James Maxwell
Founder & Editor · Last reviewed 2026-04-26
Punchestown Festival 2026 runs from Tuesday 28 April to Saturday 2 May at Punchestown Racecourse in Co. Kildare. Five days of jump racing close out the National Hunt season, with 12 Grade 1 races spread across the meeting and almost every leading horse in training set to make a final appearance before the summer break.
Coverage is split between Ireland and the UK. RTÉ holds the Irish terrestrial rights and broadcasts the major races free-to-air on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player. ITV Racing carries the headline Grade 1s on ITV4 in the UK on selected days. Racing TV has the full meeting day-by-day for subscribers, including every supporting handicap. Sky Sports Racing does not hold rights for Punchestown.
This guide pulls together what you need to plan your week of viewing — race-by-race off-times for each day, TV channel by race, the online streaming options that work in both jurisdictions, and the practical raceday details if you're heading down to Naas.
If you're still working out which horses to follow, our Punchestown Festival 2026 preview covers the Cheltenham form lines and the Grade 1 contenders. For the betting side — sign-up offers, Best Odds Guaranteed terms and which bookmaker fits which kind of bet — see our Punchestown Festival 2026 betting offers comparison.
All times in this guide are Irish Standard Time (IST), which is the same as British Summer Time (BST) in late April. Off-times for individual races can shift by 5–10 minutes between the published racecard and the day itself — check declarations on the morning of racing for the final times.
Five days. Seven races on most cards, eight on the Saturday. Here's the headline structure of each day with the Grade 1s flagged. Treat off-times as indicative — the BHA-equivalent (Horse Racing Ireland) confirms exact off-times in the days before the meeting.
Tuesday 29 April — Opening Day
First race: ~4:00pm IST. Last race: ~7:55pm IST.
Punchestown opens late on Tuesday — racing pushed into the evening to suit Irish working-day audiences. Tuesday is the biggest day for Grade 1 quality of the entire week because it carries both the Punchestown Gold Cup and the Champion Novice Hurdle.
| Time | Race | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~4:00pm | Opening handicap hurdle | — | |
| ~4:35pm | Novice handicap chase | — | |
| ~5:10pm | Champion Novice Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m, novice hurdling championship |
| ~5:45pm | Mares' handicap | — | |
| ~6:25pm | Punchestown Gold Cup | Grade 1 | 3m1f, the headline race of the festival |
| ~7:05pm | Bumper / NH flat | — | |
| ~7:40pm | Closing handicap | — |
Of the seven races, two are Grade 1s. The Gold Cup typically off times around 6:25pm — check our Punchestown Festival 2026 preview for the contenders.
Wednesday 30 April — Champion Hurdle Day
First race: ~4:00pm IST. Last race: ~7:55pm IST.
Wednesday is Champion Hurdle day — the 2-mile hurdling championship and the day Lossiemouth is expected to line up.
| Time | Race | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~4:00pm | Maiden hurdle | — | |
| ~4:35pm | Handicap chase | — | |
| ~5:10pm | Grade 2 chase or hurdle | Grade 2 | Supporting card |
| ~5:45pm | Grade 1 supporting race | Grade 1 | Often a 3m staying hurdle |
| ~6:25pm | Punchestown Champion Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m, the headline race |
| ~7:05pm | Mares' Grade 1 or handicap | varies | |
| ~7:40pm | Closing handicap | — |
Wednesday typically carries three or four Grade 1 races including the Champion Hurdle.
Thursday 1 May — Champion Chase Day
First race: ~4:00pm IST. Last race: ~7:55pm IST.
Thursday is Champion Chase day — the 2-mile chasing championship and one of the deepest races of the week.
| Time | Race | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~4:00pm | Mares' hurdle | — | |
| ~4:35pm | Grade 1 staying hurdle | Grade 1 | |
| ~5:10pm | Handicap chase | — | |
| ~5:45pm | Grade 1 novice chase | Grade 1 | |
| ~6:25pm | Champion Chase | Grade 1 | 2m, the 2-mile chasing championship |
| ~7:05pm | Mares' Grade 1 | Grade 1 | |
| ~7:40pm | Closing handicap | — |
Thursday is the day with the most Grade 1s of the week — typically four — making it the most stacked card for fans of championship racing.
Friday 2 May — Stayers' Day
First race: ~4:00pm IST. Last race: ~7:55pm IST.
Friday's headline is the Stayers' Hurdle equivalent — the 3-mile hurdle championship — alongside the Champion Novice Chase, the novice chasing title.
| Time | Race | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~4:00pm | Maiden hurdle | — | |
| ~4:35pm | Handicap chase | — | |
| ~5:10pm | Grade 1 mares' chase | Grade 1 | |
| ~5:45pm | Champion Novice Chase | Grade 1 | Novice chasing championship |
| ~6:25pm | Stayers' Hurdle (3m) | Grade 1 | 3m hurdle championship |
| ~7:05pm | Bumper | — | |
| ~7:40pm | Closing handicap | — |
Saturday 3 May — Closing Day & Champion Bumper
First race: ~2:00pm IST. Last race: ~6:00pm IST.
Saturday shifts to an afternoon card — the only day of the week with a daytime start. The headline is the Champion Bumper — the National Hunt flat-race championship and traditional finale of the festival.
| Time | Race | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~2:00pm | Opening handicap | — | |
| ~2:35pm | Grade 2 / handicap | Grade 2 | |
| ~3:10pm | Grade 1 supporting race | Grade 1 | |
| ~3:45pm | Mares' Grade 1 hurdle | Grade 1 | |
| ~4:20pm | Premier handicap chase | — | Big-field handicap |
| ~5:00pm | Champion Bumper | Grade 1 | NH flat championship — the festival closer |
| ~5:35pm | Closing race | — |
Saturday is family-friendly day at Punchestown with a daytime start, and the Champion Bumper closes out the National Hunt season.
RTÉ — Free-to-air in Ireland
RTÉ Sport holds the Irish terrestrial broadcasting rights for Punchestown Festival 2026 and shows the headline races free-to-air on RTÉ2. Coverage typically runs across all five days, with extended programming on Tuesday's Gold Cup card and the Saturday closer.
| Day | RTÉ2 window | Lead races covered |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 29 April | ~3:30pm – 8:00pm | Champion Novice Hurdle, Punchestown Gold Cup |
| Wednesday 30 April | ~4:00pm – 7:30pm | Punchestown Champion Hurdle |
| Thursday 1 May | ~4:00pm – 7:30pm | Champion Chase, supporting Grade 1s |
| Friday 2 May | ~4:00pm – 7:30pm | Champion Novice Chase, Stayers' Hurdle |
| Saturday 3 May | ~1:30pm – 5:30pm | Champion Bumper, Saturday Grade 1s |
RTÉ's coverage is anchored by Brian Gleeson with analysis from Ruby Walsh, Davy Russell and the wider RTÉ Sport racing team. The RTÉ Player streams the broadcast live and on-demand, free, in Ireland — geo-restricted outside the country.
If you're in Ireland and want full coverage of every race on the card (not just the RTÉ-selected races), you'll need a Racing TV subscription on top.
ITV4 — UK terrestrial coverage
ITV Racing carries the headline Grade 1s from Punchestown on selected days, broadcast on ITV4 rather than the main ITV1 channel. ITV's Punchestown coverage is more limited than its Cheltenham or Aintree output — typically the Tuesday and Wednesday cards get the strongest billing because of the Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle.
| Day | ITV4 window | Lead races covered |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 29 April | ~5:00pm – 7:00pm | Punchestown Gold Cup, supporting Grade 1 |
| Wednesday 30 April | ~5:30pm – 7:30pm | Punchestown Champion Hurdle |
| Thursday–Friday | varies | Selected Grade 1 only — see ITV listings the week of the meeting |
| Saturday 3 May | ~2:00pm – 4:00pm | Selected races on the daytime card |
UK viewers who want the full meeting rather than just the Grade 1 highlights need to subscribe to Racing TV.
Racing TV — Full meeting, every race, both jurisdictions
Racing TV carries every race from Punchestown across all five days, available in both the UK and Ireland. Racing TV is the only way to watch every supporting handicap, novice hurdle and bumper alongside the Grade 1s — useful if you're tracking ante-post bets, looking for next-season novices, or following a specific stable.
Racing TV runs around £32.98/month for new UK subscribers (current standard pricing — check the Racing TV site for the latest). The subscription includes every UK and Irish racecourse year-round, not just festival weeks. Many bookmakers offer a free Racing TV subscription as a sign-up perk if you stake a qualifying amount — check our Punchestown Festival 2026 betting offers comparison for which operators currently bundle it.
Racing TV Player is the live-streaming app — works on phone, tablet, smart TV (Samsung, LG), and via Chromecast/AirCast.
Highlights and replays
If you can't watch live, RTÉ Sport publishes race replays free on the RTÉ Sport website within a few hours of each race. ITV race replays are on ITVX (the free streaming app) for UK viewers — geo-restricted to the UK.
Racing TV subscribers can replay every race from any of the five days for the duration of their subscription.
Streaming options summarised
| Service | Cost | What you get | Where it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTÉ Player | Free | RTÉ2's selected race coverage | Ireland only (geo-blocked elsewhere) |
| ITVX | Free | ITV4's selected race coverage | UK only (geo-blocked elsewhere) |
| Racing TV Player | ~£32.98/mo | Every race, all five days, plus year-round UK/IRE racing | UK and Ireland |
| Bookmaker live streams | Free with qualifying bet | Most races, depending on operator | UK and Ireland |
Bookmaker live streams — the cheapest legitimate route
Most major bookmakers stream Irish racing free to funded account holders who place a qualifying bet on the race they want to watch. The qualifying bet is typically £1–£2 win or each-way. This is the lowest-cost legitimate way to watch every race at Punchestown — you're already going to be betting on the meeting, so the stream is effectively a bonus.
Operators that historically stream Punchestown to qualifying account holders include Bet365, Paddy Power, William Hill, Coral, Ladbrokes, Betfred and BoyleSports. Streams run inside the bookmaker's app or website, no separate subscription needed.
Star Sports does not currently offer live streaming — their racing coverage is on the Star Sports YouTube channel and the Star Sports Radio website, not in-bet streaming.
The trade-off: each bookmaker only carries certain race meetings (rights are negotiated per festival). On any given Punchestown day, the safest two-bookmaker combination for full coverage is Bet365 + Paddy Power — between them they typically cover every race on the card.
Watching abroad
If you're outside the UK or Ireland during festival week, your options narrow. The RTÉ Player and ITVX are geo-restricted; bookmaker streams require a UK- or IRE-funded account.
Some international racing apps (such as At The Races or Sky Racing World in the US, Sky Thoroughbred Central in Australia) carry selected Punchestown races as part of their international racing coverage — but availability varies by country and isn't guaranteed for every race. Racing TV International is available in some non-UK/IRE territories at a higher subscription rate.
A VPN in combination with a UK or Irish streaming service is technically possible but typically violates the service's terms of use and is outside the scope of this guide.
Mobile viewing
All the services above support mobile viewing via their respective apps:
- RTÉ Player — iOS and Android (Ireland only)
- ITVX — iOS, Android, Smart TV, web (UK only)
- Racing TV — iOS, Android, Smart TV (UK and IRE)
- Bookmaker apps — iOS and Android, in-bet streaming for funded accounts
If you're on the go for any of the days, the bookmaker stream route remains the simplest for a single race — qualifying bet, watch in the same app.
What time is the Punchestown Gold Cup 2026?
The Punchestown Gold Cup is run on Tuesday 28 April with an indicative off-time of 6:25pm IST/BST. Exact off-times are confirmed on the morning of racing — check the racecard the day of the meeting.
Is Punchestown on free-to-air TV in the UK?
Yes — partially. ITV4 carries the headline Grade 1s on selected days (most reliably the Tuesday and Wednesday cards covering the Punchestown Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle). Other Grade 1s and the supporting handicaps are only on Racing TV for UK viewers, which requires a subscription.
Is Punchestown on free-to-air TV in Ireland?
Yes. RTÉ2 carries extended coverage across all five days, free-to-air via terrestrial TV or via the RTÉ Player online (Ireland only).
Can I watch every race?
Yes — through Racing TV in the UK or Ireland (~£32.98/month standard subscription), or through a funded bookmaker account with a qualifying bet on the race you want to watch. Free-to-air covers headline Grade 1s only.
What's the cheapest legal way to watch Punchestown?
Bookmaker live streams. A qualifying £1 win bet on a race typically unlocks the live stream of that race in the operator's app — Bet365 and Paddy Power both stream the majority of Punchestown races to UK and Irish account holders. Combined cost of watching the full festival via this route: less than £20 in qualifying bets across five days.
Are races on Sky Sports Racing?
No. Sky Sports Racing does not carry rights to Punchestown Festival. The race meeting is split between RTÉ (Ireland), ITV4 (UK headline Grade 1s) and Racing TV (full meeting both jurisdictions).
What time is racing on each day?
Tuesday–Friday: First race ~4:00pm IST, last race ~7:55pm IST.
Saturday: First race ~2:00pm IST, last race ~6:00pm IST.
Saturday is the only afternoon-start day.
Can I bet through the live stream?
Yes — bookmaker live streams sit inside their app or website, so you can bet on the next race while watching the current one. BOG and other in-play promotions apply as normal. 18+, please gamble responsibly. Visit GamCare.org.uk or BeGambleAware.org for support if betting stops being fun.
Are race times on the day the same as the published racecard?
Usually within 5 minutes. Off-times can drift slightly between the published advance racecard and the day itself, depending on previous race timings and stewards' decisions. The Grade 1 headline races stick close to their advertised time; smaller supporting handicaps can run 5–10 minutes off schedule.
For the latest published off-times the morning of racing, check the Punchestown Festival 2026 preview.
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