Punchestown Racecourse

Two wild card entries were added to the Goffs Punchestown Sale which will take place after racing on Thursday, Apr. 27. The first wild card is Milo Lises (Fr) (Storm The Stars) (lot 22), a 4-year-old gelding consigned by Willie Mullins's Closutton Stables, who debuted as the runner-up in Tuesday's Goffs Defender Bumper. Also in play is Williethebuilder (Ire) (Arcadio {Ger}) (lot 23), another 4-year-old gelding, who is consigned by D. Queally of Lisroe Farm and finished second in Tuesday's 4-year-old bumper. All horses will be available to inspect at...

Goffs' flagship National Hunt Sale, formerly known as the Goffs Land Rover Sale, will now be known as the Goffs Arkle Sale in honour of history's greatest chaser, Arkle, who was sold at Goffs. Goffs Arkle Sale this year will be held in partnership with Land Rover Defender, and the vendor of the horse that wins the renamed €100,000 Goffs Defender Bumper at the Punchestown Festival will also win an all-new Defender Hard Top. "So many household names in National Hunt racing have gone under the hammer at Goffs during...

Sporting a 90% clearances rate with 18 of the 20 lots through the ring finding new homes, the Goffs Punchestown Sale was topped by Absolute Notions (Ire) (Milan {GB}) (lot 21). Offered by Gordon Elliot's Cullentra House Stables, the 4-year-old bay gelding attracted a winning bid of €370,000 from Mags O'Toole. A winner of his only start, a National Hunt bumper at Punchestown on Tuesday, Absolute Notions is from the same family as Grade 1-winning hurdler Chief Dan George (Ire) (Lord Americo {Ire}), as well as G2 Martell Cup Chase...

Capital development grant aid for two significant projects at Punchestown Racecourse were approved by the Board of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) on Thursday. The HRI Track Works & Industry Facilities Scheme (2022-2023) will provide €1,194,000--40% of the cost of works--that will see the existing home straight at the track widened by 35 metres and, separately, an extension to the current track layout to create a new one-mile start for Flat races. A new irrigation system at the racecourse is also to be installed and three new reservoirs with the capacity...