Punchestown Gold Cup
| Grade 1 race | |
| Location | Punchestown Co. Kildare, Ireland |
|---|---|
| Race type | Steeplechase |
| Sponsor | Bibby Financial Services |
| Website | Punchestown |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 3m 1f (5,029 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Five-years-old and up |
| Weight | 11 st 5 lb (5yo); 11 st 10 lb (6yo+) Allowances 7 lb for mares |
| Purse | €200,000 (2015) 1st: €118,000 |
| 2016 | ||
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| Carlingford Lough | Djakadam | Don Poli |
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | ||
| 92px | |
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| Don Cossack | Djakadam | Road To Riches |
| 2014 | ||
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| Boston Bob | First Lieutenant | Long Run |
| 2013 | ||
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92px |
| Sir Des Champs | Long Run | First Lieutenant |
| 2012 | ||
| 92px | 92px | 92px |
| China Rock | Follow The Plan | Quel Esprit |
| 2011 | ||
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| Follow The Plan | Vic Venturi | Rare Bob |
| 2010 | ||
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| Planet Of Sound | War Of Attrition | Cooldine |
| 2009 | ||
| 92px | 92px | 92px |
| Notre Pere | Schindlers Hunt | Scotsirish |
| 2008 | ||
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| Neptune Collonges | Snowy Morning | Mossbank |
| 2007 | ||
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| Neptune Collonges | Kingscliff | In Compliance |
| 2006 | ||
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92px | 92px |
| War Of Attrition | Beef Or Salmon | Hi Cloy |
| 2005 | ||
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92px | 92px |
| Kicking King | Rule Supreme | Pizarro |
| 2004 | ||
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| Beef Or Salmon | Harbour Pilot | First Gold |
| 2003 | ||
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| First Gold | Rince Ri | Native Upmanship |
The Punchestown Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 3 miles and 1 furlong (5,029 metres), and during its running there are seventeen fences 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, when it replaced a previous version for novice chasers only. It was formerly sponsored by Heineken, and it used to be known as the Heineken Gold Cup. It was backed by Diageo between 2005 and 2011, and from 2011 to 2014 sponsored by Tote Ireland - the title promotes the tote.com. Since 2014 the race has been sponsored by Bibby Financial Services.
The Punchestown Gold Cup usually features horses which ran previously in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The last to win both races in the same year was War of Attrition in 2006.
Records
Most successful horse (2 wins):
- Neptune Collonges – 2007, 2008
Leading jockey since 1999 (5 wins):
- Ruby Walsh – Imperial Call (1999), Commanche Court (2000), Neptune Collonges (2007, 2008), Boston Bob (2014)
- Barry Geraghty - Moscow Express (2001), Florida Pearl (2002), Kicking King (2005), China Rock (2012), Carlingford Lough (2016)
Leading trainer since 1999 (3 wins):
- Willie Mullins - Florida Pearl (2002), Sir Des Champs (2013), Boston Bob (2014)
Winners since 1999
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Imperial Call | 10 | Ruby Walsh | Raymond Hurley |
| 2000 | Commanche Court | 7 | Ruby Walsh | Ted Walsh |
| 2001 | Moscow Express [1] | 9 | Barry Geraghty | Frances Crowley |
| 2002 | Florida Pearl | 10 | Barry Geraghty | Willie Mullins |
| 2003 | First Gold | 10 | Thierry Doumen | François Doumen |
| 2004 | Beef or Salmon | 8 | Timmy Murphy | Michael Hourigan |
| 2005 | Kicking King | 7 | Barry Geraghty | Tom Taaffe |
| 2006 | War Of Attrition | 7 | Conor O'Dwyer | Mouse Morris |
| 2007 | Neptune Collonges | 6 | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls |
| 2008 | Neptune Collonges | 7 | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls |
| 2009 | Notre Pere | 8 | Andrew Lynch | Jim Dreaper |
| 2010 | Planet of Sound | 8 | Richard Johnson | Philip Hobbs |
| 2011 | Follow the Plan | 8 | Tom Doyle | Oliver McKiernan |
| 2012 | China Rock | 9 | Barry Geraghty | Mouse Morris |
| 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 |
1 The 2001 running took place at Fairyhouse.
Earlier winners
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- 1960 – Oberstown
- 1961 – Jungle Cry
- 1962 – Coniston
- 1963 – Arkle
- 1964 – Fort Leney
- 1965 – Clusium
- 1966 – Crown Prince
- 1967 – White Abbess
- 1968 – Herring Gull
- 1969 – Kings Sprite
- 1970 – Glencaraig Lady
- 1971 – Dim Wit
- 1972 – Ebony Lad
- 1973 – Tartan Ace
- 1974 – Lough Inagh
- 1975 – Fort Fox
- 1976 – No Hill
- 1977 – Artistic Prince
- 1978 – Jack of Trumps
- 1979 – Jack's the Buoy
- 1980 – Pillar Brae
- 1981 – Owens Image
- 1982 – Single-U-Jay
- 1983 – Whistling Senator
- 1984 – By the Way
- 1985 – Cerimau
- 1986 – Over the Last
- 1987 – Darkorjon
- 1988 – Vulgan's Pass
- 1989 – Carvill's Hill
- 1990 – Mixed Blends
- 1991 – Local Whisper
- 1992 – Second Schedual
- 1993 – Fissure Seal
- 1994 – Merry Gale
- 1995 – Butches Boy
- 1996 – Billygoat Gruff
- 1997 – Noyan
- 1998 – Mahler
See also
References
- pedigreequery.com – Punchestown Gold Cup – Punchestown.
- racenewsonline.co.uk – Racenews Archive (April 25, 2003).
