Record breaking attendance of 114,438 at the 5 day festival
30,035 attended the final day of the 2016 Punchestown Festival as the AES Family Day event took centre stage. Young racegoers and families came in their droves bringing the total attendance for the week to up to 114,438 that’s a remarkable increase of 14,709 on last year.
Here are some highlights of the week:
- Ruby Walsh, Willie Mullins, Gigginstown House Stud, Patrick Mullins, Nina Carberry and Jack Kennedy all crowned champions for the season.
- Yorkhill was the first short priced favourite of the week to blow out in a race that saw Barry Geraghty winning on Don’t Touch It trained by Jessica Harrington for JP McManus in the Herald Champion Novice Hurdle Grade 1 on Tuesday.
- The Bibby Financial Services Ireland Punchestown Gold Cup was won in great style by Carlingford Lough for trainer John Kiely which saw top jockey Barry Geraghty praising the Waterford man’s training performance “What a trainer John Kiely is, this horse came from the clouds at Leopardstown.”
- Popular Cross Country veteran Uncle Junior retired from racing after finishing a noble 4th in the FBD Cross Country Steeplechase for the La Touche Cup on Thursday.
- A Nina Carberry and Enda Bolger combination saw an emotional reaction when On the Fringe won the Racing Post Champion Hunters Chase for JP McManus.
Dick O’Sullivan, General Manager at Punchestown Racecourse said:
“I am absolutely delighted with the week and our record-breaking attendance of 114,438. The racing was regarded by all as an amazing showcase of the best of a golden generation of Irish National Hunt Racing. Congratulations to all the HRI Championship winners especially Gigginstown as Michael O’Leary is a great sponsor here at Punchestown. Thanks to all who came along we are most grateful for your support, our overall attendance was up 14,709 on last year. I have a tremendous, enthusiastic team here that are so motivated, they did an amazing job despite difficult weather conditions at no stage were spirits dampened, they deserve this record-breaker. Needless to say the planning and organising for the 2017 Punchestown Festival will begin next week and we look forward to seeing you all back at Punchestown again next year.”
