With the Punchestown Festival right around the corner, the Irish Trainers Championship standings are ever so close as Gordon Elliott narrowly leads Willie Mullins.
Current Irish Trainers Championship Standings: Elliott Narrowly Leads
The 2026 Punchestown Festival takes place next week and we could see a huge shift in the Irish Trainers Championship standings.
Gordon Elliott currently holds a slender advantage of rival Willie Mullins but that is expected to change next week.
There will be a record amount of prize money on offer with €3.6million available to win over the five days.
As well as 12 Grade 1s, there are lots of valuable handicaps taking place too.
The Punchestown Gold Cup is one of the races expected to go the way of Mullins, with Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File heading the market.
Willie Mullins Has Won Irish Trainers Championship For Last 18 Years
Elliot and Mullins have gone toe-to-toe all season long and the Trainers Championship will be wrapped up next week at Punchestown.
Although, it could be over by the time the Punchestown Festival has even finished
Elliott will be hoping he has enough fire power to end Mullins’ long reign but the Closutton maestro has won the Irish Trainers Championship for each of the last 18 seasons.
And with Mullins saving his best horses for Punchestown & not targeting Aintree, there’s a good chance he will make it 19 on the bounce next week in County Kildare.
Mullins is currently 1/20 to retain his title, whilst Elliott is 8/1 to upset his rival – despite being over €150,000 ahead of him in the current Irish Trainers Championship standings.
On the jockeys front, Elliott’s stable jockey is miles ahead of his weighing room colleagues and is 1/6 to become Champion Jockey. He leads Darragh O’Keeffee by over €1,000,000 in prize money won.
This year will be just the second time he will be Champion Jockey. Paul Townend has been champ six of the last seven years.
Irish Trainers Championship Standings
You’ll see below that Elliott currently leads Mullins by just €154,010 – meaning every runner in every Punchestown race will be crucial for both.
| Position | Trainer | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Gordon Elliott | 176 | 160 | 157 | 117 | €4,694,570 |
| 2nd | Willie Mullins | 180 | 128 | 86 | 71 | €4,540,560 |
| 3rd | Henry de Bromhead | 80 | 61 | 78 | 58 | €1,533,985 |
| 4th | Gavin Cromwell | 66 | 84 | 62 | 71 | €1,356,240 |
| 5th | Emmet Mullins | 24 | 25 | 15 | 21 | €712,240 |
| 6th | P.J. Rothwell | 35 | 39 | 57 | 52 | €578,455 |
Punchestown Festival Prize Money For Grade 1s
The lion’s share of prize money that will mean the most in the Irish Trainers Championship is likely to come from the Grade 1s.
With 12 taking place, see below all of the winnings up for grabs. The Boodles Champion Hurdle is always a big deal and even the British want to win it, with Golden Ace heading to the race for a second year in a row.
- PRL Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) – €73,625 – Tuesday 28th April
- Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase (Grade 1) – €73,625 – Tuesday 28th April
- William Hill Champion Chase (Grade 1) – €176,700 – Tuesday 28th April
- Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) – €73,625 – Wednesday 29th April
- Race & Stay At Punchestown Champion I.N.H Flat Race (Grade 1) – €58,900 – Wednesday 29th April
- Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup (Grade 1) – €176,700 – Wednesday 29th April
- Barberstown Castle Novice Chase (Grade 1) – €73,625 – Thursday 30th April
- Champion Stayers Hurdle (Grade 1) – €176,700 – Thursday 30th April
- Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) – €73,625 – Friday 1st May
- Boodles Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) – €176,700 – Friday 1st May
- SBK Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) – €73,625 – Saturday 2nd May
- Ballymore Champion Hour Year Old Hurdle (Grade 1) – €73,625 – Saturday 2nd May
