Tune In A Box (Richard Patrick) winning at Punchestown© Photo Healy Racing
Albert Bartlett will sponsor the newly branded Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series in a three-year deal that will see 12 qualifying handicap hurdle races culminating in a €100,000 Final at the Punchestown Festival.
The qualifying races will be run over distances between 2m2f and 2m6f for horses rated 0-120 and take place across the UK and Ireland beginning at Punchestown on November 23.
The €100,000 Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Final will be run over 2m4f on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival (April 29) with a handicap band of 0-130.
The first five home in each qualifier are eligible to enter the Final and qualifying placings will take precedence over handicap ratings in any ballot process to determine runners in the Final.
The initial concept last season was run as the Full Circle Series which comprised ten races with an €80,000 Final.
Albert Bartlett Chairman Ronnie Bartlett outlined the key driver behind their support of the series saying, “We were really impressed with the first running of the concept in 2023. We hope partnering to create the Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series will enhance the series further to encourage travel, cohesion and alignment throughout jump racing in the UK and Ireland with the exciting involvement of UK trained and owned horses competing at Punchestown.
“The series allows owners and trainers to visit new tracks, cross the Irish sea, meet with new peers, all built around enjoying flagship race days and competing for meaningful prize money. Ultimately we hope this will create more really entertaining days for race fans to enjoy and that’s what it is all about.”
Punchestown CEO Conor O’Neill, said: "We look forward to optimising this exciting concept alongside the Albert Bartlett team who share in our vision and objectives for the initiative. Together we aim to create an inclusive prospect for horses at a particular level to compete for a significant prize pot on the big stage whilst providing an excellent opportunity to open up the sport even further by encouraging owners and trainers to travel and compete across what is a relatively small jurisdiction. To this end we couldn’t have hoped for a better result of the inaugural running when Herefordshire trainer Tom Lacey won the final with Tune In A Box owned by the Woolhope Hopeful Syndicate.”
Reflecting on their Punchestown Festival Experience, Rachel Tobey, member of 2024 series final winning owners Woolhope Hopefuls, said: “We had the most wonderful and memorable experience at Punchestown. The welcome was exceptional. A group of us travelled over expecting the visit to be the highlight but as our name suggests we were hopeful that Tune In A Box could deliver. To win was beyond our dreams! We think that what is now the Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series initiative is absolutely brilliant. Without it we would probably have never had a runner at Punchestown and now we are fully focused on returning again!"
The 2024/2025 Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Qualifiers
1. 23rd November - Punchestown
2. 5th January - Chepstow
3. 12th January - Punchestown
4. 26th January - Naas
5. 23rd January — Huntingdon
6. 14th February — Kelso
7. 15th February — Gowran Park
8. 26th February — Wincanton
9. 7th March — Ayr
10. 17th March — Down Royal
11. 20th March - Cork
12. 28th March — Wetherby
The €100,000 Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Final takes place on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival on April 29.
