The 2026 Punchestown Festival opened with a Willie Mullins treble, two Grade 1 shocks at 16/1 and 18/1, the retirement of a two-time Champion Chase winner, and a seismic shift in the Irish trainers' championship. Here is the full Day 1 recap.
Il Etait Temps — Champion Chase — 8/11 — WON
The feature race produced the expected result. Il Etait Temps, sent off the 8/11 favourite under Paul Townend, completed the Cheltenham-Punchestown Champion Chase double in dominant fashion. The Racing Post described the win directly: "moving alongside Marine Nationale on the home turn while travelling far the better under Paul Townend." He is now six wins from eight starts over fences, and has recorded a Grade 1 at Punchestown in each of his last two visits to the track.
Marine Nationale, defending champion, never threatened. Majborough faded from the front. Energumene, the two-time Punchestown Champion Chase winner of 2022 and 2023, finished third and was officially retired by connections after the race. His retirement marks the end of one of Irish jump racing's most beloved careers.
Eachtotheirown — Champion Novice Hurdle — 16/1 — WON
The first of the day's shocks. Eachtotheirown, trained by Barry Connell and ridden by Sean Flanagan, made all the running and won by four and a quarter lengths from Blake at 16/1. El Cairos, the 9/4 favourite, finished fourth. The Racing Post's live blog was measured: the Grade 1 was run in a seriously slow time — eight seconds slower than the Listed handicap hurdle 35 minutes earlier — which equates to around 36 lengths, suggesting the form should be treated with caution as a future reference.
Eachtotheirown is a 135-rated hurdler trained by the same Barry Connell whose Eachtotheirown also won the Champion Chase with Il Etait Temps. A remarkable day for the Connell stable.
Western Fold — Champion Novice Chase — 18/1 — WON
The second shock. Western Fold won at 18/1 for Gordon Elliott — Kitzbuhel, the 5/4 favourite and Cheltenham Brown Advisory winner, was pulled up. Willie Mullins's NAP for the day did not complete. Kitzbuhel's pulled-up run ends a season that started with such promise at the Festival.
The Title Race
Willie Mullins recorded a treble on Day 1 and overtook Gordon Elliott in the Irish trainers' championship. Four days remain. The lead could change hands multiple times before Saturday.
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Facts verified via web search April 29 2026.