Ten takeaways from the Punchestown Festival - 'It was a fairytale ending' Last week, from Tuesday to Friday, I was on track at Punchestown. Every year, the festival carries a slightly different feel. The hustle and bustle of Cheltenham is over; it’s almost party time for those who have had good seasons, while for those disappointed, it’s a chance to regroup and start thinking about what might work next year. The first race of the week was won by Fountain House for trainer Ian McCarthy, a decisive, controlled performance where Rob James enjoyed the first of his three winners of the festival. Punchestown, as I said, feels more relaxed- something similar to a final training session before a county final. There’s an eerie calmness and enjoyment: whatever happens, happens. We all get caught up in the seriousness of Cheltenham, the almost do-or-die importance it has. Everyone is crying out for a Cheltenham Festival winner, but as Ted Walsh said after his mare Adrienne took out the Listed Mares’ Hurdle, 'It is still a big deal'. Punchestown is a meeting everyone would love to have a winner at. If you didn’t have a winner at Cheltenham, Punchestown is next. It just goes to show how important these festival winners are. Cleary-Farrell gained redemption On the 22nd of January, young claiming jockey Sean Cleary-Farrell came to the last in the infamous Thyestes with the race at his mercy, only for the horse to fall and unship him. For any rider, that is a haunting mistake and could lead to a loss of belief or confidence. However, Sean displayed character beyond his years as he completed a Listed handicap double on Kalix Delabarriere - a patient ride, followed by a fist-pump celebration that felt like a release of everything from that Thursday evening in Gowran Park. He is a fantastic young rider and looks right at home among the promising young jockeys this country continues to produce. Il Etait Temps cruised to victory We also saw Il Etait Temps deliver an assertive performance. An early mistake made things interesting, but in true Paul Townend fashion, he negotiated every fence perfectly thereafter and cruised past Marine Nationale, who must also be complimented for jumping superbly. We unfortunately saw the wrong Majborough on Tuesday, who perhaps showed the effects of a long enough season in which he disappointed on more than one occasion. Ricky Doyle a ready-made sprinter Wednesday began with something a little different, a group of jockeys taking part in a 200-metre sprint, sponsored by Ladbrokes in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund Ireland, a superb organisation that does so much good for Irish racing. Ricky Doyle showed gears that sprinters like Battaash and Caravaggio would have been proud of - a great start to the day and another sign of the joyful mood Punchestown had to offer. Harry Derham claimed first Grade 1 The Grade 1 Novice Hurdle over nearly three miles gave trainer Harry Derham his first Grade 1 winner at the festival. Still a relatively young trainer, he has put significant effort into his yard, not only improving facilities but also embracing the digital side of the sport. Led mainly by Ella McNeill from Racing TV, their content offers an open and engaging look into the yard, which is great to see. The horse looks a lovely prospect going forward and could be anything given his experience. Warrior showed his iron At 5:55pm, the parade ring was packed as people gathered to see the pre-race scenes of the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs and the 2026 Irish Gold Cup winner Fact To File. Five months earlier, only a neck separated them. The excitement built, the tension in the air grew, and as the starter’s flag dropped, there was a roar - game on. This time, it was Mark Walsh on Fact To File who took control early. We had seen Gaelic Warrior do similar in the John Durkan, so it was fascinating to watch unfold. However, Gaelic Warrior moved closer from six out, and the writing seemed to be on the wall. Any doubts about the impact of the Cheltenham Gold Cup run were quickly dismissed, that’s what the good ones do, they don’t make excuses. When Willie Mullins calls you an “iron horse,” it says everything. It feels like Gaelic Warrior has been around forever, yet he is only eight. Donagh Meyler continued great season Thursday was another bright day and provided a fitting continuation of the week, much like the season Donagh Meyler has had. The stewards’ enquiry that denied him a Galway Hurdle last summer feels a long time ago now. The great jockeys don’t always do spectacular things, they just don’t do anything wrong. Meyler keeps things simple, and on Blue Mosque, a tricky mare who hadn’t won since November 2024, he timed his ride perfectly to lead inside the final furlong. Thirty-five minutes later, he was back in the winner’s enclosure with Come Walk With Me, a lovely big seven-year-old who jumped magnificently and looks one to watch next season. Kopek Des Bordes crashes out It’s never easy watching a fall. It’s a part of the game that brings real emotion. Watching Charlie McCarthy wait for his superstar Kopek Des Bordes to get back to his feet was a low point of the week. “Thank God we still have the horse,” he said when I offered my hand in consolation. It just reinforces why we love Irish racing, the people in the game care deeply about the horse, regardless of results. Whether it’s a win or a loss, that care remains constant. We are lucky to witness such high standards, and the work of the grooms, in particular, deserves immense credit. Many of them could easily win best turned-out prizes every day. Bob Olinger read the script The Punchestown Champion Stayers Hurdle was the second-last race on Thursday, and owner Brian Acheson revealed beforehand that it would be the final run for the legendary Bob Olinger. He spoke about wanting to “bring the third child home.” Speaking to Darragh O’Keeffe on Friday, I said, “Horses aren’t supposed to read scripts, but Bob Olinger yesterday - magic.” And that summed it up perfectly. In a gutsy, classy performance, O’Keeffe, who deserves huge credit for stepping into the number one role following the retirement of Rachel Blackmore guided him home. It was a fairytale ending: an 11-year-old winning the final race of his career. For any owner, breeder, trainer, jockey, stable staff member, or racing fan, that is the dream. Rasko progressed from Cheltenham victory Friday was my final day on course. Dinoblue has become the definition of consistency over the past two to three years, a superb mare for owner JP McManus. The Turley family also have an exciting prospect in King Rasko Grey. It will be difficult to emulate the success of Galopin Des Champs, but he looks very promising, following up his Turners Novice Hurdle win with another Grade 1 at Punchestown. Paul Townend’s comments about him having a good look around late on suggest that, with another summer behind him, we will see an even more mature horse next season. Race of the Week My race of the week came in the Boodles Champion Hurdle. There’s something special about a top-class mare, especially a grey, and Lossiemouth is simply sensational. Fourteen wins from eighteen starts in Ireland, and she’s still only seven years old. My moment of the week came before she returned to the winner’s enclosure, owner Rich Ricci took a moment to acknowledge the crowd, which was brilliant. Then, as Lossiemouth came back into a roar, Lorcan Williams, who finished second on Golden Ace, joined in the applause. No hard-luck story - just appreciation for a truly great horse. Punchestown 2026 was phenomenal. It had everything the festival is known for and more, great racing, great people, great weather, and great crowds. A total of 43,000 attended on Friday alone, which shows just how important horse racing remains in this country.
