WITH only weeks until Punchestown returns with the Great Comeback Festival from Tuesday 26 Saturday 30 April, the racecourse has announced an exciting new sponsorship as Noel and Valerie Moran’s Bective Stud take over title honours of the first grade one contest at the prestigious season grand finale.
 Bective Stud owners Noel and Valerie Moran continue their support of Punchestown and Irish National Hunt racing with a Grade 1 sponsorship on Tuesday 26 April.
The €125,000 Grade 1 Bective Stud Champion Novice Hurdle will take place on the opening day of the highly anticipated 2022 Punchestown Festival. The winners list for this two-mile contest, which ran under the eComm Merchant Solutions banner in 2021, features stars such as Hurricane Fly, Jezki, Faugheen and Douvan. Like so many of the Punchestown feature races, champion trainer Willie Mullins has dominated winning six of the last seven runnings. A sequence punctuated in 2016 by the J.P. McManus owned Don’t Push It ridden by Barry Geraghty and trained by Jessica Harrington.
Recently published entries for the Bective Stud contest feature Cheltenham sensation Constitution Hill, Sir Gerhard, Three Stripe Life, Aintree winner Jonbon, while County Hurdle winner State Man would be an intriguing contender.
The Moran’s purchased the 180 acre Bective Stud in 2016 and have undertaken a considered and highly detailed restoration project of the beautiful house, yard and gardens that date back to 1852. Situated on the banks of the Boyne between Trim and Navan, Bective Stud is a truly unique immersive stud experience for racing patrons and enthusiasts. Operating as a dual purpose bloodstock enterprise with both racing and breeding stock, the stud welcomes paying guests to enjoy the recently refurbished luxurious self-catering apartments, the newly opened tearooms and gardens. In addition, patrons of the tea rooms and apartments will soon enjoy the first phase of the walking trails which is due to open later this month. The vision does not end there as there are plans for a five star hotel in the pipeline. |