Staged at the five-day Punchestown Festival in April the Punchestown Gold Cup is a Grade One contest run over 3m1f.
The race version we see today was first run back in 1999 and since then has been won by some leading names, including Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Imperial Call, Kicking King, War Of Attrition & Don Cossack – while the 2012 Grand National winner, Neptune Collonges, took this twice before he landed the Aintree marathon.
With no race in 2020 due to the Covid situation, the last winner was Kemboy back in 2019.
Did you know? – 12 of the last 17 Punchestown Gold Cup winners were aged 7 or 8 years-old, while 13 of the last 17 winners were Irish-trained?
We take a look back at recent Punchestown Gold Cup winners, plus highlight the key stats ahead of the 2021 renewal – this year run on Wednesday 28th April 2021
Recent Punchestown Gold Cup Winners
2020 – No race (Covid)
2019 – KEMBOY (13/8 fav)
2018 – BELLSHILL (4/1)
2017 – SIZING JOHN (9/10)
2016 – CARLINGFORD LOUGH (12/1)
2015 – DON COSSACK (5/2)
2014 – BOSTON BOB (5/2 fav)
2013 – SIR DES CHAMPS (2/1 fav)
2012 – CHINA ROCK (20/1)
2011 – FOLLOW THE PLAN (20/1)
2010 – PLANET OF SOUND (14/1)
2009 – NOTRE PERE (15/8 fav)
2008 – NEPTUNE COLLONGES (9/10 fav)
2007 – NEPTUNE COLLONGES (8/1)
2006 – WAR OF ATTRITION (4/5 fav)
2005 – KICKING KING (8/11 fav)
2004 – BEEF OF SALMON (5/4 fav)
2003 – FIRST GOLD (7/4 fav)
Punchestown Gold Cup Betting Trends
14/17 – Finished in the top 4 last time out
13/17 – Aged 8 or younger
13/17 – Irish-trained winners
12/17 – Aged 7 or 8 years-old
10/17 – Had run in that season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup
9/17 – Returned 2/1 or shorter in the betting
9/17 – Winning favourites
8/17 – Ran in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last time out
7/17 – Won last time out
4/17 – Trained by Willie Mullins (4 of the last 7)
2/17 – Trained by Paul Nicholls
The average winning SP in the last 17 years is 11/2
8 of the last 15 favourites have won
Nine of the last 12 Irish-trained favourites have won
Since 1999 only 2 Irish-trained winners hadn’t won at the course before
8 of the last 21 winners had run in that season’s John Durkan Memorial Chase
RACING AHEAD VERDICT: The Cheltenham Gold Cup winner – Minella Indo – doesn’t run, but we’ve still a cracking renewal. The current champ – Kemboy – is surprisingly the only CD winner in the field and after flopping in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham again, he’ll be a different proposition now back on his home turf. He was a good winner of the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown in Feb and saw off the two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner – Al Boum Photo – in this race last time it was run in 2019. Al Boum Photo lines up again and despite not managing to secure that third win at Cheltenham last month, it was still a top effort to be third and only beaten 5 1/2 lengths. He’s a big player, but the niggle for me is that he’s yet to win here at Punchestown from three runs, while he looked to have a hard race the last day which might have left it’s mark. Fakir D’oudairies bounced back to winning form last time at Aintree in the Marsh Chase, but the concern with him would be the trip – stepping up from 2m4f here to 3m 1/2f. Yes, he ran on well the last day to suggest it’s worth another crack, but he’s now taking on some top-class stayers. Melon just doesn’t win enough for me, but on his day is very useful, so the call is for a British winner in the race with CLAN DES OBEAUX getting the call for Paul Nicholls. The former King George winner returned to form last time out with an easy win in the Betfair Bowl at Aintree and even though the track here at Punchestown is an unknown, he will like the ground and he’s still the joint top-rated in the field, with Al Boum Photo – a chance is taken on him backing up that recent 26 length win at Aintree, where he had the likes of Native River and Tiger Roll miles back. If staying the trip Fakir D’oudairies would be interesting, but Kemboy rates the main danger for me at a track we know suits.
