Top hunters blocked from running at Punchestown bid to make amends at Cheltenham

Punchestown’s loss is Cheltenham’s gain on Friday evening when Premier Magic and Shantou Flyer, first and third at the festival, return to the Cotswolds for the hunter chase meeting.

They were ruled out of Punchestown’s Champion Hunters’ Chase last Friday just before declarations when trainers Bradley Gibbs and Sam Loxton were informed that – as they were unlicensed – their horses could not take part. 

Loxton ran Caid Du Berlais in the Punchestown race two years ago, and his late wife Rose, who was also unlicensed, won it in 2018 and 2019 with the same horse. It seems strange that Irish point-to-point trainers can run horses at Cheltenham but their British counterparts can no longer do likewise at Punchestown.