With the 2025 edition of the Cheltenham Festival looming ever larger on the horizon, this weekend sees the Irish track of Leopardstown provide a two-day appetizer. 14 contests – eight of which are at Grade 1 level – make up the fabulous Dublin Racing Festival.
Expect to see many of the leading Cheltenham fancies on show, including the reigning Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup kings, and a host of leading lights from the novice divisions.
The 2024 edition of this fixture belonged almost exclusively to Willie Mullins, with the British and Irish Champion Trainer mopping up all eight Grade 1 contests as his era of dominance hit a new high point in the 2024/25 campaign. Will we be in for more of the same this weekend? Here, we present our take on the seven contests on a sizzling opening day of action at the Foxrock venue.
1:15 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m6f
With the top four in the market hailing from his Closutton operation, there is a fair chance that Willie Mullins will make a flying start to the meeting in a race he has claimed six times in the last ten years.
Of that quartet, Jasmin De Vaux looked a non-stayer last time out at Naas, but Final Demand, Supersundae, and Sound Victorious all look likely to be involved. Supersundae has the strongest form in the book, having finished second to The Yellow Clay in the Grade 1 Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle on his seasonal return. However, he was 8l adrift that day and didn’t look to be crying out for this step-up in trip.
If there is a superstar in the field, we suspect it is the choice of Paul Townend, Final Demand. By one of our favourite sires, Walk In The Park, this strapping sort scored easily in his point-to-point over 3m and again impressed when cantering to a 15l victory in a 2m5f Limerick Maiden. He’s right up in class here but looks all about stamina and can use his long stride to good effect.
Recommended Bet: Final Demand @ 7/4 with BetVictor
1:50 Gannon’s City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m
Gavin Cromwell’s Hello Neighbour and the Willie Mullins-trained Lady Allen Vega are closely matched on their clash at this track in December. Hello Neighbour came out on top that day, but only just, when denying the late rattle of Lady Allen Vega by a short head. With a previous Grade 3 winner 8½l back in fourth, the form looks the best on offer.
We expect that the above two runners won’t be far away but will be siding with the immense potential of Saint Lucie. Going in the famous silks of Mrs Susannah Ricci, this nicely bred French recruit posted one of the most eye-catching maiden hurdle displays of the season when storming to an 11-length success in a 20-runner contest at Punchestown. In common with Final Demand, this is tougher, but Saint Lucie looked like a Grade 1 star in the making that day and gets the chance to prove it here.
Recommended Bet: Saint Lucie to win @ 9/4 with bet365
2:25 Race And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle (Listed), 3m
Boasting a chase rating of 148, the Willie Mullins-trained Meetingofthewaters is potentially thrown in off his hurdle mark of 112. However, he’s hardly been missed by the market at a general 5/2, and that hurdles mark is low for a reason – he’s a better horse over fences. Nevertheless, we wouldn’t be too surprised to see him win but prefer to look elsewhere.
The one to be on is the 2023 winner of this race, Perceval Legallois, from the ever-shrewd Gavin Cromwell operation. He’s 10lb higher in the handicap this time but was good value for a bit more than the 3½l winning margin that day. He also arrives in excellent form, having come with a late rattle to claim a Listed Handicap Chase at this track by 7l. Having won that so easily off a chase rating of 142, he looks to have strong claims off his hurdles mark of 135.
Recommended Bet: Perceval Legallois @ 6/1 with BetVictor
2:55 Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase (Grade 1), 2m1f
A small but select field of six goes to post in this cracking chase contest. Having lifted the prize seven times in the last ten years, including each of the past four editions, Willie Mullins boasts a strong hand once again.
Going in the colours of Tony Bloom, Ile Atlantique has made a flawless start to life over fences. His 5l verdict over the reopposing Firefox in the Racing Post Novice Chase at Naas last time is just about the strongest chase form on offer. It was easy to be impressed by that display, but he failed in four attempts at Grade 1 level over hurdles and may come up just short once again.
Overall, we agree with the market in rating Majborough as the horse to beat. Mullins has never hidden the high regard he has for this JP McManus runner who, as a five-year-old, receives 2lb from all five rivals here. The 2024 Triumph Hurdle winner always looked likely to improve over fences, and we saw nothing to dissuade us from that opinion on his chase debut at Fairyhouse. Tullyhill and Asian Master are no slouches, having lined up in the 2024 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle but Majborough swatted the duo aside with ease on his way to a 6½l success. The sky looks to be the limit for one of the most exciting novice chasers in the sport.
Recommended Bet: Majborough to win @ 8/13 with BetVictor
3:30 Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1), 3m½f
We have a cracking edition of the feature event in store, with the field including the 2022 winner, Conflated, reigning Grand National champ, I Am Maximus, 2024 Kim Muir winner Inothewayurthinkin, and 2023 King George hero, Hewick.
All of the above add intrigue to the race, but this may come down to a shoot-out between the two Mullins runners at the head of the market.
2024 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase winner Fact To File mastered Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan Memorial Chase, suggesting he may be the next name to lead the way in the staying chase division. However, that success came over 2m3½f, and things were rather different last time in the Savills Chae over this course and distance. Over the second last fence, it looked like a thrilling head-to-head tussle may be in store. That battle soon turned into a one-sided affair, as Galopin Des Champs' class and superior stamina saw him leave Fact To File and the rest trailing in his wake.
Galopin Des Champs has won the past two editions of this, and we won’t be backing against him making it three in a row.
Recommended Bet: Galopin Des Champs to win @ 4/7 with bet365
4:05 Ryanair Handicap Chase (Listed Race), 2m1f
The past eight editions of this handicap affair have been claimed by a runner aged seven or younger, whilst eight of the last ten fell to a runner carrying 11st1lb or less on the day. Interestingly, only one horse hits each trend in 2025 – the Thomas Mullins-trained Fascile Mode.
Things, admittedly, haven’t gone well for this Walk In The Park gelding in his last two outings. Having fallen in a Grade 2 at Punchestown, he was let down by jumping errors at that track on the 10th of December. However, he has had almost two months to brush up on his fencing and his Beginners Chase success looks very strong. Touch Me Not finished second that day and scored in Grade 2 company next time, whilst the third-place finisher, Moon D’Orange, claimed a hugely competitive Cheltenham Handicap in January.
Recommended Bet: Fascile Mode each way @ 9/1 with bet365
4:35 Paddy Power Play Card (C & G) I.N.H Flat Race (Grade 2) 2m
Having been won by Envoi Allen, Appreciate It, Facile Vega, and A Dream To Share since the inaugural 2018 edition, this Bumper is well worth keeping an eye on.
Responsible for half of the ten-runner field between them, Irish powerhouses Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins may have this between them. The Mullins-trained Green Splendour and Sortudo bring plenty of promise, but the horse to have impressed us most so far is Elliott’s Jukebox Jury gelding, He Can’t Dance.
Catching the eye when landing his point-to-point at Monksgrange, he made an excellent debut over rules at Navan, when giving weight and a 3½l beating to his six rivals. Given his size, he did well to overcome a slow gallop so easily and could be seen in an even better light given the likely stronger pace of this event.
Recommended Bet: He Can’t Dance to win @ 3/1 with BetVictor
Paul Harrison
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
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