William Hill and Punchestown Racecourse have announced a new sponsorship deal. The bookmaker will sponsor the Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle on Saturday, 21 November 2026.
The deal strengthens William Hill’s connection with Punchestown. The bookmaker already sponsors the Grade 1 William Hill Champion Chase at the Punchestown Festival. As a result, it will support two of the racecourse’s biggest fixtures.
A prestigious race on the jumps calendar
The William Hill Morgiana Hurdle is one of the season’s leading two-mile hurdle races. It often features reigning champions and exciting contenders making their seasonal debuts.
Its roll of honour includes some of the sport’s biggest names. Last year, Lossiemouth won the race before continuing her success as a champion hurdler at Cheltenham and Punchestown. Previous winners include State Man and the legendary Hurricane Fly.
Hurricane Fly won the Morgiana Hurdle three years in a row. He claimed victory in 2012, 2013 and 2014, cementing his place in the race’s history.
Premiere Weekend promises top-class racing
The William Hill Morgiana Hurdle headlines the opening day of Punchestown Premiere Weekend. The meeting runs on Saturday, 21 November, and Sunday, 22 November 2026.
The event has become a major fixture in the pre-Christmas racing calendar. It also features two days of high-quality jumps racing, with a Grade 1 double-header across the weekend.
Saturday’s Morgiana Hurdle leads into Sunday’s John Durkan Memorial Chase. In addition, the programme includes Graded, Listed and cross-country races.
Racegoers can also enjoy a range of hospitality options. However, the popular Punchestown Race & Dine package often sells out in advance.
Premiere Weekend produces major winners
The 2025 meeting demonstrated the quality of racing at Premiere Weekend. Several leading horses went on to achieve major success later in the season.
Both the Cheltenham and Punchestown Gold Cup winners made their seasonal debuts at the meeting. The Champion Hurdle winners also began their campaigns there.
Furthermore, runners from the 2025 Premiere Weekend went on to win the Ryanair Chase, the Grand National and four Punchestown Festival races. In total, those runners secured 11 Grade 1 victories.
Andrew McCleave, Head of Marketing William Hill Ireland said: “The William Hill Morgiana Hurdle is always a big race in the Jumps calendar, and we look forward to kicking off as sponsors for the first time this season. We’re delighted to be sponsoring a race which features the likes of Lossiemouth, Faugheen and Hurricane Fly on the roll of honour, and we’re excited to see who follows in their hoofprints this year.
“Sponsorship of the Morgiana further adds to our visibility at the track via the William Hill Challenge Series and the William Hill Champion Chase, so we’re really looking forward to the season ahead at Punchestown. From the grassroots to Grade 1s, we’re excited to see what this campaign will bring.”
Janet Creighton, Marketing and Sponsorship Manager Punchestown Racecourse, said: The William Hill team have doubled down on their commitment to Irish Jumps racing with this sponsorship. They now top and tail the Punchestown season at Grade 1 level on our biggest days which really shows how much they value and support Irish National Hunt racing.
“The Premiere Weekend has gone from strength to strength, as has William Hill’s support at Punchestown. We look forward to continuing to grow this partnership and deliver more brilliant racing.”
Punchestown Premiere Weekend takes place on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November 2026 with top class racing, hospitality, live music and family entertainment. Two day weekend tickets available for €35 until 15th November.
