Major Sponsors confirmed for Punchestown 2004

The Irish National Hunt Festival, which will take place from April 27 to April 30, 2004, boasts record prize money of over 1.7 million euros, representing a 12% increase on the total 2003 prize fund, retaining its high-profile status as the highlight of the National Hunt season in Ireland.

Punchestown Racecourse announced that BETDAQ, the betting exchange, is the new sponsor of the 150,000 euros two mile Champion Chase run on Tuesday, April 27th, the opening day of the Irish National Hunt Festival, replacing BMW. Ballymore Properties, owned by local businessman Sean Mulryan, has confirmed its support as title sponsor on Thursday, formerly I.A.W.S day, the feature race now being the Ballymore Properties Champion Stayer´s Hurdle, which has increased in value to 125,000 euros.

Murphy Brewery Ireland continues its association with the feature race of the festival, The Punchestown Heineken Gold Cup of 180,000 euros, which was won by the French-trained, Irish-owned First Gold last year.

Emo Oil returns to sponsor Ireland´s richest Grade 1 Hurdle, the Emo Oil Champion Hurdle of 160,000 euros, on the final day of the festival, Friday, April 30th. Quazar, trained by Jonjo O´Neill in the UK, captured this feature race at the 2003 Festival and it was just one of the races won by overseas visitors.

Among other races to benefit from the increased prize fund at the 2004 renewal is the Grade 1 Paddy Power Champion INH Flat Race, one of ten Grade 1 races to be run at the festival. This race will now be worth 60,000 euros, a 50% increase on last year´s value and the most valuable Grade 1 bumper to be run in Ireland.

Dick O´ Sullivan General Manager at Punchestown Racecourse commented today: 'We are delighted to work and be associated with so many well established and successful companies and proud that they have chosen Punchestown Racecourse as a suitable medium to promote and create brand recognition for their company. With an increase in prize money of almost 200,000 euros, the Punchestown Festival prides itself in being the highlight of the National Hunt Season in Ireland. A special word of thanks to BMW for 23 wonderful years of sponsorship and to I.A.W.S for the support given to Punchestown which was above and beyond the scale of a normal sponsor'.

O´Sullivan added that Punchestown will continue with its highly successful overseas runners programme, which was introduced last year bringing 47 foreign contenders to the 2003 Festival.