FEW British trainers have plundered Punchestown quite like Anthony Honeyball.

The Dorset trainer will look to strike at the meeting for the fourth consecutive season next week, with as many as five horses making the trip.

Honeyball’s winning sequence started with the J.P. McManus-owned Sully D’Oc Aa in 2021. He saddled Lilith to win there in 2022 and last year he struck with Kilbeg King, but before those winners he had earmarked Ireland’s signature jumps festival as the perfect season finale.

“This is a really prestigious meeting and I know every yard in Ireland is desperate to end their season with a Punchestown Festival winner,” said Honeyball. “It fits well this season in particular. There’s no racing over here on the week of the Festival, so it’s a bit of a free hit for us, we haven’t got any other races to run them in.

“I also find bringing them over, when they’ve had a busy season, they look after us well, we can exercise them in the middle of the course in the mornings and in some cases, it’s given them another little lease of life.

“It’s a nice change of scenery and it just gives them a bit of an extra spark, so we feel it’s a benefit coming over rather than looking at the effort involved in transporting them.

“Quite often we’ll have a horse that perhaps runs at Cheltenham or somewhere in March and we’ll skip Aintree and go straight to Punchestown, nice and fresh.”

McManus tip

It was McManus who first persuaded Honeyball to target Punchestown, the final stop for his horses before heading home to the owner’s stud in Martinstown. But after a few other near misses, Honeyball was encouraged to send more of his own over.

“There was a particular race that I think made us take more than just J.P.’s,” he explained. “I remember we took Cresswell Breeze for a valuable mares’ handicap. She didn’t have anything else to run in and was beaten narrowly.

“We found we were competitive in the handicaps and given a fair crack of the whip. There was a real emphasis on safe ground, regardless of what the weather was doing, so that’s why we’ve always kept coming back.”

British success at Punchestown has tended to come outside of the top-flight races but a Gold Cup win for the Paul Nicholls-trained Clan Des Obeaux in 2021 proved it is possible to topple the powerhouse home stables.

That said, Honeyball feels there are greater opportunities to be had in the Festival’s highlight handicaps during what is one of his favourite meetings in the calendar.

“It’s been fantastic. We’ve made the most of it and really enjoyed going over there,” he said. “We’re quite relaxed, it’s a case of throwing a dart at the board and we obviously want them to do well but at the same time it’s a bit of a free hit. We get very well looked after, nothing is too much trouble.

“The overseas barn is always quite quiet and, at least from a selfish perspective, I hope it’s nice and quiet again!

“It’s a very friendly atmosphere and I find that the Irish, be it at security or around the stables, are delighted to see you.

They are delighted when you get a winner too because they hope it will encourage more UK trainers to come over.”

THE HONEYBALL TEAM

WORLD OF DREAMS

The Blood-Stock Full Circle Series Final Handicap Hurdle (Tuesday, 3.05pm)

He’s got a bit of half-decent form, quite unexposed in handicaps and he came back off a long, long break at Ludlow. We hope he has qualified high enough to get into the race. He should have a real good chance and be a bit fitter for his first run back.

OAKLEY’S WAY

Goffs Defender Bumper (Tuesday, 4.50pm)

We’re probably tilting at windmills a little bit, but he’s a nicely-bred horse and hopefully he’ll run respectfully.

KILBEG KING

Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle (Thursday, 6.35pm)

He ran at Cheltenham and Aintree, so it’s a little bit more of afterthought with him rather than laid out for the race, but, at the same time, we think he’s in good order, so we’re going to give it a go. He’s been running in novice chases this season and we thought we’ll end the season with a nice run over hurdles for a bit of confidence. He won it very easily last season, but then he’s down to 138 having run in a handicap chase at Aintree, so we’re hoping we might get a few pounds for a tempting weight and a good chance.

CREDO

Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase (Saturday, 3.05pm)

We’ve got a lovely mare who’s been laid out for this after a long break.

BLACKJACK MAGIC

Palmerstown House Estate Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase (Saturday, 4.15pm)

The same applies to Blackjack Magic who won the Badger Beer Handicap Chase, which is a really valuable race at Wincanton, and he’s run respectively in big handicaps as well. He’s been laid out and we’re bringing him back as fresh as we can for the Pat Taaffe. They’re all quite battle-hardened handicappers, so we’ll see what they let them in off.