28-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Punchestown Racing bosses share how much drink will be consumed this week
Almost 20,000 punters are set to quaff thousands of glasses of champagne and pints and enjoy a lavish dinner at the Punchestown Racing Festival this year, racing bosses have revealed.
The Kildare racecourse will open its turnstiles to more than 100,000 horse racing fans when the jump season kicks off on Tuesday until Saturday, May 3.
Racing organisers have revealed that 17,000 hospitality guests from 806 companies - including 164 from the UK - will enjoy seasonal menus crafted by a 68-strong team of chefs, supported by over 760 hospitality staff.
Three and a half tonnes of fresh vegetables, 60 kilos of artisan cheeses, and 15,000 exquisite canapés and desserts will be served across the five days.
A team of almost 300 bar staff will pour an estimated 132,000 pints, measure 20,000 shorts and fill 8,000 champagne glasses.
Punchestown CEO Conor O'Neill said: "There is something really special about the buzz ahead of this year's Punchestown Festival. It's even more than the brilliant achievements by our horses, jockeys, owners and trainers throughout the season.
'It's the local and national enthusiasm and pride that are reflected not only in bookings and sales but in requests for information, signage, inquiries about how they get involved.
'People Make Punchestown and there is a great appetite and goodwill for the event this year even more than previous. Combine this with a forecast that we can only wish for and we are in for a magic week,' he added.
Style lovers will once again flock to the Bollinger Best Dressed Competition, open to all, taking place over the first four days and culminating in the grand final on Ladies Day, Friday May 2. Fresh for 2025 is the sustainable theme of Something Old/Something New focusing on conscious fashion choices.
New to the Style Council judges are multi-award winning sustainable designer Aoife McNamara and acclaimed stylist Isabel Gleeson.
Further additions include the Bollinger Concierge marquee where Kildare-based beauty brand Ayu will have a host of professional make-up artists offering make-up top-up and professional advice.
Vision Ireland will have specially curated rails of pre-loved designer garments to showcase just how stylish sustainable fashion can be.
Organisers are anticipating over 100,000 visitors across five spectacular days, with festival fans traveling from across Ireland, the UK, Italy, United States and even Australia to be part of this world-class celebration of sport and culture at the home of Irish jump racing.
Across 40 races, featuring 12 Grade 1 contests and €3.5 million in prize money, the Punchestown Festival once again delivers the very best in jump racing.
All indications are that major showdowns are guaranteed with old rivals, young pretenders and redemption missions on the cards.
The opening day features a massive clash between Cheltenham heroes Marine Nationale and J.P. McManus's Fact To File. The Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup will see superstar Galopin Des Champs take on a challenge from the impressive Spillane's Tower whilst Friday's Boodles Champion Hurdle is being billed as the race of the season with Constitution Hill confirmed to meet State Man and Golden Ace amongst others.
Headlining the action is an incredible line-up of training and riding talent including the unstoppable Irish and recently crowned British champion trainer Willie Mullins along with his son, Grand National winning rider Patrick Mullins, champion jockey elect Paul Townend, top trainers Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead, Cheltenham Gold Cup winning trainer Gavin Cromwell and the ever popular Rachael Blackmore among those in action.
What is particularly evident at the entry stage is the significant increase in UK trained runners at the festival with numbers returning to the heights last seen in 2008.
Festival friends and regulars Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls, Jonjo O'Neill, Harry Derham and Anthony Honeyball are joined by new names and faces to sustain the visitor involvement for the future.
The UK contribution is integral to the festival as it not only generates vastly increased interest and TV viewer numbers from across the Irish sea but also each horse running brings with them owners, trainers, jockeys, grooms and associated entourages that require accommodation, hospitality and entertainment in the locality.
Over 20% of the festival attendance hail from outside of Ireland so the event is a major contributor to the Kildare tourism numbers and campaign.
The track team have prepared, mowed, aerated, fed and watered over 170 acres of racing ground or the equivalent of around 42 Croke Park pitches.
The main team of five men have crafted 330 metres of hand filled steeplechase fence, 180 sections of handmade hurdles and erected just under 10 kilometres of white racing rail all to provide what is essentially a fresh racetrack each of the five days
