Neil Durkan wins Punchestown Charity Race

Neil Durkan won the 35th Punchestown Charity Race on Saturday last, 2 May, riding Touch The Moon, trained by William Durkan. Sophie Connor finished second, and Maxime de Chambord came third. 

The race, which closed the 2026 Punchestown Festival, holds personal significance for Durkan, who donated bone marrow to his brother John, a leukaemia patient, 28 years ago. John subsequently died from his illness, but the Durkan family has retained a long-standing connection with Punchestown. 

Race organiser James Nolan, himself the recipient decades ago of a donor kidney from his sister Catherine, expressed his gratitude to the jockeys, owners, trainers, and Punchestown Racecourse for their support. He anticipates the 2026 race will have raised over €60,000 for the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund, promoting the message “Have the conversation - say YES to Organ Donation.”

James is pictured above with the 22 jockeys who took part in the race.

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