The Punchestown Champion Bumper (or INH Flat Race) is a Grade 1 race for amateur riders over two miles at the April Punchestown Festival meeting.
The Champion INH Flat Race takes place onthe 1st of May 2024.
It was first run in 1992 and is an obvious target for horses who ran in the Cheltenham Champion Bumper the previous month.
Notable winners include Like-A-Butterfly (2001), Champagne Fever (2012), Bellshill (2015) and Tornado Flyer (2018).
The race frequently includes horses that have already competed in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, and Cousin Vinny won both events in 2008 as did Fayonagh in 2017 and Facile Vega in 2022.
Find out more about the Punchestown Champion Flat Race:
The Champion INH Flat Race is a Grade 1 National Hunt flat race for amateur riders held in Ireland.
It is available to horses aged four to seven years old. It is held annually at Punchestown over a distance of approximately 2 miles and 1/2 furlong during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.
The Punchestown Champion INH Flat Race is the Irish equivalent of the Cheltenham Champion Bumper.
The inaugural running in 1992 was won by the four-year-old Tiananmen Square, trained by Noel Meade and ridden by Tim Hyde.
Willie Mullins was always likely to prosper in this event and he won it for the first time in 1995 with Maringo. Surprisingly, he had to wait until Cousin Vinny in 2008 for his next victory.
Like-A-Butterfly won in 2001 for Christy Roche and JT McNamara. The mare went on to win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2002 and the Irish Champion Hurdle in 2003. Her other victories included the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle and the Deloitte Novice Hurdle.
Mullins took a firm grip on the Punchestown Bumper from 2011 to 2022, winning it on a further eight occasions during that ten-year spell. 2012 winner Champagne Fever won ten of his 21 career starts including the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle the following season. He came within a whisker of winning the Arkle Challenge Trophy, being caught in the final stride by 33-1 outsider Western Warhorse in 2014.
Mullins domination of the race has only been punctuated by David Pipe’s Liquidator (2013) and Gordon Elliott’s Fayonagh (2017). Bellshill (2015) went on to win the Irish Gold Cup in 2019. Tornado Flyer (2018) sprang a huge surprise when lifting the King George VI Chase in 2021. 2019 winner Colreevy won the Punchestown Champion Novice Chase in 2021, defeating her better-fancied stable companion Monkfish.
Key Punchestown Champion Bumper Trials
Six of the last eleven winners of the Punchestown Champion Bumper had their previous start in the Cheltenham Champion Bumper. Two of the six had won and three had been placed, making this by far the most significant trial.
Five of the last eleven winners ran in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham the following season. Only Champagne Fever (2012) was successful while 2014 winner Shaneshill finished second. The 2016 winner Blow By Blow also ran at the Cheltenham Festival the following year, winning the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Title.
Punchestown Champion Bumper Betting Trends
Surprisingly there have only been two winning favourites in this race in the last eleven renewals. Champagne Fever was 11-4 favourite in 2012 and Fayonagh returned a well-backed 11-8 favourite in 2017.
A further six of those winners were either second or third favourite so shock results are rare.
The longest-priced winning during the last eleven seasons was Blow By Blow at 14-1 in 2016.
Tornado Flyer was a 12-1 shot when winning this race in 2018.
All but one of the last eleven winners were aged five or six.
Hidden Universe won as a four-year-old in 2010 for Dermot Weld and Robbie McNamara.
Like-A-Butterfly (2001) and Leading Run (2006) won this race at the age of seven.
All eleven winners had raced at least twice under rules and won at least once.
Four had a least one previous victory in a Grade 1 to 3 race.
Punchestown Champion Bumper – Top Trainers and Jockeys
Willie Mullins has a phenomenal record in the Punchestown Bumper with eleven victories. His full list; Maringo (1995), Cousin Vinny (2008), Lovethehigherlaw (2011), Champagne Fever (2012), Shaneshill (2014), Bellshill (2015), Blow By Blow (2016), Tornado Flyer (2018), Colreevy (2019), Kilcruit (2021) and Facile Vega (2022).
Patrick Mullins rode three of those winners while Jamie Codd rode two and was also successful on Gordon Elliott’s Fayonagh (2017). They currently share the honour of leading jockey in the race with three winners apiece. Nina Carberry won it on Leading Run (2006) and Mick The Man (2007) and Katie Walsh won it on Blow By Blow (2016).
Noel Meade has trained four Punchestown Champion Bumper winners, the most recent being Mick The Man.
There have been five British-trained winners; Arctic Camper (1997), King’s Road (1998), Royal Rosa (2003), Refinement (2005) and The Liquidator (2013).
Betting on the Punchestown Champion Bumper
The Punchestown Champion Bumper has turned into a Willie Mullins benefit in recent times.
The field sizes have stood up pretty well and, rather like in the Cheltenham Champion Bumper, it is not necessarily the stable number one who finishes in front.
The Cheltenham Bumper form is the most obvious form guide but there could still be some each-way value in a race which has produced numerous Grade 1 winners over both hurdles and fences.
bet365 is a market leading sportsbook bookmaker with amazing offers on the 5 day Punchestown Festival in Ireland.
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. #AD Registration required.
Betfred have an amazing sign up offer for Punchestown Festival punters who are betting on the 5 day Irish event.
New 18+ UK customers only. Register using the promo code WELCOME40, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £30 in Free Bets and £10 in Free Spins (50x20p) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Free Bet stakes are not included in any returns. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required. #AD Full T&Cs apply.
BetVictor is a very popular bookmaker providing many offers and deals during the Punchestown Festival, home of the National Hunt.
18+ New Customers only. Opt in, bet £20 on Horse Racing, 1/1+ odds in 7 days, no cash out. Get £40 in Free Bets on set markets valid 7 days. Debit Card / Apple Pay payments only. begambleaware.org | Please Gamble Responsibly.
The world’s biggest online betting exchange is offering specials for the Punchestown Festival with competitive welcome offers for the races in Ireland.
New Customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. #AD Please Gamble Responsibly.
BetUK is providing new customers with excellent offers on the five-day Punchestown festival in what is expected to be a corker in Irish racing!
New customers, Deposit & Place a Bet within 7 days, and settle a £10 minimum bet at odds of 4/5 (1.8) or greater, to be credited with 3x £10 free bets: 1 x £10 Horse racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder and 1 x £10 Football. #AD Stake not returned.
The BoyleSports Punchestown Festival betting offers £30 free bets to new customers for upcoming meeting in Ireland.
New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. #AD T&Cs apply.
Take advantage of Coral’s Punchestown betting offer where racegoers will be treated to five fabulous days of quality National Hunt racing.
18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 1x £20 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. #AD Restrictions apply.
Claim competitive free bets and Punchestown offers with leading bookmaker Ladbrokes and gets one step ahead at the upcoming Festival.
18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £/€5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x £/€5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. #AD Restrictions apply.
The Livescore bet 10 get 20 in free bets bonus is a great betting promotion for Punchestown punters with a qualifying bet for the Irish Festival.
New members. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook, placed & settled at 1.5 min odds within 14 days of sign-up. Win part of E/W bets. 2 non-withdrawable £10 Free Bet Tokens: accept in 7 days, valid for 7 days from crediting (ex. E/Ws & Multiples), stakes not returned. **UK and Irish horse racing win/each-way bets placed after 9am on race day. Max enhancement £50k/day. Bet Responsibly. #AD BeGambleAware.org. 18+.
Sky Bet Punchestown offers are available for new and existing customers at the Punchestown Festival this year.
NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. FIRST SINGLE & E/W BET ONLY. 5P MINIMUM STAKE. 3 X £10 BET TOKENS. FREE BET STAKES NOT INCLUDED IN RETURNS. FREE BETS EXCLUDE VIRTUALS. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. NO FREE BET EXPIRY. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER T&CS APPLY. 18+. #AD BEGAMBLEAWARE.ORG
If you are looking to earn some extra winnings from the National Hunt races at Punchestown, Unibet have some fantastic offers.
18+ begambleaware.org. New customers only. Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus if first racing bet loses. Wagering: sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), casino 50x. Sports bonus must be wagered before using the casino bonus. #AD Bonus expires 7 days after opt-in.
If you are a new Member of Virgin Bet, you will be eligible for a free bet offer for the 5 day Punchestown Festival.
*New members. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook, placed & settled at 1.5 min odds within 14 days of sign-up. Win part of E/W bets. 2 non-withdrawable £10 Free Bet Tokens: accept in 7 days, valid for 7 days from acceptance (ex. E/Ws & Multiples), stakes not returned. Bet Responsibly. #AD BeGambleAware.org. 18+.
Parimatch is offering new customers exciting free bet bonuses for the highly anticipated five-day Punchestown Festival.
18+ New Customers Only. Opt-in, bet on Horse Racing within 7 days of registration. Get your stake refunded up to £30 in Free Bets for set markets if your bet loses (odds 3.00+). Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments only. Offer valid from 16:00 UK time 04/08/2023. begambleaware.org | #AD Please Gamble Responsibly
William Hill will offer free bet promotion for new customers at all 28 races at the Punchestown Festival.
New customers using Promo code H30 only, Min £10/€10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 2 x £15/€15, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions apply. #AD
James Dooley is a UK entrepreneur who founded British Racecourses because of his love for horse racing. James owns 14 racehorses through Dooley Thoroughbreds, so he understands all aspects of horse racing, from wagering bets, and booking jockeys to sourcing the best horse racing trainers. James Dooley’s connections give him inside information on horse racing tips and best chances of a winner.
bet365 is a market leading sportsbook bookmaker with amazing offers on the 5 day Punchestown Festival in Ireland.
Betfred have an amazing sign up offer for Punchestown Festival punters who are betting on the 5 day Irish event.
BetVictor is a very popular bookmaker providing many offers and deals during the Punchestown Festival, home of the National Hunt.
The world’s biggest online betting exchange is offering specials for the Punchestown Festival with competitive welcome offers for the races in Ireland.
BetUK is providing new customers with excellent offers on the five-day Punchestown festival in what is expected to be a corker in Irish racing!
The BoyleSports Punchestown Festival betting offers £30 free bets to new customers for upcoming meeting in Ireland.
Take advantage of Coral’s Punchestown betting offer where racegoers will be treated to five fabulous days of quality National Hunt racing.
Claim competitive free bets and Punchestown offers with leading bookmaker Ladbrokes and gets one step ahead at the upcoming Festival.
The Livescore bet 10 get 20 in free bets bonus is a great betting promotion for Punchestown punters with a qualifying bet for the Irish Festival.
Sky Bet Punchestown offers are available for new and existing customers at the Punchestown Festival this year.
If you are looking to earn some extra winnings from the National Hunt races at Punchestown, Unibet have some fantastic offers.
If you are a new Member of Virgin Bet, you will be eligible for a free bet offer for the 5 day Punchestown Festival.
Get the best Paddy Power Punchestown free bets and betting offers available for new customers for the home of the National Hunt.
Parimatch is offering new customers exciting free bet bonuses for the highly anticipated five-day Punchestown Festival.
William Hill will offer free bet promotion for new customers at all 28 races at the Punchestown Festival.
