Boodles Champion Hurdle
Grade 1, Punchestown 18:40
 €300,000 guaranteed,
4yo plus,
2m, Class 1   
Friday 1st May 2026

There is often a moment, in the life of a progressive hurdler, when the question ceases to be what mark he can defy and instead becomes how far his ability might truly stretch. Wilful now stands at precisely that juncture.

Already something of a flagbearer for the burgeoning training partnership of Jonjo and A J O’Neill, his victory in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham was not merely a notable success in its own right, but another step along a carefully plotted ascent that has gathered momentum since last spring. From a novice hurdle at Hexham to Festival glory inside a year is no small leap, yet the manner in which he has travelled through the ranks suggests there may yet be more to come.

A J O’Neill reflected on the journey so far with understandable warmth. “He’s been a great horse and he was our first winner on the dual license in a novice hurdle at Hexham (in May 2024) and he’s a dream horse really. He tries really hard and he’s progressed really nicely, especially this season. He’s just a pleasure to have.”

That progression has been built on a blend of tactical speed and resilience, qualities that served him well in the white heat of a typically frenetic County Hurdle. It is often said that such handicaps can be as informative as any Grade One, and in Wilful’s case the performance hinted at a horse whose ceiling has not yet been reached.

The immediate question, then, is one of direction. The familiar fork in the spring road presents itself: remain in the handicap sphere or step into open company. The Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr offers a logical, and perhaps tempting, continuation of the former path, while the Punchestown Champion Hurdle represents a far sterner examination against the very best.

O’Neill is keeping both options firmly in play. “We’ll have a look at either going up to Ayr or across to Punchestown. They are the two most likely options for him so we’ll keep an eye on each and make a plan from there.

“We’ve got the option of the Scottish Champion Hurdle, which is a handicap or there’s the Punchestown Champion Hurdle. He was second at Punchestown last year and ran a cracking race in a handicap, but he’s already won two handicaps this season so it would be nice to try him up in grade.”

That previous experience at Punchestown, where he acquitted himself with considerable credit in defeat, may yet prove a significant factor. The undulating nature of the track and the demands of a strongly run race hold no fears, and there is a sense that connections are increasingly drawn to the idea of testing him at the highest level.

Importantly, this is not a notion formed in haste. “We’ll keep our options open with him. We had him in the Champion Hurdle for a good section of the entry stages and we have considered stepping him up previously. He did very well at Cheltenham so we’ll definitely have a look at the Grade One (in Ireland).”

And therein lies the intrigue. For all that Wilful has thrived in the hurly-burly of handicaps, his profile is beginning to resemble that of a horse ready to outgrow such confines. Punchestown, with its end-of-season atmosphere and championship contests, has often been the stage for emerging talents to announce themselves among the elite.

Whether Wilful is ready to follow that path remains to be seen, but few would argue that he has not earned the opportunity to find out.

Punchestown Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)
€300,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m, Class 1
entries
Going:

 

PAST RESULTS
Year Horse Age/Wt Owner Trainer Jockey SP

2025 State Man 8 11-12 Mrs J Donnelly W P Mullins Paul Townend 9/4
2024 State Man 7 11-12 Mrs J Donnelly W P Mullins Paul Townend 2/7F
2023 State Man 6 11-12 Mrs J Donnelly W P Mullins Paul Townend 2/5F
2022 Honeysuckle 7 11-07 Kenneth Alexander Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore 1/5F
2021 Honeysuckle 7 11-07 Kenneth Alexander Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore 4/7F
2020 Abandoned - Covid-19
2019 Buveur D'Air 8-11-12 John P McManus Nicky Henderson Davy Russell 2/1J
2018 Supasundae 8-11-12 Wicklow B’stock (Ire) Ltd Mrs J Harrington RM Power 12/1
2017 Wicklow Brave 8-11-12 Wicklow B’stock (Ire) Ltd Willie Mullins Mr Patrick Mullins 12/1
2016 Vroum Vroum Mag 7-11-5 Susannah Ricci Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 4/6 Fav
2015 Faugheen 7-11-12 Susannah Ricci Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 1/6 Fav
2014 Jezki 6-11-12 J P McManus Jessica Harrington A P McCoy 4/5 Fav
2013 Hurricane Fly 9-11-12 George Creighton & Rose Boyd Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 1/4 Fav
2012 Hurricane Fly 8-11-12 George Creighton & Rose Boyd Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 4/11 Fav
2011 Hurricane Fly 7-11-12 George Creighton & Rose Boyd Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 1/2 Fav
2010 Hurricane Fly 6-11-12 George Creighton & Rose Boyd Willie Mullins Paul Townend 3/1
2009 Solwhit 5-11-12 Top Of The Hill Syndicate Charles Byrnes Davy Russell 2/1 Jt Fav
2008 Punjabi 5-11-12 Raymond Tooth Nicky Henderson GB Barry Geraghty 2/1
2007 Silent Oscar 8-11-12 Patrick Convery Harry Rogers Robbie Power 20/1
2006 Macs Joy 7-11-12 Mac’s J Racing Jessica Harrington Barry Geraghty 11/4
2005 Brave Inca 7-11-12 Novices Syndicate Colm Murphy A P McCoy 2/1
2004 Hardy Eustace 7-11-12 Lar Byrne Dessie Hughes Conor O’Dwyer 3/1
2003 Quazar 5-11-13 David Carr Jonjo O’Neill GB Tony Dobbin 7/2
2002 Davenport Milenium 6-11-12 Mrs Noel O’Callaghan Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 11/2
*2001 Moscow Flyer 7-12-00 Brian Kearney Jessica Harrington Barry Geraghty 6/1
2000 Grimes 7-11-09 J P McManus Christy Roche Charlie Swan 6/1
1999 Istabraq 7-12-00 J P McManus Aidan O’Brien Charlie Swan 1/4 Fav
1998-96 No race
1995 Fortune And Fame 8-11-08 Michael Smurfit Dermot Weld Richard Dunwoody 4/7 Fav
1994 Fortune And Fame 7-11-08 Michael Smurfit Dermot Weld Brendan Sheridan 4/9 Fav
1993 Camden Buzz 5-11-05 Carmel Byrne Paddy Mullins Charlie Swan Evs Fav
* Run at Leopardstown

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