The Punchestown Gold Cup is a Grade 1 race over an extended three miles at the Punchestown Festival meeting in late April.
The Punchestown Gold Cup takes place onthe 1st of May 2024.
The race was created in 1999 to attract Cheltenham Gold Cup horses and quickly became established as one of the top staying steeplechases in Ireland.
Notable past winners include Imperial Call (2010), Florida Pearl (2002), Kicking King (2005), Don Cossack (2015) and Sizing John (2017).
The Punchestown Gold Cup is the Irish equivalent of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and horses that have previously competed in the Cheltenham Gold Cup are normally entered in the Punchestown version. Sizing John was the last horse to win both races in the same year, in 2017.
For more information on the Punchestown Gold Cup such as tips, odds and previous winners, check out this full guide.
The Punchestown Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase held in Ireland for horses aged five and higher.
It is run at Punchestown over a distance of approximately 3 miles and 1/2 furlong, with seventeen obstacles to be jumped.
Each year, the race takes place in late April or early May during the Punchestown Festival.
Punchestown Gold Cup Previous Winners
Check out the previous winners for this race:
2013
Sir Des Champs
7
Davy Russell
Willie Mullins
2014
Boston Bob
9
Ruby Walsh
Willie Mullins
2015
Don Cossack
8
Paul Carberry
Gordon Elliott
2016
Carlingford Lough
10
Barry Geraghty
John Kiely
2017
Sizing John
7
Robbie Power
Jessica Harrington
2018
Bellshill
8
David Mullins
Willie Mullins
2019
Kemboy
7
Ruby Walsh
Willie Mullins
no race 2020 [b]
2021
Clan des Obeaux
9
Sam Twiston-Davies
Paul Nicholls
2022
Allaho
8
Paul Townend
Willie Mullins
2023
Fastorslow
7
JJ Slevin
Martin Brassil
Famous Punchestown Gold Cup Winners
The Punchestown Gold Cup is widely regarded as the highlight of the Punchestown Festival meeting. It regularly attracts top-quality chasers who competed in the Cheltenham Gold Cup the previous month.
The inaugural running in 1999 was won by Imperial Call who had won the Cheltenham showpiece three years earlier.
Willie Mullins won the race for the first time in 2002 with Florida Pearl, undoubtedly one of the best steeplechasers never to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He won half of his 32 career starts including a record four Irish Gold Cups between 1999 and 2004.
France won the race in 2003 with First Gold, trained by Francois Doumen. He had beaten Florida Peal in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park in 2000.
2004 winner Beef or Salmon was another high-class Irish chaser, claiming three Irish Gold Cup victories in 2003, 2006 and 2007.
Kicking King (2005) and War Of Attrition (2006) both followed up their Cheltenham Gold Cup victories in this race. Kicking King was also a dual King George VI Chase winner (2004, 2005) for Trainer Tom Taaffe and jockey Barry Geraghty.
Neptune Collonges became the first horse to win the race twice when successful for Paul Nicholls in 2007 and 2008. He went on the record the biggest success of his career in the 2012 Grand National and was promptly retired by connections.
Don Cossack won here in 2015 and won the Cheltenham Gold Cup the following season for Gordon Elliott. Unfortunately, his career was curtailed through injury and he was retired to his owner’s Gigginstown House Stud.
Sizing John (2017) is the most recent Cheltenham Gold Cup winner to take this valuable prize.
Key Punchestown Gold Cup Trials
Despite all of the links to the Cheltenham Gold Cup, this race has only been won three times in the past eleven seasons by horses who ran in chasing’s blue riband event last time out. That figure is matched by the Betway Bowl at Aintree, a double successfully completed by Clan Des Obeaux in 2021 after side-stepping the Cheltenham Festival.
Only four of the last eleven winners ran in the Cheltenham Gold Cup the following season. Don Cossack was the only one to succeed with the Willie Mullins trio of Boston Bob (2014), Bellshill (2018) and Kemboy (2019) all well beaten.
Punchestown Gold Cup Betting Trends
Four of the last eleven Punchestown Gold Cup favourites have been successful; Sir Des Champs (2013), Boston Bob (2014), Sizing John (2017) and Kemboy (2019). The latter at 13-8 favourite was the shortest-priced winner during that period.
There have been shock results here with Planet Of Sound (2010), Follow The Plan (2011) and China Rock (2012) returning at 14-1 and 20-1 twice respectively. Carlingford Lough was a 12-1 chance when scoring in 2016.
An official rating of 159 or higher has been required to win this race since 2013. Kemboy was rated 174 in 2019, just 1lb higher than Sir Des Champs in 2013.
Nine of the last eleven winners had raced at least twice at the track with eight of them having achieved at least one course victory.
The last eleven winners had all raced at least four times during the current season.
They had all won at least once at Grade 1 to 3 level.
The age range varies, although horses aged 7-9 seem to do best. Neptune Collonges (2007) was the youngest winner at the age of six while four ten-year-olds have won here, the most recent being Carlingford Lough in 2016.
Punchestown Gold Cup – Top Trainers and Jockeys
Willie Mullins predictably leads the trainer stats for the Punchestown Gold Cup with five victories; Florida Pearl (2002), Sir Des Champs (2013), Boston Bob (2014), Bellshill (2018) and Kemboy (2019).
Paul Nicholls is next best with three victories with Clan Des Obeaux (2021) adding to the two successes of Neptune Collonges (2007, 2008).
Ruby Walsh is the most successful jockey in the history of the Punchestown Gold Cup with six winners; Imperial Call (1999), Commanche Court (2000), Neptune Collonges (2007, 2008), Boston Bob (2014) and Bellshill (2018). His last victory eclipsed the record of four winners set by weighing-room colleague Barry Geraghty.
Betting on the Punchestown Gold Cup
The Punchestown Gold Cup is one of the big betting races of the festival meeting and always attracts some top quality chasers.
The field is usually relatively small but it invariably produces a thrilling race. There is a lively ante-post market for this race with an intriguing mix of established Cheltenham Gold Cup horses and up-and-coming Irish chasers.
Definitely the highlight of the Punchestown Festival for many!
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
The Punchestown Gold Cup is the big one of the week.
It is the last clash of the best 3-mile chasers in the UK and Ireland, as expected it’s been dominated by the home team and more specifically Willie Mullins in recent years.
A race already steeped in history and one to saviour.
2024 Punchestown Festival Related Articles
If you have enjoyed this Punchestown Festival page, here are some other articles related to Punchestown betting you may also like:
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.
