Day one of the 2026 Punchestown Festival saw the X Country Chase open proceedings and was won impressively by Fountain House trained by Ian McCarthy who won at this meeting last year taking the two and a half mile Hunter Chase. The next two races were competitive handicap hurdles where Jessica Harrington and Willie Mullins provided the winners namely Powerful under Simon Torrens and Kalix Delabarriere ridden by Sean Cleary-Farrell.
The first Grade 1 had a surprise winner, Eachtotheirown who took the Champion Novice Hurdle over two miles under Sean Flanagan for trainer Barry Connell. Also having Grade 1 status was the staying Champion Novice Chase where Western Fold a previous Galway Plate winner popped up at 11/1 after a recent run of poor efforts by his standards especially at Cheltenham in the Brown Advisory.
Willie Mullins saddled four of the five runners in the William Hill Champion Chase, the days feature race. The Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Il Etait Temps took the honours after a blip at the second last fence keeping on well to see off Marine Nationale by four lengths for stable jockey Paul Townend. Post race trainer Mullins expressed his disappoint of eventual fourth Majborough who he said would probably go three miles plus next with a slower tempo to help and not put so much pressure on his jumping especially on the sort of ground encountered here.
Day two began with three competitive hurdle races, two of which were handicaps. The honours went to Jacovec Cavern, Raise You Up and Quinta Du Lago. The first Grade 1 of the day was the three-mile Novice Hurdle and the winner Le Frimeur gave Harry Derham his first G1 winner as a trainer. Many congratulations here to trainer and retained rider JJ Slevin. This will be the first of many for Harry no doubt while owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede can celebrate another graded winner. The Graded Bumper went to the Gordon Elliot trained With Nolimit who ran a fair race in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham. The winner reversed the form with the Cheltenham Bumper victor, beating The Mourne Rambler just under two lengths. The Grade 3 Handicap Chase saw Nouvotic win readily by ten lengths for owner Roger Brookhouse, Henry De Bromhead and pilot Darragh O’Keeffe.
The Punchestown Gold Cup turned in to a procession for Gaelic Warrior who followed up his win at Cheltenham despite a hiccup two out eventually coming home twenty-six lengths clear of runner up Fact To File. Very impressive!!
The finale, the Grade 3 Bumper saw another Mullins inmate, Even Tho make a fantastic impression under Jody Townwnd. This daughter of Crystal Ocean looks the business after her 16-length demolition of what looked a competitive field.
Day three arrived and saw two Listed Hurdle races. Ted Walsh trained the winner of the EBF Mares Novice Hurdle with Adrienne a four-year-old who received a weight allowance here who won nicely under Darragh O’Keeffe. The second Listed Hurdle was a handicap and was won by the Noel Meade trained Blue Mosque ridden by Donagh Meylar. The Listed Chase winner, Come Walk With Me was also ridden by Meylar for trainer Edward Cawley. The Cross Country Chase for the Le Touche Cup was taken by Bussleton who had been lightly raced this campaign. A Cross-Country Chase spin at Cheltenham in December was followed by a blow in a hurdle race at Cork at the beginning of April. Trainer Enda Bolger is an expert with this type of race and horse with the winner being another success for jockey Darragh O’Keeffe on the day.
The Grade 1 Barberstown Castle Novice Chase saw Willie Mullins train the winner but not with the horse you would have thought. Kopek Des Bordes under Townend was sent off 4/11 favourite but fell two out after jumping left when two lengths clear. This left stablemate Salvator Mundi to pick up the pieces and win twelve lengths under Harry Cobden for the Donnelly’s.
The Grade 1 Champion Stayers Hurdle saw a great end to a great career almost written in the stars. Eleven years young Bob Olinger saw off Jimmy Du Seuil under O’Keeffe to complete a treble on the card for the rider and provide the winner with his fifth Grade 1 prize. The Henry De Bromhead trained winner was announced officially retired by owner Brian Acheson who described to the press this was horse was his “third child” and he wanted him home. A career that saw 22 runs,11 wins including 3 Cheltenham Festival victories. Hopefully, a long and happy retirement awaits the legend, Bob Olinger.
The penultimate day of this year’s Punchestown Festival attracted a crowd of over forty-three thousand – incredible turnout!
The first two races on the card were Hunter Chases won by Jetbob 28/1 who made all and never saw a rival and Wonderwall 9/2 who just held on under Rob James for trainer Sam Curling. The Grade 2 Mares Chase went to Dino Blue who completed the Cheltenham/ Punchestown double for a second time under Mark Walsh. This winner was also the jockeys 900th winner under rules – congratulations to Mark Walsh.
Another Cheltenham winner doubled up here when the Grade 1 Novice Hurdle over two and a half miles was taken by King Rasko Bay for team Mullins who just saw off the UK raider Lord Byron trained by Faye Bramley and ridden by Harry Cobden. This, of course followed a festival win in the Turners.
The other Grade 1 was the Champion Hurdle which saw Lossiemouth follow up her Cheltenham victory in fine style. The connections have had a stellar season with her and she goes off on holiday now.
On to the last day… Saturday. Only four runners went to post for the Mares Champion Hurdle where favourite Wodooh for Gordon Elliot could only manage third. The winner turned out to be the Willy Mullins trained Place De La Nation ridden by Danny Mullins. The Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle went to Saratoga who followed up the win in the Fred Winter back at the Festival in March, Saratoga actually beat the same horse he conquered at Cheltenham namely Winston Junior trained by the up-and-coming Faye Bramley.