New sponsor at Punchestown

Punchestown Festival’s Grade One Champion Hurdle will have a new sponsor for next year’s renewal on April 28 when ACCBank take over as the backers of the €180,000 contest.

The race now known as the ACCBank Champion Hurdle has gone the way of horses such as Istabraq and Hardy Eustace in recent years, with the 2005 running seeing Brave Inca outbattle Harchibald and Macs Joy.

Colm Murphy, trainer of Brave Inca, is pleased to hear of ACCBank’s involvement, and said: “New sponsorships and increasing prize funds are what all trainers love to hear about and what Irish racing needs.

“I will certainly be aiming to retain my claim on the ACCBank Champion Hurdle, especially with its increased prize fund.”

Conor Daly, director of banking at ACCBank, said: “We have been hugely impressed by the increased level of profile Punchestown has enjoyed over the last few years and our sponsorship reflects the importance of this race meeting as a key event amongst our target market.”

Dick O’Sullivan, manager of Punchestown, added: “We are thrilled to have ACCBank as sponsors at the Irish National Hunt Festival.

“They are a very successful company with a strong brand that will help to further enhance the increasingly popular final day of the festival."