The Cheltenham Festival may be over and done with for another year, but we still have a couple of excellent multi-day meetings before the flat takes over. Kicking off on Thursday, 3rd April and concluding on Saturday, 5th April, the Aintree Grand National Festival tops the domestic bill. However, in terms of class, the best event comes at the County Kildare track of Punchestown.
Beginning on Tuesday, 29th April and running through to Saturday, 3rd May, the Punchestown Festival features five days of top-class jumps action. Considered to be Ireland’s version of the Cheltenham Festival, the meeting attracts many of the runners last seen strutting their stuff at Prestbury Park and includes no fewer than 12 Grade 1 contests.
The Punchestown Festival is here! 🙌 @punchestownrace pic.twitter.com/zhxOXcduil
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 30, 2024
The William Hill Champion Chase, the Champion Stayers’ Hurdle, and the Punchestown Gold Cup are all races to savour, but if the big guns all stand their ground, the Punchestown Champion Hurdle may be the pick of the bunch.
Scott Eyeing More Gold with Ace
There were many memorable moments at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, but in terms of sheer drama, the Champion Hurdle took top honours. With Constitution Hill bowing out early, Brighterdaysahead performing way below expectations, and State Man so spectacularly departing at the last, it was left to the Jeremy Scott-trained Golden Ace to pick up the pieces to hand her trainer the biggest success of his career.
Cheltenham Champion Hurdle 2025 Full Result
| Pos. | Horse | SP | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golden Ace | 25/1 | Jeremy Scott | Lorcan Williams |
| 2 | Burdett Road | 66/1 | James Owen | Sam Twiston-Davies |
| 3 | Winter Fog | 150/1 | Willie Mullins | Brian Hayes |
| 4 | Brighterdaysahead | 5/2 | Gordon Elliott | Jack Kennedy |
| 5 | King Of Kingsfield | 200/1 | Gordon Elliott | Danny Gilligan |
| Fell | State Man | 8/1 | Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| Fell | Constitution Hill | 1/2 | Nicky Henderson | Nico de Boinville |
Fortunate or not, Golden Ace is now a Grade 1 winner and unbeaten in two outings at the Cheltenham Festival. Having tasted top-tier success on home soil, it now appears that Scott may take his star mare to Ireland to take on the best of the best in the Day 4 feature at the Punchestown Festival.
Since being added to the Punchestown programme in 1999, seven horses have completed the Cheltenham and Punchestown Champion Hurdle double in the same season, including Hurricane Fly and Honeysuckle, who achieved the feat on two occasions. If Golden Ace is to add her name to that list, she may need to conquer the hottest 2m hurdle field of the season.
Hill Hot Favourite to Bounce Back
Constitution Hill may have lost his unbeaten record under rules thanks to that fourth flight fall at Cheltenham, but in the eyes of most observers, he remains the most talented two-mile hurdler in training.
The eight-year-old hasn’t raced in Ireland since 2021 when finishing second in a Tipperary Point-to-Point. However, Nicky Henderson immediately mentioned this race as a target in the aftermath of the Champion Hurdle. Successful eight times in Grade 1 company and sitting on a rating of 175, he showed plenty of sparkle when bagging the Christmas Hurdle and International on his return from injury. If making the trip to Ireland, as his trainer suggested, he’s the horse they all have to beat.
Talented Home Team Lie in Wait
Golden Ace and Constitution Hill represent a potent two-pronged attack for the British raiders, but the home team won’t go down without a fight. Lying in wait amongst the likely opposition are two runners bidding to bounce back from Champion Hurdle disappointment and a mare who lit up the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival with a scintillating victory in the Close Brothers’ Mares Hurdle.
- State Man – But for doing his best impression of Annie Power at the final flight, this Willie Mullins star would surely have retained his Champion Hurdle title in impressive style. Constitution Hill had his measure in the 2023 Champion Hurdle, but the Doctor Dino gelding boasts a near-flawless record at this track. State Man has come home in front in five of his six visits to Punchestown, with the only blemish being a defeat by three-quarters of a length to Brighterdaysahead in the 2024 Morgiana Hurdle. Successful in the 2023 and 2024 editions of this race, he will be fancied by many to land the hat-trick
- Brighterdaysahead – Ahead of the Champion Hurdle, Brighterdaysahead was deemed the mare most likely to come home in front. That, of course, failed to materialise, with the Gordon Elliott runner posting a laboured effort under Jack Kennedy. The performance was all the more surprising considering her previous outing at Leopardstown, which saw her slam the Neville Hotels Hurdle field by a yawning 30 lengths. Reportedly distressed in the latter stages of the race, it seems likely that all was not well on the day. Now zero from two at Cheltenham, her record elsewhere reads a perfect nine wins from as many starts, including a Grade 1 success at this track
- Lossiemouth – Following her eye-catching comeback win in the Hatton’s Grade Hurdle at Fairyhouse, this Willie Mullins mare briefly assumed Champion Hurdle favouritism. However, having been swatted aside by Constitution Hill at Kempton and falling in the Irish Champion Hurdle, she ultimately moved back up in trip for the Mares’ Hurdle. Too good for her rivals on paper, she was in a different league at the track and cruised clear for success by more than seven lengths. Dropping back to two miles poses a question, but as a six-time Grade 1 winner with a two-from-two record at the track, Lossiemouth merits the utmost respect
Constitution Hill vs State Man vs Brighterdaysahead vs Lossiemouth vs Golden Ace; if all five go to post, the Punchestown Champion Hurdle may be the race of the season.