The Aintree Grand National Festival is over. The Cheltenham Festival is a memory. The jump season's final major showpiece is the Punchestown Festival, which begins on Tuesday April 29th and runs through Saturday May 3rd. Five days of Grade 1 racing at Punchestown Racecourse in County Kildare — the traditional closing chapter of the British and Irish jump season.
What Punchestown Is
Punchestown is the Irish equivalent of the Cheltenham Festival in terms of prestige, though its character is distinct. The racing is top-level throughout the five days, with a mix of championship races, conditions chases and hurdles and the competitive handicaps that give it a broader appeal than its championship counterpart. The atmosphere is celebrated as one of the most festive in jump racing — large crowds, strong attendance from the racing community and a carnival quality that marks the end of the season.
The Key Races
The Punchestown Gold Cup over three miles on Wednesday is the meeting's flagship chase — regularly attracting the Cheltenham Gold Cup principals for a rematch six weeks after Prestbury Park. The Punchestown Champion Hurdle on Tuesday brings together the leading hurdlers. The Champion Chase over two miles on Thursday has historically attracted the top two-mile chasers.
This year, with I Am Maximus having just won the Grand National and Willie Mullins dominant across the board, his horses will attract significant attention at Punchestown. How many of his Aintree runners return to Punchestown within three weeks will become clearer in the coming days.
Horses to Watch
Salvator Mundi — who finished second in Saturday's Maghull Novices' Chase — was confirmed by Willie Mullins after the race to be heading to Punchestown. Mullins said he "didn't jump the way he can" on Saturday, suggesting the trainer believes there is a better performance in him when he returns to form. A horse of his ability, with a Grade 1 to his name over hurdles at Aintree last year, arriving at Punchestown fresh and motivated is worth monitoring closely.
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