Hard to oppose Willie in Gold Cup

The jewel in the crown of the Irish jumps season will once again come to a head as the Punchestown Festival rolls into action next week.

Having been cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic and ran without spectators in 2021, the festival returned in all its glory in 2022.

Crowds flocked to the racecourse to take in all the action with an even larger crowd expected this time around. Some of the finest national hunt horses from both Ireland and Britain will do battle over five days of action-packed race cards.

The opening day of the festival, Tuesday April 25, sees the race-card bolster three Grade 1 contests with over half a million euro in prize money up for grabs across the three prestigious races.
The KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle, The William Hill Champion Steeplechase and The Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Steeplechase all take centre-stage on the opening day of the festival.

Cheltenham Festival winners dominate the opening day with Impaire Et Passe taking on Marine National having both secured Grade 1 wins overseas at Cheltenham. They come to a head in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle.

There are a few other contenders on the card with Gaelic Warrior and Facile Vega both coming second to the respective winners at the festival in March.
Energumene, fresh off its win in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, is aiming to make it back-to-back wins in the William Hill Champion Steeplechase having had eight lengths to spare over Chacun Pour Soi in last year’s race.

The Willie Mullins trained horse is up against familiar foes as Captain Guinness finished second in March while the aforementioned Chacun Pour Soi will be looking for revenge in this year’s running of the race.

Remarkably, the Tony Bloom owned horse has a 100% record on the Punchestown track having won the Ryanair Novice Steeplechase back in 2021.
Energumene is favourite in the antepost market. Maskada is also on the card having won at 22/1 at Cheltenham for Henry De Bromhead and could be an outside bet.
The final Grade 1 on Tuesday’s card sees the potential rematch of Gaillard Du Mesnil and Chemical Energy with Willie Mullins taking the win at Cheltenham ahead of the Gordon Elliott trained runner.
Another one to look at in the race is Complete Unknown, who has two wins in its last five runs as well as a second-place. The wins coming at Kempton and Ffos Las.

Wednesday sees the Ladbrokes Gold Cup take centre stage with it sandwiched between two Grade 1 contests.

The 13 entries for the Gold Cup all have their own story, none more so than trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend who are aiming to make it a double and the capture the Irish Gold Cup having won the Cheltenham Gold Cup at last month’s festival with Galopin Des Champs. They also come into Punchestown off the back of winning the Irish Grand National on Easter Monday in Fairyhouse.
Bravemansgame and Conflated, who finished second and third respectively to Galopin Des Champs, will be aiming to reverse the result in either one’s favour as they take on Mullins and Townend.
Envoi Allen has been entered into the field with Rachael Blackmore having ridden the horse to victory in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham and she will be hopeful of adding to her trophy cabinet which includes a Cheltenham Gold Cup from 2022 when she won aboard A Plus Tard, who pulled in this year’s running of the race.

Shark Hanlon has put forward his 2022 American Grand National winning horse Hewick, who fell in this year’s Gold Cup at Cheltenham when looking promising.

Novice Hurdle

The race preceding the Ladbrokes Gold Cup sees another Cheltenham winner in the form of Stay Away Fay looking to capture the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle.
The Paul Nicholls trained-runner comes up against familiar opposition with Affordable Fury and Sandor Clegane finishing second and third at last month’s festival.

Another horse to mention is Nick Rockett who has won on its last three starts in Ireland, with a Grade 2 victory at Fairyhouse at the beginning of the month. Gordon Elliott’s best hope of victory comes in the form of Favori De Champdou, who pulled up in the race at Cheltenham having won at Limerick and Thurles at the back end of 2022.

The Ladbrokes Stayers’ Hurdle is the talk of the card on Thursday as it sees more Cheltenham reruns with two of Gordon Elliott’s runners facing off yet again.

In last month’s Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, Elliott took home a 1-2 as Sire Du Berlais was first past the post with Teahupoo in second place. The man from Meath will be hoping for a case of deja vu.

Asterion Forlonge will come into this race full of confidence having recently won a Grade 2 in Fairyhouse’s Easter meeting.
The other big race of the day pits El Fabiolo against Jonbon in the Barberstown Castle Novice Steeplechase with El Fabiolo having taken the crown at Cheltenham ahead of the Nicky Henderson trained-runner.

Friday April 28 is the turn of the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle which sees nine horses entered to claim the €180,000 winning prize. Remarkably, this race doesn’t feature a horse who won at last month’s Cheltenham Festival. Pied Piper and State Man both finished second at the festival with this race being one of the most evenly contested races over the five days.

The curtain comes down on the festival on Saturday with Lossiemouth the big name on the card for The Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle with the Willie Mullins trained-horse having won the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The Mares Champion Hurdle also pits Love Envoi (second) against Queens Brook (third), both horses finishing behind Honey-suckle at last month’s festival.

Punchestown 2023 looks set to be an incredible bookend to an already amazing season and with some big British rivals likely to make the trip, it may be a nice renewal of rivalries. It will also effectively bring the curtain down on the Irish champion trainer and jockeys championships.