Punchestown
Racecourse guide: course statistics, top jockeys and trainers, and recent winners.
Punchestown Course Guide and Statistics
The course at Punchestown
Punchestown is a right-handed, galloping jumps course of about two miles, with a separate cross-country course featuring banks and natural obstacles. It is one of Ireland's leading jumps tracks and stages the Punchestown Festival at the end of the season.
Betting at Punchestown
The Punchestown Festival comes shortly after Cheltenham and Aintree, so how well a horse has recovered from those races matters. Horses who ran well at Cheltenham often go well again, but some are past their best for the season. The galloping nature suits strong-travelling horses that jump well.
Key races and meetings
- Punchestown Festival (late April or early May): Punchestown Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase
- Morgiana Hurdle (November)
Punchestown by the numbers
Equine Tips Intel has recorded 110 races across 14 meetings at Punchestown since 15 February 2026, 31 of them with full official results.
Hurdle racing makes up 47% of the races we hold, run on a turf surface.
The most common going is Yielding (41% of races) and the most frequently run distance is 2m½f.
Fields average 11.1 runners. Favourites have won 11 of 31 races (35.5%), and the median winning starting price is 4.33.
Race types
- Hurdle52 races · 47%
- Chase27 races · 25%
- Flat20 races · 18%
- NH Flat11 races · 10%
Going
- Yielding45 races · 41%
- Good34 races · 31%
- Good To Yielding16 races · 15%
- Heavy8 races · 7%
- Soft7 races · 6%
Common distances
- 2m½f23 races · 21%
- 2m17 races · 16%
- 2m4½f9 races · 8%
- 2m4f7 races · 6%
- 2m3½f6 races · 6%
- 3m½f6 races · 6%
Top jockeys at Punchestown
| Jockey | Wins | Runs | Strike |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darragh O'Keeffe | 4 | 7 | 57.1% |
| W. J. Lee | 3 | 5 | 60% |
| Paddy Harnett | 3 | 6 | 50% |
| Jack Kennedy | 2 | 6 | 33.3% |
| Keith Donoghue | 1 | 1 | 100% |
Top trainers at Punchestown
| Trainer | Wins | Runs | Strike |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry de Bromhead | 4 | 9 | 44.4% |
| Aidan O'Brien | 3 | 8 | 37.5% |
| Oliver McKiernan | 2 | 4 | 50% |
| Gordon Elliott | 2 | 6 | 33.3% |
| Gavin Cromwell | 2 | 8 | 25% |
Our model at Punchestown
Every settled primary selection our machine learning model has made at Punchestown, to a 1 unit level stake (Betfair SP less 5% commission where available, otherwise SP). Past results do not guarantee future returns.
Feature races at Punchestown
- Matchbook Betting Exchange Novice Steeplechase (Grade 3)Grade 3 · 14 Oct
- Matchbook Betting Exchange Steeplechase (Grade 3)Grade 3 · 14 Oct
- Palmerstown House Estate Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase (Listed Race)Listed · 2 May
- SBK Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)Grade 1 · 2 May
- Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle (Grade 1)Grade 1 · 2 May
- Lawlor's Of Naas Handicap Hurdle (Listed Race)Listed · 2 May
- Hanlon Concrete Irish EBF Glencarraig Lady Francis Flood Mares Chase (Grade 2)Grade 2 · 1 May
- QuinnBet Novice Handicap Chase (Listed Race)Listed · 1 May
- Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)Grade 1 · 1 May
- Boodles Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)Grade 1 · 1 May
Recent winners at Punchestown
| Date | Winner | SP | Jockey / Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Oct | Margot Mae (IRE)Premiere Weekend Race & Dine Packages From €75pp Nursery Handicap | 11/4 | Nathan Crosse / Mrs J. Harrington |
| 29 Oct | Lady Mary Heath (IRE)Punchestown Premiere Weekend Sat 21 & Sun 22 November Handicap | 100/30F | Chris Hayes / Aidan Anthony Howard |
| 29 Oct | Celestial Siren (IRE)Premiere Weekend Two-Day Ticket Just €35 Maiden | 5/1 | G. F. Carroll / A Oliver |
| 29 Oct | Imposing (IRE)Win A Trip To Lapland At Punchestown On Sun 22 November Maiden | 7/2 | Paddy Harnett / Aidan O'Brien |
| 29 Oct | Tai Tam Bay (IRE)See You At The GR1 Double Header 21 & 22 November Handicap (0-60) (Div 1) | 13/2 | Paddy Harnett / Eddie & Patrick Harty |
| 29 Oct | Buttermere Ridge (IRE)See You At The GR1 Double Header – 21 & 22 November Handicap (Div II) | 11/2 | Paddy Harnett / Oliver McKiernan |
| 29 Oct | Petticoat Bay (USA)Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden | 100/30 | Jack Cleary / Aidan O'Brien |
| 14 Oct | Giant Haystacks (IRE)Matchbook Betting Exchange (Q.R.) Handicap Steeplechase | 7/2 | Mr D McGill / Ross O'Sullivan |
| 14 Oct | Manu Reva (FR)Matchbook €50,000 Graduation Series Flat Race | 28/1 | Mr B T Stone / Liz Doyle |
| 14 Oct | The Dotski (IRE)Matchbook Betting Exchange Mares Handicap Hurdle | 1/1F | Darragh O'Keeffe / Henry de Bromhead |
No racing at Punchestown today. See today's meetings