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Punchestown Gold Cup: Past Winners, Stats & History

Punchestown Festival
Course:
Punchestown
Chase Course
Grade:
Grade 1
Length:
3m ½f
Last Winner:
Allaho @ 6/5
Prize Money:
€275,000 (2022)

The day two highlight at the Punchestown Festival is for many the standout contest of the entire meeting. Regularly featuring runners to have taken part in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, as well as the English and Irish Grand Nationals, the Punchestown Gold Cup is always a race to savour.

Despite only being run for the first time in 1999, Ruby Walsh managed to pick up six wins in this race, making him the Punchestown Gold Cup’s most successful jockey. In fact, Walsh announced his retirement from the saddle after winning this contest with Kemboy for Willie Mullins in 2019.

Punchestown Gold Cup Course Map (Chase Course)

Punchestown Chase Racecourse Map

Punchestown Gold Cup Past Winners

Year Winner SP Trainer Jockey
2022 Allaho 6/5 Willie Mullins Paul Townend
2021 Clan Des Obeaux 10/3 Paul Nicholls Sam Twiston-Davies
2020 Abandoned - - -
2019 Kemboy 13/8 Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh
2018 Bellshill 4/1 Willie Mullins David Mullins
2017 Sizing John 9/10 Jessica Harrington Robbie Power
2016 Carlingford Lough 12/1 John Kiely Barry Geraghty
2015 Don Cossack 5/2 Gordon Elliott Paul Carberry
2014 Boston Bob 5/2 Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh
2013 Sir Des Champs 2/1 Willie Mullins Davy Russell
2012 China Rock 20/1 Mouse Morris Barry Geraghty
2011 Follow The Plan 20/1 Oliver McKiernan Tom Doyle
2010 Planet Of Sound 14/1 Philip Hobbs Richard Johnson
2009 Notre Pere 15/8 Jim Dreaper Andrew Lynch
2008 Neptune Collonges 9/10 Paul Nicholls Ruby Walsh
2007 Neptune Collonges 8/1 Paul Nicholls Ruby Walsh
2006 War Of Attrition 4/5 Michael Morris Conor O'Dwyer
2005 Kicking King 8/11 Tom Taaffe Barry Geraghty
2004 Beef Or Salmon 5/4 Michael Hourigan Timmy Murphy
2003 First Gold 7/4 Francois Doumen Thierry Doumen

About the Punchestown Gold Cup: A Star-Studded Chase

Gold Bars on a Map of Ireland

In horse racing, springtime is associated with the start of the new flat season. The National Hunt season never goes out with a whimper though. It’s brought to a close with the biggest Irish meeting of the year, the Punchestown Festival, a great five days that can rival Cheltenham for equine class, betting options and Guinness downed.

The biggest yards from Ireland and Britain are all represented at this five day extravaganza of racing which includes a host of Grade 1 contests. The Punchestown Gold Cup is among the very best and most valuable races of the lot.

Cheltenham Runners Go for Gold Once More

The Punchestown Gold Cup as we currently know it was only introduced around the turn of the century. Technically, the Grade 1, 3m½f race was brand new in 1999 but it actually replaced a previous version which was open only to novice chasers.

Opening up the Punchestown Gold Cup to all chasers aged five and older has seen it steadily increase in importance. That much is clear by the number of competitors from the Gold Cup at Cheltenham who are sent on to compete in County Kildare.

It took six renewals before Kicking King became the first horse to win both the Cheltenham and Punchestown Gold Cups in the same season. There was no wait for the next horse to complete the double though as War Of Attrition managed to take both prizes in 2006. There was an even bigger break before Sizing John’s double in 2017 but Don Cossack did win at Punchestown in 2015 and then at Cheltenham in 2016.

Same Season Cheltenham & Punchestown Gold Cup Winners: 1999 – 2022

Year Horse Trainer Jockey
2017 Sizing John Jessica Harrington Robbie Power
2006 War Of Attrition Mouse Morris Conor O’Dwyer
2005 Kicking King Tom Taaffe Barry Geraghty

In the years before 1999 the Punchestown Gold Cup had a reputation for producing top class chasers. The horse who many believe to be the best chaser of all time, Arkle, won the race whilst still a novice. He would go on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in each of the three years that followed.

A Great Test of the Best Stayers

The class of those repeat winners prove that this is a race that really sets the best staying chasers apart. Moreover, the conditions tend to be somewhere around good or good to yielding. That demands both stamina and pace. Horses must be able to remain in contention whilst keeping something in reserve for the kick for home as it’s unusual for the Punchestown Gold Cup to be an out and out slog.

Chart Showing the Going for the Punchestown Gold Cups Between 1999 and 2022

Jumping is the other vital attribute. In total there are 17 fences to be navigated, each of which poses a real threat. Several horses have fallen when in a strong position and others have seen their chances end when making mistakes as the pressure is really turned on in the latter stages. That’s especially true when the ground is on the firmer side of yielding and the pace is turned up.

Class Applies to Jockeys and Trainers

The standard of performance required to win this race means that getting a confident ride from an experienced jockey can make the difference. Ruby Walsh holds the record for the new look Gold Cup with six wins, one ahead of Barry Geraghty with five. Both these jockeys are now retired but are the only riders to win this more than once between 1999 and 2022.

Chart Showing the Punchestown Gold Cup Winning Jockeys Between 1999 and 2022

Sometimes their role was to guide some of the very best chasers of their peers safely through the race and keep mistakes at bay but at other times those two had to give their partners world class rides.

Like many of the races at the Punchestown Festival, unsurprisingly the Gold Cup has been a happy hunting ground for Irish horses and trainers. Big name trainers from the Emerald Isle including Willie Mullins, Jessica Harrington and Gordon Elliott have all saddled the winner but so have British trainers such as Paul Nicholls and Philip Hobbs and the French trainer, François Doumen.

Chart Showing the Punchestown Gold Cup Winning Trainers Between 1999 and 2022

Other Races of Note at Punchestown

  • Punchestown Champion Chase
  • Punchestown Champion Hurdle
  • Punchestown Gold Cup

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