Superb Punchestown Festival Entries Revealed

Entries for the nine of the ten Grade 1 races at Punchestown´s Irish National Hunt Festival, running from April 26 to 29, are revealed today with many of those who starred at Cheltenham and Aintree looking to bid for further success at Ireland´s flagship jumping event.

The 15 entries for the feature €225,000 PUNCHESTOWN GUINNESS GOLD CUP, run on Wednesday, April 27, include totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Kicking King and the Robert Alner-trained Kingscliff, who was vying for favouritism at Cheltenham before being withdrawn at the 11th hour. Other entries in the Grade 1 three mile one furlong event include Daily Telegraph Chase winner Thisthatandtother, Cheltenham Gold Cup faller Pizarro, Saturday´s Grand National runner-up Royal Auclair and Irish Hennessy Gold Cup winner Rule Supreme, who unseated his rider at Aintree last week.

Moscow Flyer, arguably the greatest modern-day chaser, is one of eight entered for the Grade 1 KERRYGOLD CHAMPION CHASE, run on Punchestown´s opening day, and he is likely to start a warm favourite to land the two-mile contest for a second consecutive year. Rathgar Beau, the Sue Smith-trained Mister McGoldrick and Ground Ball are among others entered.

Harchibald, Brave Inca, Accordion Etoile, Macs Joy, Intersky Falcon and Al Eile, winner of Saturday´s Grade 1 Scottish and Newcastle Aintree Hurdle, respectively finished second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham last month and all are entered in the Grade 1 EMO OIL CHAMPION HURDLE, run on Friday, April 29.

J P McManus´s mare Like-A-Butterfly, winner of last week´s Grade 2 Mildmay Novices´ Chase at Aintree, is one of 24 entries for the Grade 1 SWORDLESTOWN CUP NOVICE CHASE on Thursday, April 28, as is the same owner´s Fota Island, winner of handicap chases at Cheltenham and Aintree, while War Of Attrition, Dempsey and Made In Japan - who finished second, third and fourth in Saturday´s Grade 1 Maghull Novices´ Chase at Aintree - are others engaged. The progressive Strike Back, trained by Jessica Harrington, is another eye-catching entry.

The Tom Foley-trained Royal Paradise, who was sent off joint-favourite for the Royal & SunAlliance Novices´ Hurdle at Cheltenham when finishing seventh, could bid to make amends in the Grade 1 EVENING HERALD CHAMPION NOVICE HURDLE over two miles on Tuesday, April 26. Pole Star and Reveillez - who respectively finished fourth and sixth at Cheltenham for trainer James Fanshawe - may reoppose while Briareus, an impressive winner of his last two starts for trainer Andrew Balding, is another interesting British-trained entry. Wild Passion, runner-up in the Letheby & Christopher Supreme Novices´ Hurdle at Cheltenham, and the well-touted Publican, who finished eighth in the same race, are others entered.

The great mare Solerina, who has not raced since February, could make her eagerly-awaited reappearance in the Grade 1 BALLYMORE PROPERTIES CHAMPION STAYERS´ HURDLE over three miles on Thursday, April 28, with Rule Supreme, who finished third in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham, expected to run in this event. Friday´s Grade 1 Sefton Novices´ Hurdle winner Asian Maze is also engaged as are the Edward O´Grady-trained Back In Front, Rule Supreme, the French-trained Blue Canyon and Cheltenham Festival winner Idole First.

JCB Triumph Hurdle third Akilak, one of several entries from trainer Howard Johnson at this year´s Punchestown Festival, is among 21 engaged in the Grade 1 COLM MCEVOY AUCTIONEERS CHAMPION 4YO HURDLE on Thursday, April 28. Cheltenham sixth Strangely Brown, the Richard Guest-trained Admiral, an easy winner at Market Rasen last week, Levitator, a convincing winner of his only hurdling start for Michael O´Brien at Fairyhouse two weeks ago, United, unbeaten in two runs for Lucy Wadham, and Helensburgh, who has not run since easily winning at Punchestown in November, add further interest.

The betfair.com NOVICE HANDICAP CHASE on Friday, April 29, promises to be an ultra-competitive affair with 50 entries. These include Powers Gold Label Irish Grand National hero Numbersixvalverde, Like-A-Butterfly, War Of Attrition, the Ferdy Murphy-trained Joes Edge, an intended runner following his success at Aintree on Saturday, Powers Gold Cup second Forget The Past, Red Devil Robert, winner of his last three runs for trainer Paul Nicholls, his stablemates Inca Trail and Whitford Don and the Tom George-trained Lord Of Illusion, the winner of his last three starts who was a last-minute absentee from the Cheltenham Festival.

The Grade 1 MENOLLY HOMES CHAMPION NOVICE HURDLE, also on the Friday of Punchestown, promises to be another unmissable event with 45 entered including Grade 1 Sefton Novices´ Hurdle first and second Asian Maze and Brewster, Back Nine, winner of both his starts for Robert Alner, Briareus, Philip Hobbs´ pair Gold Medallist and Chilling Place, Pole Star, Prins Willem and Reveillez, Royal Paradise, Strangely Brown, Wild Passion, and Pharviva, who has not run since the Galway Festival in July but has won his last four outings over hurdles.

There are also supplementary entry stages, at a cost of 10 per cent of the total prize fund, for the Grade 1 events in the seven days before the races.

There is record prize money of € 2.127 million at this year´s Irish National Hunt Festival and the remaining 23 races - including the €100,000 Grade 1 PADDY POWER CHAMPION BUMPER - close at the usual five or six-day stage.

Dick O´Sullivan, General Manager at Punchestown Racecourse, said today: 'The Irish National Hunt Festival has gone from strength to strength in recent years and we are delighted that locally-based heroes such as Moscow Flyer, Kicking King and Harchibald are set to be joined at this year´s Festival by a very strong overseas entry for the early-closing races from no less than 18 different trainers based in Britain and France. Added to the current unprecedented strength in depth of Irish-trained talent, this promises to make the 2005 Festival an unmissable event.'