The 2026 Punchestown Festival begins on Tuesday with a rip-roaring card. The Champion Chase is the highlight while the Irish trainers’ title comes down to the wire. On the flat, the 2000 Guineas and 1000 Guineas confirmations were made on Monday.
Find out more about a busy day of racing news today with our round-up.
Punchestown Festival: Elliott & Walsh have say on trainers’ title with Connell confident in Marine
The Irish trainers’ title has come down to the wire, but many still see it as a formality. Gordon Elliott leads the way, but the might of Willie Mullins’ yard is bearing down on him. Despite his advantage of €144,010, Elliott maintains he has “no chance whatsoever” of holding off Mullins and that “it won’t even cross my mind this week.” Mullins has four of the five runners in both the Champion Chase and Punchestown Gold Cup. (Racing Post)
Ted Walsh went even further in discussion with the Irish Independent. The 76-year-old, and member of the Walsh racing dynasty, said that “the only way Gordon Elliott will be champion trainer now is if Punchestown gets snowed off.” Walsh saddles Sticwiththeprocess at Punchestown on Tuesday. The JP McManus-owned runner is among six who will be running for Walsh throughout the course of the week. (Irish Independent)
Another trainer often good for a quote is Barry Connell. He is the only trainer taking on a Mullins quartet in the William Hill Champion Chase. He saddles defending champion Marine Nationale. The nine-year-old missed the Cheltenham festival due to a late injury. He is vying for favouritism with both Il Etait Temps and Majborough. However, Connell is confident with his charge, saying: “he’s going there as the defending champion and going fresh won’t be any harm to him.” (Racing Post)
Newmarket Guineas meeting: 2000 and 1000 fields confirmed
Gstaad is the headline name among the confirmations for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. The three-year-old was taken out of the race in error earlier in April, but was supplemented for £30,000 on Monday. He features among a list of 20 colts still in contention for the opening Classic of the season. Favourite Bow Echo featured for George Boughey, while Aidan O’Brien may also saddle Causeway, Flushing Meadows and Group 1 winner Puerto Rico. Padraig Dawn was another supplementation at the five-day stage. (RTE)
Meanwhile, 22 fillies featured in the running for the 1000 Guineas. Chief among that number is Precise, another Ballydoyle-trained wonder. Precise racked up an impressive string of wins in 2025, culminating in a pair of Group 1 victories. O’Brien is without a win in either Guineas for five years though, so the likes of Diamond Necklace and True Love are sure to give him a strong hand as he aims to break that duck. Venetian Sun was also among the confirmations as the main British contender for Karl Burke. (At The Races)