1 week Ago By Vincent Whelan
THE 2025 Punchestown Festival gets under way this afternoon with a thrilling five days of action no doubt in store for punters.The most intrigue around Tuesday’s action revolves around the meeting of Fact to File and Marine Nationale in the day’s feature race, the Champion Chase.Here’s the general details you need to know around the meet as a whole:What TV channel is the Punchestown Festival on?RTE Two will have significant live coverage throughout each day’s racing.
Tuesday will see it broadcast from 3:30pm until 6:30pm.That pattern will be repeated across Wednesday and Thursday while it’ll run from 4pm to 7pm on Friday with RTE One then showcasing the final day from 3pm until 5:45pm.So anyone looking for a way to stream it can do so freely via the RTE Player.
Punchestown Festival Tuesday/Day one race card:14:30: Kildare Hunt Club Cross Country Chase15:05: Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Final15:40: Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle (Listed)16:15: KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)16:50: Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase (Grade 1)17:25: Goffs Defender Bumper18:00: William Hill Champion Chase (Grade 1)18:35: Willie Coonan Memorial Flat RaceTemplegate tips:The flat may be fully under way in Britain – but there is one more week of star-studded action here in Ireland.Constitution Hill, Galopin Des Champs, Kopek Des Bordes, State Man..
. they’ll all be in action over the next five days.Here, Templegate goes through every race on day one, running through the big chances and revealing his tip for each contest.
Willie Mullins looks set for another profitable week – days after clinching the UK trainer’s title for the second successive week.In his weekly column for SunSport, Matt Chapman put into perspective just what a massive achievement that is.He hailed: “So, Willie Mullins did it.
“And now for history, trying to do what Vincent O’Brien never did – which is be based in Ireland and land the British Jumps Trainers’ Championship three times in a row.The weather around the midlands looks set to cooperate with punters all week“Since Saturday many have questioned why the jockeys’ championship is decided on wins, and the trainers’ championship on prize money.“Some believe it’s wrong that Mullins can just pop in and take the big prizes, but, over the course of the season, win fewer races than in this case his arch rival Dan Skelton.
“But there should be no meddling with the current status quo. It’s all very logical when you think about it.“A jockey’s job is to win.
That’s it. They should go out trying to land every race that they ride in.“The role of a trainer is different.
A trainers’ job is to try to gain as much prize money for their owner as they can.”He later added: “If anyone doesn’t think that Willie Mullins is not the outstanding handler then they are in cloud cuckooland. He is.
“And he’s the best in Ireland. And he’s the best in Great Britain. Everyone else just needs to upgrade to be better than Mullins.
”.
