The 2022 Punchestown Festival is billed as ‘The Great Comeback’ although Willie Mullins’s rivals could be forgiven for regarding the upcoming five days as ‘The Great Struggle’.
Fresh from a record 10 winners at Cheltenham last month, National Hunt racing’s dominant figure goes into the week with perhaps his strongest ever team at the €3.6 million extravaganza.
Such is his strength in depth that last year’s record Punchestown Festival haul of 19 winners could come under threat.
That 2021 tally included a 1,875-1 five-timer on day one which contained all three top-flight prizes up for grabs.
Mullins was runner-up in another race on that occasion and didn’t contest the two others.
This time the man who will be crowned champion trainer for a 16th time on Saturday is spreading his net wider with representatives in all eig …
- April 26, 2022
