Record Prize Money for Irish National Hunt Festival
The Irish National Hunt Festival which will take place from April 27th to April 30th 2004 can now boast record prize money of over €1.7 million representing a 12% increase of the total 2003 prize fund, retaining its high profile status as the highlight of the National Hunt season in Ireland.
Punchestown Racecourse is delighted to announce that BALLYMORE PROPERTIES, owned by local businessman Sean Mulryan, have confirmed their support as title sponsors on Thursday, formerly I.A.W.S day, the feature race now being the Ballymore Properties Champion Stayer’s Hurdle, which has increased in value to €125,000.
BETDAQ, the global betting exchange, is the new sponsor of the €150,000 two mile Champion chase run on Tuesday, April 27th, the opening day of the Irish National Hunt Festival replacing BMW.
MURPHY BREWERY IRELAND continues their association with the feature race of the festival, The Heineken Gold Cup of €180,000, which was won by the French-trained First Gold last year.
EMO OIL return to sponsor Ireland’s richest Grade 1 Hurdle, the Emo Oil Champion Hurdle of €160,000 on the final day of the festival, Friday, April 30th. Quazar, trained by Jonjo O’Neill in the UK captured this feature race at the 2003 festival which was just one of the seven races won by overseas visitors.
Among other races to benefit from the increased prize fund at the 2004 Festival is the Grade 1 Paddy Power Champion INH Flat Race, one of ten Grade 1 races to be run at the meeting. This race will now be worth €60,000, a 100% increase on last year’s value and will be the most valuable Grade 1 bumper to be run in Ireland.
Dick O’ Sullivan, General Manager at Punchestown Racecourse commented today that:- 'We are delighted and proud that so many well established and successful companies have chosen Punchestown Racecourse as a suitable medium to promote and create brand recognition for their business. With an increase in prize money of almost €200,000, the Punchestown Festival will be fully sponsored this year and will be the grand finale to the 2003/2004 national hunt season both in Ireland and internationally. We will continue our highly successful overseas runners programme, which was introduced last year and brought 47 foreign contenders to the 2003 festival.'
O’Sullivan added:- 'A special word of thanks to BMW for 23 wonderful years of sponsorship and to I.A.W.S for the support given to Punchestown which was above and beyond the scale of a normal sponsor'.
For further Information, please contact:
Dick O'Sullivan 045 897704
Richie Galway 045 897704
Brendan McArdle 087 6859993
Punchestown Racecourse is delighted to announce that BALLYMORE PROPERTIES, owned by local businessman Sean Mulryan, have confirmed their support as title sponsors on Thursday, formerly I.A.W.S day, the feature race now being the Ballymore Properties Champion Stayer’s Hurdle, which has increased in value to €125,000.
BETDAQ, the global betting exchange, is the new sponsor of the €150,000 two mile Champion chase run on Tuesday, April 27th, the opening day of the Irish National Hunt Festival replacing BMW.
MURPHY BREWERY IRELAND continues their association with the feature race of the festival, The Heineken Gold Cup of €180,000, which was won by the French-trained First Gold last year.
EMO OIL return to sponsor Ireland’s richest Grade 1 Hurdle, the Emo Oil Champion Hurdle of €160,000 on the final day of the festival, Friday, April 30th. Quazar, trained by Jonjo O’Neill in the UK captured this feature race at the 2003 festival which was just one of the seven races won by overseas visitors.
Among other races to benefit from the increased prize fund at the 2004 Festival is the Grade 1 Paddy Power Champion INH Flat Race, one of ten Grade 1 races to be run at the meeting. This race will now be worth €60,000, a 100% increase on last year’s value and will be the most valuable Grade 1 bumper to be run in Ireland.
Dick O’ Sullivan, General Manager at Punchestown Racecourse commented today that:- 'We are delighted and proud that so many well established and successful companies have chosen Punchestown Racecourse as a suitable medium to promote and create brand recognition for their business. With an increase in prize money of almost €200,000, the Punchestown Festival will be fully sponsored this year and will be the grand finale to the 2003/2004 national hunt season both in Ireland and internationally. We will continue our highly successful overseas runners programme, which was introduced last year and brought 47 foreign contenders to the 2003 festival.'
O’Sullivan added:- 'A special word of thanks to BMW for 23 wonderful years of sponsorship and to I.A.W.S for the support given to Punchestown which was above and beyond the scale of a normal sponsor'.
For further Information, please contact:
Dick O'Sullivan 045 897704
Richie Galway 045 897704
Brendan McArdle 087 6859993