The Punchestown jumps meeting, set to take place on Monday 2nd February 2026, once again takes centre stage as one of the most informative fixtures in the Irish National Hunt calendar.
The fixture arrives at a point when trainers are beginning to reveal their plans for major meetings later in the season, and as a result, this Bank Holiday meeting has developed a reputation as a reliable guide to horses likely to make an impact later in the season.
While it may lack the festival status of spring meetings to come, such as the Cheltenham Festival in March, the overall depth and quality of Irish-trained runners across the eight-race card ensures an intriguing afternoon of competitive racing.
Punchestown’s galloping, right-handed layout plays a major role in shaping the outcomes of races at this time of year. The long home straight and emphasis on stamina regularly favour horses that stay strong rather than those that often rely so heavily on speed.
With conditions set to be on the soft side, this testing ground will suit some horses more than others – and it’s worth keeping an eye on the final declarations closer to the time.
Race day schedule
The Punchestown jumps meeting opens with a test over three miles and one furlong that brings together a strong line-up of horses.
Among the Irish-trained entries, Conflated is one to note. Trained by Gordon Elliott, Conflated arrives here with solid recent form in open point-to-points and has shown good enough stamina over extended distances to be close at the finish.
However, Empire Soldier, trained by Denis Paul Murphy, will have something to say about that. Empire Soldier has been placed in Irish point-to-points recently and may enjoy the strong, searching nature of this unusual chase test.
Another Irish contender, Vanillier, trained by Gavin Cromwell, is a proven course and distance winner and may just be the main danger in the market. Peter Flood’s Knockiel Synge brings a strong staying pedigree and could feature if he finds his rhythm over this extended distance.
Fakir d’Oudairies is an intriguing Irish-bred runner with previous staying chase experience in open company, though the 11-year-old hasn’t won for quite some time and was poor at the Cheltenham Festival in 2024.
The second race is the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Handicap Chase over two miles and six furlongs. This contest tends to suit mares with a combination of both speed and endurance, especially those that have previously shown that they can handle soft conditions, with rain forecast ahead of the meeting.
Irish yards, including several smaller stables, have a strong record in mares’ handicaps in this race, and the emphasis here will be on accurate jumping throughout in order to come out on top.
Once again, Gordon Elliott could be well represented, with both Hardy Diamond and Speculatrix entered. Barry Connell has entered the only course and distance winner in the race, Nine Graces, who travelled strongly to prevail back in January last year.
The first of the day’s hurdling contests follows with a Maiden Hurdle over two miles. The field is packed with Irish-trained prospects stepping into obstacles for the first time or looking to break their maiden tag.
Horses with solid bumper form or a progressive galloping style will be ones to watch, due to the fact that Punchestown’s uphill finish ruthlessly exposes any weaknesses.
Shortly after is another Maiden Hurdle, this time over an extended two miles and three furlongs. Although there’s little to go on at present, expect the betting to be fairly telling closer to the off-time. However, do keep an eye on Eugene O’Sullivan’s Themanintheanorak, who comes into this race as the highest-rated horse.
Up next is the Ladbrokes Novice Handicap Hurdle, which is so often the most competitive event on the card. Novice handicap hurdles at Punchestown often feature extremely competitive fields, and this year is no different.
Willie Mullins’ Lumiere Du Large is among those entered, though both Gordon Elliott and Gavin Cromwell will be hoping to win the prize with entries of their own.
The former has Ma Jacks Hill and Needs Must as a two-pronged attack, while Cromwell’s five-year-old comes into the race on the back of a promising run at Naas last time out.
Following this is the ThatPrizeGuy.co.uk Maiden Hurdle over two miles and seven furlongs, the third and final maiden of the meeting. These extended maiden hurdles are typically contested by stayers or horses bred to get further, and performance here can often indicate future prospects in staying handicap hurdles.
Irish yards with a reputation for stamina types tend to target this event – and this year is the same with a competitive-looking line-up, though declarations are yet to be made.
Later in the afternoon, there is the Ladbrokes Mares Handicap Hurdle over two miles and seven furlongs. This particular race pits veteran Irish mares against younger mares attempting to make a name for themselves.
Michael Barry’s Lucky Viv and Colin Motherway’s Pebble Bleu are the two course and distance runners in the line-up who both carry a threat in a race of this magnitude.
The meeting concludes with the Up The Yard Challenge Race, a contest over two miles and a furlong that is open to horses aged four and upwards that have competed at least three times under rules.
These end-of-day races so often throw up surprises, especially from Irish trainers who bring forward consistent handicappers hoping to end their meeting on a high. At present, there are 29 entered, with Willie Mullins clearly targeting the race, with potentially eight of his horses ready to line up and win the prize.
Find out the odds on the horse racing at Tonybet here.
Standout races and key contenders
As mentioned, across the eight races, several Irish-trained horses catch the eye as they attempt to be victorious at Punchestown.
In the 15:00, Willie Mullins’ Lumiere Du Large certainly appears to be one of the more intriguing prospects on the card. From a yard renowned for patience and long-term planning, he looks like a horse capable of taking a race of this stature. Punchestown has often been the scene of educational but encouraging runs from similar Mullins trainees, many of whom go on to win valuable handicaps or novice events.
Edward Cawley’s Come Walk With Me offers a different appeal in the same race, representing a dependable handicap type who could thrive in a strongly run race.
Yet it would also be foolish to rule out Gordon Elliott’s Ma Jacks Hill. Elliott is well-known for producing tough, competitive novices, and his runner’s ability to handle pressure and maintain a strong rhythm over hurdles could prove decisive on a track that demands constant concentration.
Among the less-heralded Irish runners, Lough Nigara and Mullaghgloss deserve attention. It’s easy to look towards the best trainers at the meeting, but there are plenty of gritty runners that will enjoy Punchestown’s demanding track – and these are two names worth keeping tabs on.
In the staying races, Needs Must stands out as a horse likely to benefit from a strong gallop. His profile suggests that he could be well-suited to Punchestown’s emphasis on stamina rather than speed.
The mares’ races are equally significant and could throw up names to keep an eye on later down the line. Irish-trained mares that throw up a solid performance here may well be ready to progress through the ranks.
Punchestown betting focus
For punters, the key when betting at Punchestown often comes down to stamina, previous course form and, in this case, how well they adapt to the conditions, which are likely to be soft.
In the Cross Country Chase, Gordon Elliott’s Conflated looks to have a huge chance of coming first past the post, having shown both durability and strong finishing power in point-to-points, while Denis Murphy’s Empire Soldier brings a proven ability over fences.
The P.P. Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase features promising Irish novices who have already shown that they stay strongly to the finish at a variety of tracks. However, Gavin Cromwell’s Vanillier is all too familiar with Punchestown and soft ground, and is a strong candidate to be crowned victorious.
In the mares’ division, experienced Irish horses with previous staying form are worth keeping an eye on, as they tend to improve on heavy ground and finish powerfully. Surprises may happen, but the race times don’t lie – and these are angles to keep an eye on for those who enjoy an antepost bet.
Keep up to date with Tonybet
With the race cards yet to be declared heading into this competitive-looking Bank Holiday meeting, it’s worth keeping tabs on those that head to the post, as well as jockey bookings. The biggest trainers often dominate this meeting, so do keep tabs on the likes of Mullins and Elliott, but course and distance winners shouldn’t be too far away from your thinking either.
