What a powerful week at Punchestown!

Between 100,000 and 120,000 people attended over five days of the 2023 Punchestown festival, which took place from Tuesday 25 to Saturday 29 April. The grand finale of the Irish jump racing season, we were there to cover all the action on and off the track... 

Kilkenny lads Darren Eyre, Dessie Foley, John Walsh and Alan Murphy enjoyed a day out at the races

THE RACING

The festival hosts 12 Grade One races, which is the highest quality race category. There was 40 races in total will take place across five days with a total of €3.36 million in prize money on offer.

Kilkenny's Willie Mullins paid tribute to his owners and staff after being crowned Irish champion trainer for the 17th time on the final day of the Punchestown Festival.

His nephew Danny Mullins also had a great week in the saddle at Punchestown. Danny, who is from Kilkenny, and is the son of successful trainers Tony Mullins and Mags Mullins. Danny stayed in the money all week at Punchestown. With 20 runs in total, he landed his first win on day one of the festival, riding Rich Ricci’s gelding Bialystok in the Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle. With a great price of 14/1, it was a good pay day for the owner and punters alike!

The Bergin sisters enjoyed their girls day out in Punchestown

Danny finished out the festival with another win on Aoine in the Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Steeplechase on the last day of the festival. Resulting in a good birthday week for one of Kilkenny’s star jockeys.

Siobhan Donohoe in conversation with trainer Dick Donohoe, trainer of Vischio

We also caught up with Kilkenny trainer Dick Donohoe, about Vischio - a horse that has given a lot of happiness to the Donohoe clan, both to trainer and owners Mag and Mike Donohoe, who are also cousins to Dick Donohoe.

Since her purchase 18 monhs ago, Vischio has won three times for the Donohoes, and twice before that. Vischio was previously owned by a good friend of the trainer and Donohoe families - JK Kennedy who sadly passed away two years ago.

The Donohoes wanted to keep their friend’s memory alive, so Mike Donohoe and his sister Mag Kirwan, the Goatsbridge Syndicate bought the six-year-old bay mare and continued to race her to great success.

Siobhan Donohoe with Ger & Ned Kirwan, part of the Goatsbridge Synicate, who are owners of Vischio

Unfortunately, Vischio did make it four in a row for the syndicate at Thursday’s meet in Punchestown, but they were not downbeat, as this racehorse has given them great joy along the way.  

THE FASHION

The famous atmosphere comes alive when racing champions go head-to-head and Ireland’s most stylish take each other on in the fashion stakes.

Style Council judges Roxanne Parker and Jess Covilet with Anneliese Duffy of the Linen Shirt Company based in the Rower in South Kilkenny & Siobhan Donohoe prouldy wearing Kilkenny head to toe on Ladies Day

This year the competition was open to both ladies and gents. The Bollinger Garden in The Style Quarter will be the epicentre of all things fashion from Tuesday to Friday, as the style scouts tasked with finding the most stylish attendees at the racecourse.

Catherine Burns with Thursday's Best Dressed winner Faith Almond

Finalists were selected each day and daily winners were fast-tracked to the grand final on Ladies Day, on Friday. Best dressed legend and a familiar face on Kilkenny’s racing scene Faith Amond won Thursday’s best dressed.  

Nomi Brennan, Overall Winner of the Bollinger Best Dressed Competition

Leitrim's Nomi Brennan won the overall prize for Best Dressed at the Punchestown Festival 2023.

THE STABLE YARD

It's not just the ladies and gents that win prizes for the most stylish on race days, but the racehorses do too and there is an award for the best turned out before each race.

Jane Davis, Head of Equine Marketing at Connolly's Red Mills with Siobhan Donohoe in the Stable Yard at Punchestown

It’s the stable staff who are the unsung heroes that worked tirelessly to care for these animals. We were lucky this year to get access to the stable yard and witness the hive of activity that goes on behind the scenes, in preparation for each race.

Jane Davis from Connolly's Red Mills told us how the Kilkenny business sponsored the Grooms' Canteen again at Punchestown, where they provided free meals and refreshments all day long to the stable staff.   

In addition to the canteen sponsorship, stable staff were entertained by the popular ‘Spin To Win’ promotion and giveaways every day. Red Mills even provided the Gallop Shampoo Bar for the horses in the wash bays, and I had to ask if there was a blond shampoo for my own mane!

Mrs Maureen Mullins was on hand to support her family at the festival

Here’s to another great week in Kilkenny with wins from Patrick Mullins in Punchestown, while ‘Shark’ Hanlon in Sandown, teamed up with Rachael Blackmore for victory on bargain buy Hewick from Goresbridge Horse Sales.