Next week’s Punchestown Festival will bring down the curtain on the 2025/26 National Hunt season in spectacular fashion. The five-day meeting takes place from Tuesday, April 28th to Saturday, May 2nd.

It will feature no fewer than 12 Grade 1 events with a record €3.6 million up for grabs across 40 races at the County Kildare venue. Punchestown is also when the season’s champions are crowned on the final day.

For County Carlow-based trainer Willie Mullins, receiving the Champion Trainer trophy has been an annual tradition since 2008. However, he is €154,000 shy of rival Gordon Elliott’s prize money tally in the race for this year’s title.

Elliott has finished second to Mullins for each of the last 13 years. Whatever happens next week the Meath trainer, with 11 Grade 1 prizes won at home and abroad this term, deserves enormous credit for his sustained challenge to the most potent force National Hunt racing has ever seen.

Should Mullins prevail, it will be his 20th championship in all and crown a spring when he has swept the boards at the Dublin Racing Festival, Cheltenham and the Randox Grand National.

The Champion Jockey title appears to rest between Kerry’s Jack Kennedy and Darragh O’Keeffe from Cork. The former leads by five winners 99-94 before the next jumps fixture at Kilbeggan this Friday evening. Reigning champion Paul Townend is in third place on 83 winners.

Kennedy is seeking a second title, having sealed his first championship at this meeting two years ago. His 11 Grade 1 wins this term have been for Elliott at home, in England and the USA.

O’Keeffe, meanwhile, is bidding for a first crown having by far exceeded his previous best tally of 62 winners. He rode three Grade 1 winners over the season, all for his principal supporter Henry de Bromhead.

The battle for the Champion Conditional Jockey is even tighter with just three winners separating Wexford rider Eoin Staples and Michael Kenneally from Cork, the score 33-30.

Staples’ association with the Gavin Cromwell team in County Meath yielded the most memorable moment of his career to date when he won the Goffs Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park on Now Is The Hour in January.

Kenneally, meanwhile, only turned professional in September and has sourced his success from a wide variety of trainers. His finest hour arrived when he won at the Dublin Racing Festival on Cousin Kate for trainer Denis Hogan.

In the Champion Owner category, J.P. McManus leads Gigginstown House Stud in his pursuit of a sixth successive title and 23rd in all.

Patrick Mullins will receive the Champion Amateur title for the 18th time with 33 winners at the time of going to press. He crossed the 900-winner mark during the season. Jody Townend, meanwhile, is poised to be named Leading Lady Rider for the sixth year running.