Anthony Honeyball talks his love for Punchestown as British trainer eyes another successful raid
Dorset trainer to send over five-strong team for 2024 Festival
Tuesday, 23 April 2024
Sully D'Oc Aa, Lilith, and Kilbeg King have recorded Punchestown wins for Honeyball in each of the last three years
We're looked after well and I find bringing them over after a busy season gives them an extra lease of life - Anthony Honeyball on his trips to Punchestown
Cheltenham Festival has played host to countless Irish raids but few British trainers have plundered Punchestown quite like Anthony Honeyball, writes Ben Hart.
The Dorset trainer will look to strike at the meeting for the fourth consecutive season next week, with as many as five horses making the trip.
Honeyball’s winning sequence started with the JP McManus-owned Sully D'Oc Aa in 2021, but before even then he had earmarked Ireland’s signature jumps festival as the perfect season finale.
“This is a really prestigious meeting and I know every yard in Ireland is desperate to end their season with a Punchestown Festival winner,” said Honeyball.
“I also find bringing them over, when they've had a busy season, they look after us well, we can exercise them in the middle of the course in the mornings and in some cases, it's given them another little lease of life.
“It's a nice change of scenery and it just gives them a bit of an extra spark, so we feel it's a benefit coming over rather than looking at the effort involved in transporting them.
“Quite often we'll have a horse that perhaps runs at Cheltenham or somewhere in March and we’ll skip Aintree and go straight to Punchestown nice and fresh.”
It was McManus who first persuaded Honeyball to target Punchestown, the final stop for his horses before heading home to the owner’s stud in Martinstown.
“There was a particular race that I think made us take more than just JP’s,” he explained.
“I remember we took Cresswell Breeze for a valuable Mares' Handicap. She didn’t have anything else to run in and was beaten narrowly.
“We found we were competitive in the handicaps and given a fair crack of the whip. There was a real emphasis on safe ground regardless of what the weather was doing, so that's why we've always kept coming back.”
That said, Honeyball feels there are greater opportunities to be had in the Festival’s highlight handicaps during what is one of his favourite meetings in the calendar.
“It’s been fantastic. We've made the most of it and really enjoyed going over there,” he said.
“We're quite relaxed, it’s a case of throwing a dart at the board and we obviously want them to do well but at the same time it's a bit of a free hit.
“The overseas barn is always quite quiet and at least from a selfish perspective, I hope it's nice and quiet again!
“It's a very friendly atmosphere and I find that the Irish, be it at security or around the stables, are delighted to see you. They are delighted when you get a winner too because they hope it will encourage more UK trainers to come over.”
Anthony Honeyball – runner-by-runner guide to his 2024 Punchestown Festival hopes
World Of Dreams – The Blood-Stock Full Circle Series Final Handicap Hurdle (Tues 30, 3.05pm): “He's got a bit of half decent form, quite unexposed in handicaps and he came back off a long, long break at Ludlow. We hope he has qualified high enough to get into the race. He should have a real good chance and be a bit fitter for his first run back.”
Oakley’s Way – Goffs Defender Bumper (Tues 30, 4.50pm): “We’re probably tilting at windmills a little bit but he’s a nicely bred horse and hopefully he’ll run respectfully.”
Kilbeg King – Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle (Thurs 2, 6.35pm): “He ran at Cheltenham and Aintree, so it’s a little bit more of afterthought with him rather than laid out for the race but at the same time, we think he's in good order, so we're going to give it a go. He's been running in Novice Chases this season and we thought we'll end the season with a nice run over hurdles for a bit of confidence. He won it very easily last season but then he's down to 138 having run in a Handicap Chase at Aintree, so we're hoping we might get a few pounds for a tempting weight and a good chance.
Credo – The Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Steeplechase (Sat 4, 3.05pm): “We've got a lovely mare who's been laid out for this after a long break.”
Blackjack Magic – The Palmerstown House Estate Pat Taaffe Handicap Steeplechase (Sat 4, 4.15pm): “The same applies to Blackjack Magic who won the Badger Beer Handicap Chase, which is a really valuable race at Wincanton, and he’s run respectively in big handicaps as well. He's been laid out and we’re bringing him back as fresh as we can for the Pat Taaffe.
“They’re all quite battle-hardened handicappers, so we’ll see what they let them in off.”
The Dorset trainer will look to strike at the meeting for the fourth consecutive season next week, with as many as five horses making the trip.
Honeyball’s winning sequence started with the JP McManus-owned Sully D'Oc Aa in 2021, but before even then he had earmarked Ireland’s signature jumps festival as the perfect season finale.
“This is a really prestigious meeting and I know every yard in Ireland is desperate to end their season with a Punchestown Festival winner,” said Honeyball.
“It fits well this season in particular. There’s no racing over here on the week of the Festival, so it's a bit of a free hit for us, we haven’t got any other races to run them in.WOW!
— Punchestown (@punchestownrace) April 20, 2024
The stage is set.
Tuesday 30 April to Saturday 4 May. pic.twitter.com/lwHgkyFonO
“I also find bringing them over, when they've had a busy season, they look after us well, we can exercise them in the middle of the course in the mornings and in some cases, it's given them another little lease of life.
“It's a nice change of scenery and it just gives them a bit of an extra spark, so we feel it's a benefit coming over rather than looking at the effort involved in transporting them.
“Quite often we'll have a horse that perhaps runs at Cheltenham or somewhere in March and we’ll skip Aintree and go straight to Punchestown nice and fresh.”
It was McManus who first persuaded Honeyball to target Punchestown, the final stop for his horses before heading home to the owner’s stud in Martinstown.
But after a few other near misses, Honeyball was encouraged to send more of his own over.🇬🇧 Another British-trained winner at the @punchestownrace Festival@simontorrens123 continues his remarkable season with success on Sully D'Oc AA for @AJHoneyball in this €50,000 event
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 29, 2021
Results & free replays ➡ https://t.co/sBcsavHpYf pic.twitter.com/32k49lImEw
“There was a particular race that I think made us take more than just JP’s,” he explained.
“I remember we took Cresswell Breeze for a valuable Mares' Handicap. She didn’t have anything else to run in and was beaten narrowly.
“We found we were competitive in the handicaps and given a fair crack of the whip. There was a real emphasis on safe ground regardless of what the weather was doing, so that's why we've always kept coming back.”
British success at Punchestown has tended to come outside of the top-flight races but a Gold Cup win for the Paul Nicholls-trained Clan des Obeaux in 2021 proved it is possible to topple the powerhouse home stables.✅ KILBEG KING is on-course for the Punchestown Festival, and he will run in the same race he won last year, Anthony Honeyball confirms.
— Ash Symonds Journalism (@ASymondsJourno) April 18, 2024
"We found a little issue with his back after Aintree, but we have time to sort it out before Punchestown.
"We wanted to give him an MOT to… https://t.co/lkoKqnhD9Y pic.twitter.com/G2KizRhKDM
That said, Honeyball feels there are greater opportunities to be had in the Festival’s highlight handicaps during what is one of his favourite meetings in the calendar.
“It’s been fantastic. We've made the most of it and really enjoyed going over there,” he said.
“We're quite relaxed, it’s a case of throwing a dart at the board and we obviously want them to do well but at the same time it's a bit of a free hit.
“We get very well looked after, nothing is too much trouble.1 WEEK FROM TODAY
— Punchestown (@punchestownrace) April 23, 2024
Be Part of it https://t.co/C001mwBOSS pic.twitter.com/20Usx4n2DU
“The overseas barn is always quite quiet and at least from a selfish perspective, I hope it's nice and quiet again!
“It's a very friendly atmosphere and I find that the Irish, be it at security or around the stables, are delighted to see you. They are delighted when you get a winner too because they hope it will encourage more UK trainers to come over.”
Anthony Honeyball – runner-by-runner guide to his 2024 Punchestown Festival hopes
World Of Dreams – The Blood-Stock Full Circle Series Final Handicap Hurdle (Tues 30, 3.05pm): “He's got a bit of half decent form, quite unexposed in handicaps and he came back off a long, long break at Ludlow. We hope he has qualified high enough to get into the race. He should have a real good chance and be a bit fitter for his first run back.”
Oakley’s Way – Goffs Defender Bumper (Tues 30, 4.50pm): “We’re probably tilting at windmills a little bit but he’s a nicely bred horse and hopefully he’ll run respectfully.”
Kilbeg King – Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle (Thurs 2, 6.35pm): “He ran at Cheltenham and Aintree, so it’s a little bit more of afterthought with him rather than laid out for the race but at the same time, we think he's in good order, so we're going to give it a go. He's been running in Novice Chases this season and we thought we'll end the season with a nice run over hurdles for a bit of confidence. He won it very easily last season but then he's down to 138 having run in a Handicap Chase at Aintree, so we're hoping we might get a few pounds for a tempting weight and a good chance.
Credo – The Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Steeplechase (Sat 4, 3.05pm): “We've got a lovely mare who's been laid out for this after a long break.”
Blackjack Magic – The Palmerstown House Estate Pat Taaffe Handicap Steeplechase (Sat 4, 4.15pm): “The same applies to Blackjack Magic who won the Badger Beer Handicap Chase, which is a really valuable race at Wincanton, and he’s run respectively in big handicaps as well. He's been laid out and we’re bringing him back as fresh as we can for the Pat Taaffe.
“They’re all quite battle-hardened handicappers, so we’ll see what they let them in off.”