my father would have been delighted to be training nowadays to see the facilities and the ground that they produce.”

One notable facet of the Mullins machine has been how often his champions have been able to put an exclamation mark on their campaigns at Punchestown, despite having endured and overcome significant tests throughout the term.

“It has surprised me as well over the years that, after going to Leopardstown at Christmas, Cheltenham, maybe Aintree and some of them maybe back to Fairyhouse, that they can still perform so well. We don’t take that for granted, we are delighted and maybe as surprised as other people looking because you don’t expect your horses to be at top level coming into the last month of the year but we’ve often found that horses might even put in their best performance all year there.

“They all get a break after whatever big Festival and everyone has their different ways of giving their horses a break but you’ve got to get back into them then and make sure they are all good and have enough done. Some horses take very little work, others take a lot of work.

“The different members of staff that ride the horses are able to tell me and give me feedback and with their feedback and our own eyes we make decisions and they can work. Some of them don’t work, you hear of the ones that do work but we’ve come home from Punchestown with lots of disappointments too.”

Looking ahead to the battalions that Mullins is readying for battle at the Punchestown Festival, we can expect both quantity and quality as the Punchestown prize money is too lucrative to ignore.

“There is fantastic prize money so we are not putting them out to grass just yet. They’ll get plenty of grass in the summer!”

Day one of the Punchestown Festival on Tuesday is set to see a clash of Closutton titans in the Grade 1 William Hill Champion Chase as Chacun Pour Soi faces Allaho.

“The William Hill Champion Chase could be a good race,” he mused. “At the moment I’m looking at the race for Allaho. I’d just like to see what he can do over two miles, he jumps so efficiently and so well, that is where my head is at at the moment.

“I love horses that jump as quick as him and if you can jump that quick usually you can come back in trip a bit. I think Allaho has the jumping technique to jump with two milers and he gallops well enough, we all saw that in Cheltenham. It’s worth a craic I think, we’ve got to ask the question in Punchestown and then we will know where we want to go next year.”

Reflecting on Chacun Pour Soi’s performance at Cheltenham, Mullins said: “I just didn’t think we made enough use of Chacun Pour Soi (at Cheltenham). Maybe our tactics just let us down on the day. It is easy be wise afterwards.

“I think this is the natural race for him. There will be plenty of pace on and Cilaos Emery will probably go there as well so we will be well represented in the race.”

The tone of strong representation for the champion trainer will be set in the opening Grade 1 event of the week, the eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle in which Appreciate It leads the charge.

“Appreciate It has surprised me,” Mullins admitted. “I never dreamt he had that much speed but he jumps, he gallops as well. He probably takes a lot of speed out of horses with the cruising speed he has as well and will definitely go for the eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle.

“Blue Lord is in there as well and he was going to run a fantastic race at Cheltenham before he fell at the last. I think he will improve for the flatter track and the nicer ground we will have at Punchestown. Echoes In Rain is interesting. She will probably go for the mares’ race but her performance in Fairyhouse was very good and she is in the eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle on Tuesday getting a nice fillies allowance so we’ll see.”

Tuesday’s Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase has the potential to be a race for the ages with Envoi Allen and Monkfish likely to lock horns for the first time and once again the Mullins support cast is enviable.

“Monkfish didn’t jump with the same flair that he jumped (with previously) and he didn’t gallop with the same flair (at Cheltenham) but he’ll go for the three mile race.

“Colreevy has been covered by Walk In The Park and she will go for the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase. That will probably be her last run. The Flynns are out and out breeders and she is a fantastic looking mare and hopefully she’ll be lucky.

“From winning the Arkle at Christmas over two miles I think I’m going to put Franco De Port in over three miles for and that will tell us where we are going next year. We’ll have a good hand in that race.”

Wednesday’s feature race is the Ladbrokes Gold Cup, a race in which Mullins saddled the first and second when it was last run in 2019 as Kemboy got the better of Al Boum Photo and Ruby Walsh retired on the spot.

Both horses are reported to be well ahead of a return to that stage where they’ll be joined by stable companions Melon and Easy Game and will face the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo and the Paul Nicholls-trained Clan Des Obeaux who is due to be supplemented for the race tomorrow.

“Lots of people could say that Al Boum Photo’s run might have been good enough to win the last two Gold Cup’s and he just met two good horses on the day. I’m not saying he’d have won the Gold Cup but I thought he could have run better, maybe he didn’t fire as well as he has. Certainly the last five jumps weren’t as strong as they were last year. He has worked well in the meantime and I’m happy with him where he is at the moment.

“Kemboy will go for the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup again and he worked very well the other morning, I was very pleased with him and I’m finding it hard to find a race for Easy Game so he will probably take his chance in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup.”

The ITM – Supporting Irish Store Sales Champion Bumper will see the first two home from the Cheltenham equivalent clash as Sir Gerhard and Kilcruit top the entries.

“I imagine Kilcruit will run, Sir Gerhard will run and we have a few more there. Ramillies is a horse whose homework is good. It might not be as good as the other two (Kilcruit and Sir Gerhard) but it is good and I still think there is a good horse lurking in there somewhere and it has to come out. Maybe a change of track and a flat track like Punchestown might bring it out in him. Grangee is there, she will probably go for the mares bumper.

“I think the track might suit Kilcruit better so we’ll see. It’ll be different and worth watching anyway.”

The Paddy Power Champion Hurdle will be the target for Sharjah who followed home Honeysuckle at Cheltenham last month.

“Sharjah ran a fantastic race in Cheltenham. I don’t think he could have improved much more. He’ll go for the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle. I’ve got James Du Berlais, Klassical Dream and Saldier in that race as well and we’ll see what way they go.

“James Du Berlais disappointed me at Cheltenham as his homework was way better than that. He holds entries in the two mile and the three mile hurdles so we’ll see when they do their final bits of work which direction they go.”

Energumene was a high profile absentee from the Cheltenham Festival but remains on course to return to action in the Ryanair Novice Chase.

“Energumene had a little mishap before Cheltenham and I thought that was him for the season but he recovered quickly. I was trying to get him ready for Fairyhouse and then I felt it wasn’t fair on the horse to go to Fairyhouse so I said I’d wait for Punchestown and he’s been fine since so I’m looking forward to getting him out.”

The 2021 Punchestown Festival will take place from Tuesday 27^th April to Saturday 1^st May. Full coverage will be available each day on RTÉ and Racing TV as well as interaction on all Punchestown social media platforms.

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Fairyhouse and Punchestown Festivals cancelled as National Hunt season ends

JoeNa Connacht — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 08:25:34 +0000

The Board of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) in response to the need to provide as much clarity as possible to the racing industry agreed on Wednesday to close the 2019/2020 National Hunt season immediately, meaning the Fairyhouse Easter Festival and Punchestown Irish National Hunt Festival have both been cancelled and will not be rescheduled.

The Board recognised that once the Government’s restrictions have been lifted racing would restart on the Flat and most likely behind closed doors, with adherence to strict social distancing protocols as were successfully operated at ten race fixtures in March.

The Board also confirmed that an enhanced National Hunt programme from October to December 2020 will be revealed later this year and it is intended to include the 2020 BoyleSports Irish Grand National in that programme.

Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland said:

“We are working on a range of industry supports which we hope to announce in the coming weeks. Once an achievable target resumption date can be identified, a new fixture list covering the rest of the year will be quickly published based on our on-going work, along with revised race programmes which will cater for the entire horse population.”

Mr Kavanagh continued:

“While the conclusion of the National Hunt season is a major blow for that sector and jump racing enthusiasts, in making an early decision we want to give as much certainty as possible to owners and trainers and this plan will allow winter National Hunt horses to take advantage of summer grass, reducing the costs for National Hunt owners, with the knowledge of an enhanced programme to come for them from the Autumn onwards, circumstances permitting.”

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