Five horses will contest the 2026 Punchestown Gold Cup at 6.05pm on Wednesday 29 April, but the quintet is awash with top class Irish talent in what should be a sensational renewal.

Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Gaelic Warrior will battle with stablemate Fact To File in a mouth-watering clash, whilst Inothewayurthinkin, Grangeclare West and Champ Kiely complete the line-up.

We preview the Grade 1 showpiece on day two of the Punchestown Festival as we pick out our 1-2-3- for the event, along with looking at the latest odds and key trends for the contest.

2026 Punchestown Gold Cup Runners 

A monstrous performance in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month, Gaelic Warrior roared to an eight-length victory in the Cheltenham Festival showpiece. The Willie Mullins-trained raider rocketed clear to land the coveted prize for Willie Mullins and he will look to replicate that run on Wednesday in the Punchestown version.

Fact To File was declared a non-runner in the lead-up to the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, so he makes his return to the track having missed last month’s festival. However, he downed Gaelic Warrior the last time they met when Fact To File stormed to a five-length win in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

The pair dominate the betting, but will face some lively opponents and 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin will be looking to recapture the form he showed when being the star chaser last season for Gavin Cromwell. Completing the line-up will be another brace of Mullins runners and Grangeclare West, who was a first fence faller in the Grand National, has shown lots of talent and has to be considered, whilst Champ Kiely was eighth in the Grand National earlier this month, and is another classy performer.

2026 Punchestown Gold Cup Racecard

2026 Punchestown Gold Cup Trends 

Here are some key trends to be aware of before you pick your Punchestown Gold Cup selection:

• Nine of the last 10 winners have been aged 7, 8 or 9
• Four of the last 10 winners have been trained by Willie Mullins
• Six of the last 10 winners have been rated 170 or higher
• Four of the last 10 winners have been sent off favourite

2026 Punchestown Gold Cup Tips 

Gaelic Warrior was simply sensational at Cheltenham and a repeat of that effort should see him land this prize. However, it’s going to be hard for him to back that run up here and in Fact To File he faces a rival that arrives to Punchestown fresh. Having not been on the track since February, the JP McManus-owned raider may just have that little extra to give in the closing stages and he can beat Gaelic Warrior. Grangeclare West can make it a 1-2-3 for the Willie Mullins team, as that runner can bounce back from an early fall in the Grand National.

FAQ

When and where is the Punchestown Gold Cup run?

The Punchestown Gold Cup will take place at Punchestown racecourse on Wednesday 29 April, 2026 at 6.05pm.

How can I watch the Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday?

The Punchestown Gold Cup is live on Racing TV at 6.05pm on Wednesday evening.

When were the Punchestown Gold Cup tips published?

The tips for the Punchestown Gold Cup were published at 10.50am on Tuesday 28 April.

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