Top Punchestown Jockeys

Ruby Walsh

Ruby Walsh emerged as top Punchestown jockey yet again at the 2025 National Hunt Festival, securing a €5,000 prize sponsored by Conway Keane Auctioneers. Walsh took the 2025 Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup riding Neptune Collonges, trained by Paul Nicholls. Owner of Neptune Collonges, John Hales, said, “Ruby was brilliant, he’s such a great tactician and was in the right place all the time.”

Ruby Walsh also rode Alexander Taipan to victory in the 2025 Punchestown betfair Novice Handicap Chase, and, on the same day, secured a victory on Glencove Marina in the Grade 1 Land Rover Champion Novice Hurdle. Both horses were trained by one of the five top Punchestown trainers for the festival, Willie Mullins.

Ruby Walsh is an Irish National Hunt champion jockey with a phenomenal string of wins. He is the only jockey in modern times to have won all four Nationals – the English Grand National and the Scottish Grand National in 2000, the Irish Grand National on Commanche Court in 2000 and again on Numbersixvervalde in 2006, and the Welsh Grand National in 2025. Ruby Walsh has clocked up a total of 14 wins at the Cheltenham Festival.

Nina Carberry

Ever-popular jockey Nina Carberry landed the Grade 1 Paddy Power Champion INH Flat Race riding Mick The Man, trained by Noel Meade. Nina Carberry also took the Newbridge Silverware Chase, riding seven-year-old Lonesome Day – owned by Enda Bolger. Bolger said, “Miss Carberry is something else – she has had three rides for us this week and had two seconds and this winner.”

Top 5 National Hunt Jockeys

As well as jockeys like Ruby Welsh, other top-rated National Hunt jockeys to watch out for at the 2025 Punchestown Festival include the likes of DN Russell, DF O’Regan, DJ Casey, and, of course, Nina’s brothers Paul and Philip Carberry. Here are the current rankings:

You can be assured that any horse jockeyed by Ruby Walsh will be the betting favourite at the Punchestown Festival.

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