SUNDAY sees the return of the ‘Up The Yard Challenge’ race for stable and stud staff at Punchestown.

Introduced in 2017, the race provides an opportunity for stable and stud staff to achieve the ambition of riding not just on a racecourse but at the home of Irish jump racing.

The winning rider will receive a €1,000 Midland Travel voucher with second and third place both getting €500 One4all vouchers. The winning yard will also win a promo video pack from Baxter Edits to showcase the yard, team, and facilities.

Competing for this year’s top prize includes a couple of parent/child combinations. Hannah Hogan will ride for her father, trainer David Broad, while Jack Martin will be getting the leg up from his father, Pat.

Other taking part include Laura Bohan, who has only recently returned to riding out following a 23-year absence, and Jamie Lee Gonet from France who originally came to Ireland from France to be an au pair.

None of the participants have ever raced under rules on the track or in a point-to-point. All of the riders are 12st or under and have qualified to ride by passing a charity race one-day competency assessment in January at RACE in Kildare.

The inaugural running of the Up The Yard Challenge took place in 2017 and was won by Louise Magee on Tagliatelle, representing the Gordon Elliott team.

Camilla Sharples on Markhan landed the spoils the following year for the same Cullentra establishment with Jimmy Finn’s stable taking the 2019 honours.

Event organiser and Punchestown sponsorship manager Leona Hughes explains the thinking behind the initiative: “Most who work in horse racing usually have a dream to ride in a race at some stage.

“It’s such a competitive industry and we all know some talented horse men and women who ride out every day but, for whatever reason, didn’t go on to become jockeys.

“The Up The Yard Challenge gives them a chance to take centre stage and show everyone what they can do.”

Hughes and Punchestown would like to express their gratitude to all the sponsors who contributed to the running of the race and the overall prize fund including the ITBA, Irish Injured Jockeys, BBA Ireland, RACE, and the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association.

The full list of riders and trainers are: John Ferguson (Henry de Bromhead), Hannah Hogan (David Broad), Patrick Murray (Patrick Harty), Robert Duffy (Oliver McKiernan), Mary Corcoran (Charles Keegan), Jack Martin (Pat Martin), Jamie Lee Gonet (Jimmy Finn), Caitríona Bolger (Gordon Elliott), Kate Hyland (John McConnell), Janna Walsh (Willie Mullins), Laura Bohan (Ciaran Murphy), Correna Bowe (Sam Curling), Emma Redmond (Jessica Harrington), Matthew Rigney (Shark Hanlon), Tessa Condon (Ken Budds) and Lauren Hickey (James Nash).