Punchestown betting with William Hill

Punchestown racecourse is widely regarded as the focal point of Irish National Hunt racing and home of the iconic Punchestown Festival, one of the biggest betting events in the racing calendar, each April.

The County Kildare venue first staged racing in 1875, so is steeped in history. Its five-day spring festival is the biggest National Hunt festival staged in Ireland, so much so that it rivals the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree meetings.

Punchestown betting is the epicentre of the sports betting world during those five days.

Some 12 of the track’s 14 Grade 1 races are staged during the festival, with the other two being the Morgiana Hurdle in November and the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase, which takes place over the Christmas holiday period.

Punchestown, which boasts the most modern facilities following a £9 million redevelopment in 1998, is located near to the town of Naas in County Kildare, 20km south of Dublin.

The race track itself is an undulating 2m, right-handed oval. There’s also a cross-country course that contains a range of obstacles including stone walls, grass banks, brush fences and hurdles.

Punchestown betting – the big meetings/races

The Punchestown Festival is undoubtedly the highlight of Punchestown’s season and is a five-day National Hunt extravaganza in April that features no less than 12 Grade 1 events.

There are top-level events in all divisions, but the Punchestown Gold Cup is always one of the highlights and is a race that often features horses who ran in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham the previous month.

It’s without doubt one of the biggest Punchestown betting events of the entire year.

The Punchestown Champion Hurdle has been dominated by Willie Mullins in recent years, notably with the legendary 2m hurdler Hurricane Fly, who won the Grade 1 contest four years in succession from 2010 to 2013.

Mullins also dominated the Champion Stayers’ Hurdle during that same period with the mighty mare Quevega, who proved unstoppable in a normally competitive 3m contest.

The Ryanair Novice Chase is the Irish equivalent of the Arkle Chase and is often won by the Cheltenham hero. The likes of Un De Sceaux, Douvan and Footpad have all done that Grade 1 double in recent years.

The Herald Champion Novice Hurdle, open to five-year-olds and up, has been won by some true greats in recent years, including Hurricane Fly, Douvan and Faugheen.

The Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle, run in November, is a big race in its own right won by some great 2m hurdlers like Harchibald, Brave Inca, Hardy Eustace and Faugheen, and often has a major bearing on Champion Hurdle odds later in the season.

Punchestown odds – impact on ante-post betting for future races

William Hill’s Punchestown betting takes shape after the Cheltenham Festival, with many of the winners installed market leaders for the corresponding race at Punchestown.

The Champion Hurdler is sure to be a warm order for the Punchestown Champion Hurdle and the likes of Hurricane Fly, Jezki and Faugheen have all justified cramped Punchestown betting odds to follow up their Cheltenham success in recent years.

Punchestown winners are always going to be movers and shakers in ante-post betting markets for the following season, especially impressive novice scorers who look like they could play a big part in championship races at Cheltenham, like the Champion Hurdle or Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Douvan won the 2016 Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown and was sent off a 2/9 favourite for the following season’s Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

The Champion INH Flat Race will often throw up a major player in novice hurdles for the following season. 2012 Bumper winner Champagne Fever is the perfect example as he won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle the following season.

The John Durkan Memorial Chase in December has been used as a stepping stone to Gold Cup glory at Cheltenham by the likes of Don Cossack and Sizing John in recent years.

Punchestown course characteristics

Punchestown is a right-handed, galloping and undulating track with a steady climb through the last 5f. The bends are fairly tight, especially the second-last bend (where the 2m5f start is), which can make life difficult for some horses.

So too can the downhill section after the winning post and handier types tend to fare better than hold-up horses at Punchestown, something that needs to be considered when assessing William Hill’s Punchestown betting.

There are 11 fences on each circuit, which are fair but not stiff by British standards and pose few problems to horses who jump fluently.

The cross-country course turns both left and right handed and contains a variety of stone walls, grass banks, brush fences and hurdles.

Punchestown betting tips

Punchestown’s square-shaped circuit is quite undulating and features a couple of sharp turns, so suits handier horses who have the tactical speed to get a good position rather than hold-up horses.

No Punchestown betting expert can ignore trainer Willie Mullins, who has been such a dominant force in the Grade 1’s at Punchestown. Remarkably, he trained every winner of the Morgiana Hurdle between 2011 and 2018, with Hurricane Fly winning three of those renewals.

Jessica Harrington has also been a profitable trainer to follow at the track, especially when she teams up with rider Robbie Power. The pair struck with a remarkable five-timer at the Punchestown Festival in 2017.

Favourites have a particularly good record in the Punchestown Gold Cup, as do horses aged no older than eight. Ten-year-olds are rare winners nowadays, although Carlingford Lough bucked that trend in 2016.

If you want to find the winner of the Cross Country Chase (for the La Touche Cup), look no further than trainer Enda Bolger when studying William Hill’s extensive range of Punchestown betting odds.

Bolger has a formidable record in the race, as he does in Cross Country races at Cheltenham too.

Experience is key in the Grade 1 Champion INH Flat Race – nearly every single winner has already had at least two outings. Mares don’t have a good record in the bumper and neither do British raiders, although not many tend to make the journey across the Irish Sea.

Punchestown racecourse – how to get there

Punchestown racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, around 35km south west of Dublin and is easily accessible via the N7 and R410. From Dublin City Airport, take the M1, M50, N7 and R410.

There’s a coach service available from Aston Quay in Dublin, which is direct and takes approximately an hour. A return service departs from the pick-up point after the last race.

There’s a train service from Dublin Heuston Station to Sallins, which is just outside Naas, where a shuttle-bus services is in operation. A bus takes passengers to Poplar Square in Naas for free, before another bus then collects and drops off at racecourse.

Boost your Punchestown betting experience

For more Punchestown betting news, visit news.williamhill.com and be sure to check out William Hill promotions where you can find the best Punchestown odds throughout the year.