The 2019 Punchestown Festival will take place from Tuesday 30th to Saturday 4th May and is considered to be the most prestigious jump festival in Ireland. This year’s event boasts a record breaking prize fund of €3,222,500.
Racings Hometown Heroes will take on their UK counter parts at the home of Irish racing across a programme of 39 contests. Punchestown is the 'Grand Finale' of the Irish Jump season and the champions of the season will be crowned on the final day, Saturday 4th May.
Punchestown Festival 2019: Schedule
Tuesday 30th April - Champion Chase Day
3.40: Kildare Hunt Club Fr. Sean Breen Memorial Cross Country Steeplechase of €15,000 over 3 miles 1 furlong
4.20: The Grade 1 Herald Champion Novice Hurdle of €100,000 2 miles 100 yards - ENTRIES
4.55: The Killashee Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) of €60,000 2 miles 100 yards
5.30: The Grade 1 BoyleSports Champion Steeplechase of €300,000 2 miles - ENTRIES
6.05: The Goffs Land Rover Bumper of €100,000 2 miles 100 yards- ENTRIES
6.40: The Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Steeplechase of €100,000 3 miles 120 yards- ENTRIES
7.15: The Sanctuary Synthetics Flat Race of €15,000 2 miles 100 yards
Wednesday 1st May - Punchestown Gold Cup Day
3.40: The Adare Manor Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle of €30,000 2 miles 5 furlongs
4.20: The Connolly's Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series Final of €75,000 2 miles 4 furlongs
4.55: The Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle of €25,000 2 miles 4 furlongs
5.30: The Grade 1 Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle of €100,000 3 miles- ENTRIES
6.05: The Grade 1 Coral Punchestown Gold Cup of €300,000 3 miles 120 yards- ENTRIES
6.40: The Grade 1 Racing Post Champion I.N.H Flat Race of €100,000 2 miles 70 yards
7.10: The Guinness Handicap Steeplechase (Grade A) of €100,000 2 miles 4 furlongs
7.45: The Weatherbys GSB Irish EBF Mares Flat Race (Grade 3) of €50,000 2 miles 70 yards
Thursday 2nd May - Champion Stayers' Hurdle Day
3.40: The JLT Handicap Hurdle of €30,000 2 miles 40 yards
4.15: The Pigsback.com Handicap Steeplechase (Grade B) of €65,000 2 miles
4.50: The Mongey Communications La Touche Cup Cross Country race of €30,000 4 miles 2 furlong
5.30: The Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle of €300,000 3 miles - ENTRIES
6.05: The Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) of €60,000 3 miles
6.40: The Grade 1 Ryanair Novice Steeplechase of €115,000 2 miles - ENTRIES
7.15: The Close Brothers Mares Novice Hurdle (Listed) of €35,000 2 miles 40 yards
7.45: The Kildare Post (C&G) Flat Race of €17,500 2 miles 40 yards
Friday 3rd May - Champion Hurdle Day
3.40: The KFM Hunters Steeplechase for the Bishopscourt Cup of €15,000 2 miles 4 furlongs
4.20: The EMS Copiers Novice Handicap Steeplechase (Grade A) of €100,000 2 miles 5 furlongs
4.55: The Hanlon Concrete Irish EBF Mares Handicap Steeplechase (Grade B) of €75,000 2 miles 5 furlongs
5.30: The Grade 1 BETDAQ Punchestown Champion Hurdle of €300,000 2 miles - ENTRIES
6.05: The Grade 1 Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle of €100,000 2 miles 4 furlongs - ENTRIES
6.35: The Star Best For Racing Coverage Champion Hunters Chase €30,000 3 miles 120 yards
7.10: The SalesSense International Novice Hurdle of €25,000 2 miles
7.45: The GVA Donal O'Buachalla Property Advisors INH Flat Race of €15,000 2 miles 2 furlongs
Saturday 4th May - AES Festival Family Day
2.35: The Dooley Insurances WFA Cross Country Steeplechase(Banks) of €15,000 3 miles
3.10: The Boylesports Handicap Steeplechase of €50,000 3 miles 7 furlongs
3.50: The Grade 1 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Annie Power Mares Champion Hurdle of €100,000 2 miles 4 furlongs - ENTRIES
4.25: The Grade 1 AES Champion Four Year Old Hurdle of €100,000 2 miles - ENTRIES
5.00: The Palmerstown House Pat Taaffe Handicap Steeplechase (Grade B) of €60,000 3 miles 120 yards
5.35: The Ballymore Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) of €100,000 2 miles 4 furlongs
6.10: The K Club Hotel and Resort (Pro -Am) Flat Race of €15,000 2 miles
6.40: The Carry An Organ Donor Card Punchestown Charity Sweepstakes 1 mile 7 furlongs
Big Race Pointers (Tues):
Min and last year's winner Un De Sceaux are two of three runners for Willie Mullins in the BoyleSports Champion Chase.
Winner of this race last year, Un De Sceaux has run just twice since – serving it up to Altior in the Tingle Creek at Sandown before finishing fifth in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.
Un De Sceaux's stable companion Min could only manage fourth 12 months ago, but is the odds-on favourite for this year's renewal following his emphatic win in the JLT Chase at Aintree at the beginning of April.
Big Race Pointers (Weds):
Undoubtedly the biggest highlight at this week’s Punchestown Festival is going to be the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup, where Kemboy and Al Boum Photo are all set to clash.
It’s a contest that showcases the current young stars of National Hunt racing. Kemboy has won all his five completed chases since he fell at the first fence in last year’s Irish Grand National, the Savills Chase at Leopardstown and the Bowl at Aintree among them. Al Boum Photo has won his only two races to date this season with the pinnacle being his victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Big Race Pointers (Fri):
Dual Champion Hurdle hero Buveur D'Air could make his first appearance on Irish soil in the BETDAQ Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.
The Nicky Henderson-trained eight-year-old returned to Cheltenham last month bidding to become the sixth horse in history to win a third Champion Hurdle but he came to grief at the third flight and then had to make do with the runner-up spot behind Jessica Harrington's Supasundae when bidding for a second victory in the Aintree Hurdle earlier in the month.
888sport Early Fancies:
Thurs 6.40pm – Moon Over Germany (14/1) e/w.
Fri 6.05pm - – Battleoverdoyen (11/2) e/w.
You can find all our Punchestown horse racing odds here by clicking the highlighted link.
