The Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1
National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to
horses
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
aged four years or older. It is run at
Punchestown
Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Ireland. It is known as the home of Irish Jumps Racing and plays host to the annual Punchestown Irish National ...
over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and during its running there are fourteen hurdles to be jumped. The race is for
novice
A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession
A profession is a field of work that has ...
hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.
The race has risen rapidly in status, firstly to Grade 3 in 2009, to Grade 2 the following year and finally to Grade 1 in 2011.
Records
Leading
jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...
(5 wins):
*
Paul Townend - '' Marasonnien (2012), Killultagh Vic (2015), Next Destination (2018), Galopin Des Champs (2021), The Nice Guy (2022)''
Leading
trainer (7 wins):
*
Willie Mullins - ''The Midnight Club (2009), Marasonnien (2012), Killultagh Vic (2015), Bellshill (2016), Next Destination (2018), Galopin Des Champs (2021), The Nice Guy (2022)''
Winners since 2005
See also
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Horse racing in Ireland
Horse racing in Ireland is intricately linked with Irish culture and society. The racing of horses has a long history on the island, being mentioned in some of the earliest texts. Domestically, racing is one of Ireland's most popular spectator ...
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List of Irish National Hunt races
A list of notable National Hunt horse races which take place annually in Ireland, under the authority of Horse Racing Ireland
Horse Racing Ireland (HRI; ga, Rásaíocht Capaill na hÉireann) is the governing body of horse racing on the island ...
References
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Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 6 ...
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{{Race Meeting, Punchestown Festival, Turf
Punchestown Racecourse
National Hunt races in Ireland
National Hunt hurdle races