Punchestown is the most famous and prestigious National Hunt track in Ireland and the April festival sees the culmination of the National Hunt season and attracts some of the best horses from across Europe to the card. Located just outside Naas in Co. Kildare, racing has been happening at its current location since 1824.
One of the many unique features of this track is the cross country “banks course”, which if you haven’t seen before, is worth the admission alone. Patrons are allowed to frequent the middle of the track during the race and get right up close to the action, as horses tackle a variety of different fences, bushes, walls, and banks. It’s a racetrack unique to Ireland and to Punchestown.
During the Punchestown Festival, it’s easy to get to the racetrack, as they provide coach services directly from Dublin to Punchestown. There are also a higher number of buses available during the festival, so they make it quite accessible for racegoers. In terms of rail stations, Sallins will be your closest, and again, there is a shuttle available from here but only during the festival. If you’re going for a non-festival race, most services end in Naas town, which is approximately a five-minute drive from the track.
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Punchestown Racecourse Guide
Punchestown Racecourse
The Course
Flat Course
Chase Course
Hurdles Course
Punchestown is an undulating, right handed, galloping track featuring two distinctly different tests for chasers and hurdles. The undulations of the chase course tend to test the horses more so than the 11 easy fences that are dotted around the track. That said, the final two in the home straight are positioned quite close together and can be a little awkward for a tiring horse on the final climb to the line. After the last jump, there is a run in of just over 1 furlong.
On the inside of the chase course lies the hurdles course, even more undulating in nature and featuring some very tight turns. The penultimate bend is tricky to handle and jockeys can also have a tough time on the downhill section after the winning post. There is also an even sharper alternative hurdles course located further inside, a place where it certainly pays to ride handily.
In addition to the chase course and two hurdles courses, Punchestown is also home to Ireland’s only cross-country track. It’s an amazing sight, a long twisting course with both tight left and right handed turns, including a variety of beautiful and testing obstacles. Only the final brush fence is located on the racecourse proper and it is often a scene for older veterans to regather former glories for some great prize money.
FEEL THE POWER
Certainly on the two hurdles courses, Punchestown offers a real test of a jockey’s ability. It takes some getting round the undulating track and some take better to it than others. One man who has developed quite the knack for it is Robbie Power.
Between May 2015 and October 2019, the former Grand National champion won 15% of his races in Ireland but at Punchestown he was significantly more prolific, offering a strike rate of 22% from 179 rides.
While this is less than the 27% posted by Patrick Mullins, son of the great trainer, Willie, he doesn’t have the advantage of regularly riding for the leading Irish jumps trainer. Power does exceptionally well with the horses he’s paired with though and it’s why he produced an outstanding +143.33 level stakes profit during the four-and-a-half year period examined. With a record as good as this, he’s a man you simply must watch out for anytime he makes the trip to Punchestown.
Major Meetings at Punchestown
Ireland’s leading National Hunt-only venue is the Emerald Isle’s answer to Cheltenham and boasts a fixture list to match. Operating in line with the core National Hunt season, plus a two-day summer meeting in June, Punchestown is home to an impressive 14 Grade 1 races.
The first two of those top-level events come in the first half of the season. The Morgiana Hurdle of November sees the speediest hurdlers do battle over the 2m½f trip. An obvious early-season target for Champion Hurdle hopefuls, the list of previous winners includes Limestone Lad, Moscow Flyer, and Hurricane Fly. Moving on to December, the most talented chasers are given their chance to shine in the John Durkan Memorial Chase. Despite the 2m4f trip, the race has fallen to several Cheltenham Gold Cup winners, including Dawn Run, Kicking King, and Galopin Des Champs.
Five Day Feast at the Punchestown Festival
The track’s 12 remaining Grade 1 contests all appear at the same meeting. Taking place in late April/early May each year, the five-day spectacular of the Punchestown Festival is the standout fixture of the Irish National Hunt season. The Tuesday to Saturday event sees many of Ireland’s Cheltenham Festival winners bid to confirm their dominance on home soil. A simply unmissable meeting for jumps racing fans, each of the five days is stacked with highlights.
- Day 1 – The KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle attracts runners from the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, while the Champion Novice Chase is a traditional target for those who lined up in the Broadway Novices’ Chase. Held over the 2m½f trip, the feature event of the Punchestown Champion Chase is the equivalent of the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.
- Day 2 – Punchestown’s flagship staying chase arrives early in the meeting. Held over 3m1f, the Punchestown Gold Cup is regularly contested by runners who lined up in the equivalent race at the Cheltenham Festival. Star names to win both races include Galopin Des Champs, Sizing John, and Don Cossack. The Grade 1 duo of the Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle and Champion INH Flat race top the undercard.
- Day 3 – The top-class action keeps on coming on Day 3. The Barberstown Castle Novice Chase presents Punchestown’s version of the Arkle Chase, while the day’s feature event belongs to the stamina-laden hurdlers. Multiple winners of the Champion Stayers’ Hurdle include wonder mare Quevega, Faugheen, and Teahupoo, who won this race and the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2024.
- Day 4 – Day 4 sees the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle provide the chief support to the Punchestown Champion Hurdle. Held over the same 2m trip as its Cheltenham counterpart, several stars have followed up a win at Prestbury Park with success in this event. Included in that number are the brilliant Istabraq, prolific Hurricane Fly, and the wonderful Henry de Bromhead-trained mare, Honeysuckle.
- Day 5 – The meeting concludes with a seven-race card headlined by the Mares’ Champion Hurdle and the Champion 4YO Hurdle. The talented mares Apple’s Jade and Lossiemouth won both races during their impressive careers.
Dining and Hospitality
There are a number of different hospitality options available at Punchestown, which can be catered upon request. All packages will include the following with the option to add extras, such as food and drinks:
- Admission
- Race card
- Live action feed on plasma screens
- Guest tipster
- Mobile tote and bookmaker representatives
- Hospitality team to ensure the smooth running of your day
There are also numerous fast food and sit down restaurants located throughout the enclosure, as well as various bars, stalls, coffee shops, and sweet shops. The racecourse also has private suites on offer and, for large parties, the trackside pavilion is available for hire with more information on the track website.