Punchestown Champion Hurdle

Template:Short description Template:Use Irish English Template:Short description Template:Jockey colours header Template:Jockey colours row |} Template:Jockey colours collapsible header Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours no footer Template:Jockey colours named collapsible header Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours no footer Template:Jockey colours named collapsible header Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours footer The Punchestown Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.

The present version of the race was introduced in 1999, and it was initially sponsored by Shell. Several different sponsors have followed, including Emo Oil, ACCBank, Rabobank, Racing Post, Betdaq and Paddy Power. Its current sponsor, Boodles, began supporting the race in 2024.

The field usually includes horses which ran previously in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, and the last to win both events in the same year was State Man in 2024. For a period the race was restricted to horses aged five or older, but the minimum age was lowered to four in 2009.

Records

Most successful horse since 1999 (4 wins):

• Hurricane Fly - 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

Leading jockey since 1999 (6 wins):

• Ruby Walsh - Davenport Milenium (2002), Hurricane Fly (2011, 2012, 2013), Faugheen (2015), Vroum Vroum Mag (2016)

Leading trainer since 1999 (11 wins):

• Willie Mullins – Davenport Milenium (2002), Hurricane Fly (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013), Faugheen (2015), Vroum Vroum Mag (2016), Wicklow Brave (2017), State Man (2023, 2024, 2025)

Winners since 1999

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer
1999	Istabraq	7	Charlie Swan	Aidan O'Brien
2000	Grimes	7	Charlie Swan	Christy Roche
2001	Moscow Flyer Template:Efn	7	Barry Geraghty	Jessica Harrington
2002	Davenport Milenium	6	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins
2003	Quazar	5	Tony Dobbin	Jonjo O'Neill
2004	Hardy Eustace	7	Conor O'Dwyer	Dessie Hughes
2005	Brave Inca	7	Tony McCoy	Colm Murphy
2006	Macs Joy	7	Barry Geraghty	Jessica Harrington
2007	Silent Oscar	8	Robbie Power	Harry Rogers
2008	Punjabi	5	Barry Geraghty	Nicky Henderson
2009	Solwhit	5	Davy Russell	Charles Byrnes
2010	Hurricane Fly	6	Paul Townend	Willie Mullins
2011	Hurricane Fly	7	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins
2012	Hurricane Fly	8	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins
2013	Hurricane Fly	9	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins
2014	Jezki	6	Tony McCoy	Jessica Harrington
2015	Faugheen	7	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins
2016	Vroum Vroum Mag	7	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins
2017	Wicklow Brave	8	Patrick MullinsTemplate:Efn	Willie Mullins
2018	Supasundae	8	Robbie Power	Jessica Harrington
2019	Buveur d'Air	8	Davy Russell	Nicky Henderson
	no race 2020 Template:Efn
2021	Honeysuckle	7	Rachael Blackmore	Henry de Bromhead
2022	Honeysuckle	8	Rachael Blackmore	Henry de Bromhead
2023	State Man	6	Paul Townend	Willie Mullins
2024	State Man	7	Paul Townend	Willie Mullins
2025	State Man	8	Paul Townend	Willie Mullins

See also

• Horse racing in Ireland
• List of Irish National Hunt races

References

• Racing Post:
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• pedigreequery.com – ACCBank Champion Hurdle – Punchestown.
• racenewsonline.co.uk – Racenews Archive (April 25, 2003).