Saturday going update Following watering overnight, both the Hurdle and Chase tracks at Punchestown remain yielding and the Cross Country course good to yielding, ahead of the final day of the 2026 Festival. Clerk of the Course Brendan Sheridan reported: "There was some selective watering done on the Cross Country course yesterday. "We have 7-8 yards of fresh ground on the Chase course. We also have have 7-8 yards of fresh ground on the Hurdle course. "Speaking to Met Eireann, the forecast for today is mainly dry. There is the possibility of 2-3 mm of rain during the day. What time that arrives is a bit uncertain, and it's uncertain whether we get it at all or not." The first of eight races gets under way at 2.30. The feature on the closing day is the Grade 1 Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at 4.55. Here, the Willie Mullins-trained Apolon De Charnie bids to follow up his surprise Cheltenham win in the Triumph Hurdle.
