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PUNCHESTOWN RACECOURSE |  |
| Racing has taken place in the Punchestown area of County Kildare since 1824. Initially the meeting on the present site was known as the Kildare and National Hunt Steeplechases in 1861,and the badge to this day carries the letters KHC. Within 7 years the meeting was attracting crowds in excess of 150000, especially when the Price of Wales (later King Edward VII) visited the course in 1868. | ||
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The Punchestown 5 Day Festival is as important to the Irish racegoers as the Cheltenham Festival is to their English counterparts. The Festival is held each April and includes the Champion Hurdle, the Champion Chase and the Punchestown Gold Cup. |  |
| The Punchestown Champion Hurdle is a 2 mile
Group One event first run at Punchestown in 1998 when Native Darrig was victorious. The
latest 2008 winner was the Barry Geraghty ridden Punjabi. The Punchestown Gold Cup is competed for in April and run over 3 miles 1 furlong since 1960 when Oberstown was the winner. In 2007 and 2008 Neptune Collonges completed a famous double with back to back wins. |
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The Punchestown Champion Chase is run over 2 miles and is a Group One race. It was first run in 1950 when named the Kerrygold Champion Chase and was won by Melman. In 2008 the Ruby Walsh ridden Twist Magic was successful. | |
| If you have badges, racecards, pictures of the racecourse or further details about the course, including your memories, then email johnslusar@fsmail.net | ||