Five days of top-class National Hunt racing in County Kildare. The final major jumps festival of the season.
Punchestown Festival is one of the great occasions in the Irish sporting calendar, bringing the jumps season to a close each spring in County Kildare. The right-handed track is wide and galloping, with stiff fences that demand bold jumping and precise riding, meaning only the best horses tend to thrive here. With over £200,000 in prize money spread across the featured races alone, the stakes are high and the competition fierce.
The festival dates back to 1850, making it one of the oldest gatherings in Irish sport. Legends of the game have conquered this track over the years, including Douvan, Faugheen, and Vautour, names that still resonate with anyone who loves horse racing. What makes Punchestown special is its role as a final reckoning after Cheltenham, with horses often meeting again on fresh ground, settling old scores and occasionally rewriting the story of the whole season.
This year the spotlight falls on three top-level contests. Wodhooh is the name to watch in the mares hurdle, a race carrying £73,625 in prize money that regularly attracts the very best in that division. The four-year-old hurdle, worth the same again, puts Apolon De Charnie in the frame as a potential star of the future, while Jump Allen chases glory in the competitive staying hurdle worth nearly £59,000. Between them these three races offer pace, talent, and the kind of finish-line drama that keeps racing fans on their feet.
The human element adds another layer of fascination. Willie Mullins, the dominant force in Irish jump racing, has horses entered in all three races, and jockey Paul Townend is set to ride in every one of them too. Danny Mullins is similarly busy with three rides across the card, and Gordon Elliott pitches in with entries in two of the three. With so many of the sport's biggest names converging on one afternoon, Punchestown 2026 promises to be unmissable.