You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident youâre betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle Preview
The Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle is the second Grade 1 on the fourth day of the Punchestown Festival, and it is run after the Champion Hurdle. The race is open to novice hurdlers who are aged four or older. It is run over a trip of two miles and four furlongs, where there are twelve hurdles to jump on their way to being crowned the champion novice hurdler.
Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle Information:
- Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle Past Winners
- Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle Jockey Statistics
Our dedicated Punchestown tips page will not only bring you predictions from the OLBG racing tipsters for the upcoming card that includes the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle, but will also have predictions for each meeting at Punchestown throughout the season, so be sure to head over there. We cover all of the major races at the Punchestown Festival, and below you can find links to all of the races for each of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2021, when the race had an over-round of 109%. The race in 2019 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 124%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle, the over-round has been 117%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ117 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle races over the last 20 renewals:
- State Man (4:48.80) in 2022
- Vautour (4:49.10) in 2014
- Reserve Tank (4:50.70) in 2019
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 7 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -2.94. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2013 renewal when Un Atout from W P Mullins under the guidance of Davy Russell, won in a time of 5:30.50, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, State Man, trained by W P Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend set the quickest time of 4:48.80 in the 2022 renewal.
Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 5:03.00 | Final Demand (IRE) 6yo 11-12 7/4 | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2024 5:17.70 | Ballyburn (IRE) 6yo 11-12 1/5F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2023 4:53.20 | Impaire Et Passe (FR) 5yo 11-12 1/3F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2022 4:48.80 | State Man (FR) 5yo 11-10 11/10F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2021 5:08.50 | Gaillard Du Mesnil (FR) 5yo 11-12 1/2F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2019 4:50.70 | Reserve Tank (IRE) 5yo 11-10 13/2 | Robbie Power Colin Tizzard (GB) |
| 2018 5:09.80 | Dortmund Park (FR) 5yo 11-10 16/1 | Jack Kennedy Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2017 4:53.90 | Bacardys (FR) 6yo 11-10 10/1 | Mr P W Mullins W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2016 4:54.70 | Jers Girl (IRE) 4yo 10-6 11/8F | Barry Geraghty Gavin Cromwell (IRE) |
| 2015 4:53.60 | Nichols Canyon (GB) 5yo 11-10 4/5F | R Walsh W P Mullins (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle have been based:
- IRE: 17 winners with an additional 23 placings from 135 runners
- GB: 3 winners with an additional 6 placings from 18 runners
2025 Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle Replay
Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is W P Mullins, who has won the race eleven times, with those eleven winners coming from Glencove Marina (2007), Mikael DHaguenet (2009), Un Atout (2013), Vautour (2014), Nichols Canyon (2015), Bacardys (2017), Gaillard Du Mesnil (2021), State Man (2022), Impaire Et Passe (2023), Ballyburn (2024) and Final Demand (2025).
Here are some of the top Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| W P Mullins | 48-11-18 | -17.84 | -14.08 |
| Gordon Elliott | 8-1-2 | +9.00 | +3.55 |
| Noel Meade | 8-1-2 | -6.10 | -3.96 |
| E J O'Grady | 4-1-1 | +4.00 | +1.20 |
| A J Martin | 3-1-1 | +1.33 | +0.00 |
| Thomas Mullins | 3-1-1 | -0.50 | -1.10 |
| Gavin Cromwell | 2-1-1 | +0.38 | -0.17 |
| Tim Vaughan | 1-1-1 | +16.00 | +10.00 |
| Nick Williams | 1-1-1 | +2.25 | +1.35 |
| Mrs John Harrington | 6-0-1 | -6.00 | -2.50 |
Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Paul Townend, who has won the race five times, with those five winners coming from Gaillard Du Mesnil (2021), State Man (2022), Impaire Et Passe (2023), Ballyburn (2024) and Final Demand (2025).
Here are some of the top Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Townend | 10-5-6 | -1.12 | -1.97 |
| Mr P W Mullins | 6-1-2 | +5.00 | +1.70 |
| Jack Kennedy | 4-1-1 | +13.00 | +6.60 |
| Danny Mullins | 6-0-0 | -6.00 | -5.00 |
| Mark Walsh | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | -3.40 |
| Jonathan Burke | 3-0-2 | -3.00 | +0.80 |
| Jack Doyle | 2-0-2 | -2.00 | +1.20 |
| Sean O'Keeffe | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
| Nico de Boinville | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | +1.50 |
| J J Slevin | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | +1.00 |
2026 Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 1, (1, F), 3, 1, 1, 6, 5, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, (5, PU), 6, 1, 1, 1, 1, F
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (56%) - Highest Won is not G2/LST/Cl3/Cl5
- 20 / 20 (61%) - Break of 18 - 114 days (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (69%) - Break of 17 - 96 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (70%) - No bigger than 16/1
- 20 / 20 (71%) - Not in a G2/LST/Cl5 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (72%) - Carried 148 - 164lbs (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Achieved a TS of 111+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Within the first 7 of the market
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Off a break of 17 - 74 days
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Won within last 3 starts
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Not on HY (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Had 2 - 7 wins (Career)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Achieved an RPR of 126+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Had 1 - 5 wins (180 Days)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Carried 148 - 164lbs (LTO)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Punchestown racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over ÂŁ6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +29.41, is when runners had 1 career win on the going.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners carried 166lbs when last winning, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-35.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 12 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out. The next best courses, which have produced the second most winners, are Aintree and Fairyhouse; there have been a total of 3 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 18 winners from a total of 145 runners, while female runners have produced 2 winners from a total of 8 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle:
- Jeremy (2 Wins)
- Robin Des Champs (2 Wins)
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have been disappointed with multiple attempts but no wins in the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle; that stallion is Presenting, who has failed to produce a winner from 5 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Spirit Of Adjisa in 2011, winning for Tim Vaughan at odds of 16/1 under the guidance of Richard Johnson. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 13 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Final Demand Cheltenham - 3rd of 11 (6/4) | Turners Novices' Hurdle |
| 2024 - Ballyburn Cheltenham - 1st of 7 (1/2) | Turners Novices' Hurdle |
| 2023 - Impaire Et Passe Cheltenham - 1st of 10 (5/2) | Turners Novices' Hurdle |
| 2022 - State Man Cheltenham - 1st of 26 (11/4) | County Handicap Hurdle |
| 2021 - Gaillard Du Mesnil Cheltenham - 2nd of 7 (9/4) | Turners Novices' Hurdle |
| 2019 - Reserve Tank Aintree - 1st of 9 (20/1) | Mersey Novices' Hurdle |
| 2018 - Dortmund Park Cheltenham - 8th of 20 (12/1) | Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle |
| 2017 - Bacardys Cheltenham - PU of 15 (4/1) | Turners Novices' Hurdle |
| 2016 - Jers Girl Fairyhouse - 1st of 11 (3/1) | Fairyhouse Mares Novice Hurdle |
| 2015 - Nichols Canyon Aintree - 1st of 12 (3/1) | Mersey Novices' Hurdle |
Schedule for Tuesday at the Punchestown Festival
The highlight on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival is the Grade 1 Champion Chase, which carries a purse of âŹ300,000. There are also two other Grade 1 races on the card with the Champion Novice Hurdle and the Champion Novice Chase.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle | Ascending Lark (GB) 7yo - 8/1 | Harry Derham Paul O'Brien |
| Champion Novice Hurdle | Irancy (FR) 7yo - 18/1 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| Punchestown Champion Novice Chase | Champ Kiely (IRE) 9yo - 22/1 | W P Mullins Danny Mullins |
| Goffs Defender Bumper | Wonderful Everyday (IRE) 4yo - 16/1 | W P Mullins Miss R Dudfield |
| Punchestown Champion Chase | Marine Nationale (IRE) 8yo - 2/1 | Barry Connell Sean Flanagan |
Schedule for Wednesday at the Punchestown Festival
The Punchestown Gold Cup is the feature on day two of the festival. This Grade 1 is worth âŹ300,000 and is one of three G1 races on the card, with the Channor Novice Hurdle and Champion I.N.H. Flat Race being the others.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Channor Group Novice Hurdle | Jasmin De Vaux (FR) 6yo - 13/8 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| Champion INH Flat Race | Bambino Fever (IRE) 5yo - 11/8 | W P Mullins Miss J Townend |
| Punchestown Handicap Chase | James Du Berlais (FR) 9yo - 7/1 | W P Mullins J J Slevin |
| Punchestown Gold Cup | Galopin Des Champs (FR) 9yo - 5/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
Schedule for Thursday at the Punchestown Festival
Two Grade 1 races feature on day three, the highlight of those two being the âŹ300,000 Champion Stayers Hurdle, the other is the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle | Jeriko Du Reponet (FR) 6yo - 13/2 | Nicky Henderson James Bowen |
| Frontline Security Handicap Chase | Petit Tonnerre (FR) 7yo - 16/1 | Jonjo & A J O'Neill Richie McLernon |
| Barberstown Castle Novice Chase | Majborough (FR) 5yo - 4/11 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| Champion Stayers Hurdle | Teahupoo (FR) 8yo - 5/4 | Gordon Elliott Sam Ewing |
Schedule for Friday at the Punchestown Festival
The Champion Hurdle is the feature on the Saturday; this Grade 1 is worth âŹ300,000 and is one of two Grade 1s on the card, with the Champion Novice Hurdle being the other.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Punchestown Listed Novice Handicap Chase | Sea Music (IRE) 7yo - 28/1 | Emmet Mullins Donagh Meyler |
| Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle | Final Demand (IRE) 6yo - 7/4 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| Punchestown Champion Hurdle | State Man (FR) 8yo - 9/4 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
Schedule for Saturday at the Punchestown Festival
The final day of the Punchestown Festival sees a couple of Grade 1 races, which both carry purses of âŹ125,000, and those are the Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle and the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle | Jade De Grugy (FR) 6yo - 1/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle | Lulamba (FR) 4yo - 11/10 | Nicky Henderson James Bowen |
| Punchestown Listed Handicap Hurdle | Hey Sunshine (IRE) 6yo - 11/2 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
Other Principal Races at the Punchestown Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Punchestown racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
