Boodles brings the glamour to Punchestown Festival racing …
“Punchestown Festival is all about the glitz and the glam, the fun and fashion, the excitement and the thrill, with the crowning of the champions marking the end of the National Hunt season; it can’t be missed,” says Irish pundit and former amateur jockey Lisa O’Neill. The Festival gets underway on April 29 and runs until May 3. An anticipated crowd of 100,000 guests will enjoy 40 races, featuring twelve Grade 1 contestants, with €3.5m in prize money.
The opening days feature a clash between Cheltenham heroes Marine National and JP McManus’ Fact to File. The Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup will see superstar Galopin Des Champs take on the impressive Spillane’s Tower. Another important race is the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund Charity race, on target to meet – or exceed – the €2m fundraising mark.
The Boodles family at Punchestown Festival 2024.
Lisa O’Neill is looking forward to the Boodles Champion Hurdle on May 2, billed as the race of the season. That’s when Constitution Hill, trained by Nicky Henderson, will line up with last year’s winner State Man, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend. “This is going to be a cracking race. My head says Constitution Hill is going to do it, but my heart says Brighterdaysahead, trained by Gordon Elliott, is more than capable on her best day and is on brilliant form at home.”
Punchestown Festival is unique, says RTÉ pundit Jane Mangan. “It’s unusual to see so many people from different age demographics and different walks of life coming together to enjoy the same entertainment.” Jane predicts that State Man will reign supreme again in the Boodles’ Champion Hurdle.
Boodles managing director James Amos at Punchestown Festival 2024.
Festival regulars include top trainers such as Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls, Jonjo O’Neill, Harry Derham, Anthony Honeyball, Gordon Elliott, Henry de Bromhead, and Gavin Cromwell. The ever–popular rider Rachael Blackmore is also competing.
Boodles’ sponsorship of Irish racing is a natural extension of its ongoing partnerships with racing events such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Chester Races, and York Races. “Our involvement with horse racing started in the 1930s when we made the trophies for the Grand National at Aintree,” says Amos. “We are thrilled and feel privileged to be returning to the excitement of Punchestown for the second year of a three-year partnership. The sun is due to be shining all week and expectation will be building ahead of a stellar line-up in the Boodles Champion Hurdle on May 2.”
May 2 is also Boodles Ladies Day – with a Bollinger Style Award going to the most stylish attendee. All the judges will be wearing Boodles – lucky them! The extremely stylish Boodles Bar is the place to be seen, where Boodles first equine-inspired jewellery collection, Lucky, will be on display throughout the Festival.
Need to know: The 2025 Punchestown Festival takes place from Tuesday April 29 to Saturday May 3, with the Boodles Champion Hurdle and Boodles Ladies Day on Friday May 2. Note the earlier start time of 2.30pm this year. www.punchestown.com
SEE MORE: Glossip – Boodles Partnership With Punchestown Festival