Barry Connell: the inside track on my Punchestown Festival team

Marine Nationale, winner of the 2025 Champion Chase at Cheltenham, had to miss his title defence last month due to injury, but his owner/trainer Barry Connell believes it could be a blessing in disguise, as he told Racing TV on a recent visit to the yard. 

 “It was gut-wrenching to miss Cheltenham but we’re looking forward to Punchestown,” he said. “He's been there three times and he’s won three times, so he seems to like the place.” 

The Co. Kildare handler is equally bullish about the chances of stablemate William Munny who hasn’t been sighted since last year’s Cheltenham Festival where he finished a gallant second to Kopek Des Bordes in the Supreme. “I'd be disappointed if he doesn't finish in the first three,” he explained. 

Not many National Hunt horses are trained near Kildare these days since Dessie Hughes retired, but Connell – who had horses as an owner with Hughes – credits the legendary handler for much of his own training career. 

 “Funnily enough, a lot of the staff we have here actually used to work at Dessie's. And I always looked up to him as a role model in terms of how you'd like to train horses. I think we kind of emulate a bit of what he used to do as well.” 

The five-day Punchestown Festival runs from Tuesday 28 April to Saturday 2 May. 

Watch the full feature video below.