New Sponsor At 2006 Punchestown Festival

ACCBank is to sponsor Ireland's richest Grade 1 Hurdle race, the ?180,000 ACCBank Champion Hurdle, which will take place on the concluding day of the 2006 Irish National Hunt Festival at Punchestown on Friday, 28 April 2006.

The Champion Hurdle at Punchestown has established itself as the most prestigious Grade 1 two mile hurdle race in Ireland and has been a major attraction to the best hurdlers from the UK and Ireland, including Istabraq, Hardy Eustace and Rooster Booster. The 2005 running realised one of best finishes of the season in when Brave Inca, Harchibald and Macs Joy battled it out.

Colm Murphy, trainer of the eventual winner Brave Inca, said he was pleased to hear of ACCBank's involvement in the race and commented: ?New sponsorships and increasing prize funds are what all trainers love to hear about and what Irish racing needs. I will certainly be aiming to retain my claim on the ACCBank Champion Hurdle, especially with its increased prize fund.'

The ACCBank sponsorship is the bank's first venture into horse racing sponsorship at this level. Delighted with the opportunity to sponsor at Punchestown, Conor Daly, Director of Banking at ACCBank said: 'We have been hugely impressed by the increased level of profile Punchestown has enjoyed over the last few years and our sponsorship reflects the importance of this race meeting as a key event amongst our target market.'

Dick O'Sullivan, Manager of Punchestown, added: 'We are thrilled to have ACCBank as sponsors at the Irish National Hunt Festival. ACCBank is a very successful company with a strong brand that will help to further enhance the increasingly popular final day of the festival. A new sponsor of this calibre confirms that the festival is continuing on its upward curve and is the perfect platform for blue chip company sponsorships.'

The 2006 Irish National Hunt Festival will take place from 25 April to 28 April next year and will again have a record prize fund in excess of ?2 million.