After finishing second in the race last year, Golden Ace will return to Punchestown next week and attempt to go one better in the Boodles Champion Hurdle.
Golden Ace To Run In Boodles Champion Hurdle At Punchestown
After her surprise win in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham last season, Golden Ace headed to Punchestown to try and win their equivalent.
The classy mare would go on to finish second behind State Man, and wasn’t beaten far at all – proving her Cheltenham shock was no fluke.
WATCH: Golden Ace Finishes Second In 2025 Boodles Champion Hurdle
STATE MAN is the @Boodles Champion Hurdle winner 🏆@punchestownrace pic.twitter.com/uxH46bHQFc
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 2, 2025
Golden Ace currently holds two entries for the 2026 Punchestown Festival, including the Mares’ Champion Hurdle. However, Jeremy Scott is favouring revenge in the Boodles Champion Hurdle.
He was speaking to Racing TV:
“All being well we’re aiming for Punchestown and we’re probably favouring the Champion Hurdle. We’re sort of third-favourite for both races and we’d probably rather aim for the money!
“Obviously we’re going to see how the situation develops, but I think at the moment that’s where we’re leaning.
“It would be very nice to get her head in front again, but we’re slightly up against it whichever we you go.
“I’ve been very happy with her since Aintree actually, all good. She’ll have had three runs fairly close together, but having missed the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton, I feel she’s fresh and well and se can have a nice holiday after this.
“I think we’ll go down a similar route next season, but we might vary the trip a little bit. I actually thought she ran well at Aintree, if not better than she did at Cheltenham, so I wouldn’t be worried about two-and-a-half.”
When Is The Punchestown Boodles Champion Hurdle?
📅 Date: Friday, 1st May 2026
⌚ Time: 6:40pm
🏇 Racecourse: Punchestown
🔄 Trip: 2m
💷 Winner: €176,700
📺 TV: Racing TV
Boodles Champion Hurdle Odds: Golden Ace An 8/1 Chance For Punchestown
- Lossiemouth 4/7 (Willie Mullins)
- Brighterdaysahead 7/1 (Gordon Elliott)
- William Munny 7/1 (Barry Connell)
- Golden Ace 8/1 (Jeremy Scott)
- Poniros 12/1 (Willie Mullins)
- Wilful 12/1 (Jonjo & A J O’Neill)
- Anzadam 14/1 (Willie Mullins)
- El Fabiolo 20/1 (Willie Mullins)
- Casheldale Lad 25/1 (Gordon Elliott)
- Zanoosh 25/1 (Colm Murphy)
- Absurde 40/1 (Willie Mullins)
- Glen Kiln 50/1 (David Kelly)
Recent Boodles Champion Hurdle Winners
- 2025 – State Man 9/4 (Willie Mullins)
- 2024 – State Man 2/7f (Willie Mullins)
- 2023 – State Man 2/5f (Willie Mullins)
- 2022 – Honeysuckle 1/5f (Henry de Bromhead)
- 2021 – Honeysuckle 4/7f (Henry de Bromhead)
- 2020 – NO RACE
- 2019 – Buveur D’Air 2/1jf (Nicky Henderson)
- 2018 – Supasundae 7/1 (Mrs John Harrington)
- 2017 – Wicklow Brave 12/1 (Willie Mullins)
- 2016 – Vroum Vroum Mag 4/6f (Willie Mullins)
