Irish National Hunt Racing
The English Grand National at Aintree is seen as the highlight of the National Hunt racing calendar, with Cheltenham being a close second. However, National Hunt racing wasn’t born in the UK – its roots lie in Ireland.
Many of the winners of the most prestigious National Hunt events – including the Grand National at Aintree – are trained and bred in Ireland, where National Hunt jump racing continues to be more popular than flat racing.
One highlight of the Irish National Hunt racing calendar is the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National, traditionally run as the chief feature race of the Fairyhouse Easter Festival on Easter Monday. The 2009 Irish Grand National is due to be run on Monday, 13 April.
Just two weeks after the Irish Grand National and marking the close of the Irish National Hunt racing season in April, Punchestown Racecourse hosts the Irish National Hunt Festival. Many of the top performers from Aintree, Cheltenham and the Irish Grand National come together at Punchestown for an extended festival of top-notch National Hunt jump and flat racing. Punchestown Racecourse hosted its first race meeting in 1824, so it boasts a long tradition of Irish racing.
Types of National Hunt Races
Punchestown Racecourse includes courses for flat, hurdle, and steeplechase (or “chase”) racing.
National Hunt jump races include fence or hurdle jumps. Chase races are run over distances between 2 and 4½ miles, with fences or hurdles at a minimum height of 4½ feet. Hurdling races occur over distances between 2 and 3½ miles, and include hurdles at a minimum height of 3½ feet. With these obstacles taken on at high speed, events like the Irish Grand National offer unparalleled excitement and spectacle.
Another characteristic of National Hunt racing is that many events are limited to horses older than four or five years. In the early days of Irish National Hunt racing, most races were contested only by thoroughbreds. In modern times, many National Hunt racing champions have mixed ancestry.
Before placing your bets for the 2009 Punchestown Festival, visit our Punchestown Festival betting page.
