Punchestown in 60 seconds: the week's key races, horses, trainers and jockeys

The five-day Punchestown festival brings the curtain down on the jumps season in Ireland and it promises to be a sensational meeting. Here is everything you need to know about the fixture . . .

The key races

There are 12 tantalising top-level contests across the big meeting that begins on Tuesday.

Day one features include the Bective Stud Champion Novice Hurdle (4.15), William Hill Champion Chase (5.25) – in which Energumene takes on stablemate Chacun Pour Soi – and the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase (6.35).

The Punchestown Gold Cup (5.55) is the highlight on Wednesday with the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle (5.20) and Race & Stay At Punchestown Champion I.N.H Flat Race (6.30), starring Champion Bumper winner Facile Vega, on the undercard.

Facile Vega: Champion Bumper winner runs at Punchestown on WednesdayCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Thursday's jewels include the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle (5.25), Barberstown Castle Novice Chase (6.35) and La Touche Cup (4.50) over the cross-country fences, while the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle (5.25) and Alana Homes Champion Novice Hurdle (6.00) are the big races on Friday.

There are two more Grade 1s on the final day on Saturday – the Coolmore Kew Gardens Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle (3.50) and the Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle (4.25).

The key horses

Superstar mare Honeysuckle bids for a second Paddy Power Champion Hurdle and 16th straight success in the Friday feature and it is hard to envisage anything other than another victory.

Sir Gerhard, taking on Dysart Dynamo, complements the fellow Closutton clash between Energumene and Chacun Pour Soi on day one, with Bob Olinger also in action in the 3m novice chase.

The Punchestown Gold Cup has yielded nine runners . . . and nine top-level winners, including last year's scorer Clan Des Obeaux, Galvin, Allaho and Minella Indo, with Paisley Park, The Nice Guy and Vauban among the other star names at the meeting.

The key trainers

That should read the key trainer. Willie Mullins has saddled a whopping 69 winners at the past five Punchestown festivals. In the same period, Gordon Elliott, his nearest pursuer, has trained 16 winners.

Mullins multiples are likely to be in the headlines and he has five likely favourites on the opening day card alone. It could be a long week for his training colleagues.

The key jockeys

Mullins' dominant record means Paul Townend has often been the go-to jockey and he boasts a 25 per cent strike-rate at the course in the past five seasons and a 50 per cent strike-rate (11-22) this campaign.

Davy Russell: has ridden 149 winners at PunchestownCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Davy Russell is the most successful current jockey at the track – just one short of 150 winners at Punchestown – and he could bid for a second Punchestown Gold Cup success on Galvin, having won the day two highlight on Sir Des Champs in 2013.

Where you can watch it

All races will be broadcast on Racing TV, while fans in Ireland can enjoy terrestrial coverage of the big races on RTE2 from 4pm.

Read more on the Punchestown festival . . .

Confirmed runners and riders for the Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday

'It's Chacun's track' – Patrick Mullins excited about Energumene rematch

Big-race fancies: who our tipsters expect to triumph at Punchestown

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