One trainer, one jockey, one horse and one race to watch at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown
The Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown features some of the biggest names in the game – including a host of superstar horses, trainers and jockeys. Here's a taste of what's to come on a sensational weekend . . .
Trainer
Willie Mullins has become the dominant force at the Dublin Racing Festival and the trainer has assembled another strong team this weekend.
Mullins, who is operating at a 45 per cent strike-rate in the last fortnight, has the favourite in all bar one of the Grade 1 contests across the two days, with three of those coming on Saturday.
They include Predators Gold in the opening Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle (1.20), Storm Heart in the McCann FitzGerald Spring Juvenile Hurdle (1.50) and the brilliant Galopin Des Champs, who bids for back-to-back wins in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (3.35).
All the Grade 1s on Sunday are Mullins-dominated, with the likes of Gaelic Warrior, Fact To File, Grangeclare West, Ballyburn, El Fabiolo and State Man all on show. That is not even including Impaire Et Passe, who takes on State Man in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle (2.45), or the rest of the runners he is set to have.
Get £50 in free bets with Betfair for the Dublin Racing Festival
Jockey
If Willie Mullins is to dominate the Dublin Racing Festival then his number-one jockey Paul Townend is expected to do the same. He is operating at a staggering 70 per cent strike-rate in the last fortnight, with 14 winners from his last 20 rides.
He has an enviable book of rides across the two days and his mounts on Saturday include Predators Gold (1.20), Storm Heart (1.50), Facile Vega (2.25) and the big one, Galopin Des Champs, in the Irish Gold Cup (3.35).
His Sunday rides are expected to include Gaelic Warrior, who has switched to the Ladbrokes Novice Chase (1.10), exciting novice hurdler Ballyburn (1.40), Queen Mother Champion Chase favourite El Fabiolo in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase (2.10) and State Man, who bids for successive wins in the Irish Champion Hurdle (2.45).
It is a haul that makes bookmakers wince, and anything other than more than a handful of winners from Townend could be a major disappointment.
Paul Townend's Saturday rides: Spotlight views
1.20 Leopardstown: Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m6½f
Made it 2-2 on return; no match for Caldwell Potter latest but may appreciate further here
1.50 Leopardstown: McCann FitzGerald Spring Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m
Looked potentially top-class when bolting up at Punchestown, heads a strong Mullins squad
2.25 Leopardstown: Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase (Grade 1), 2m1f
Second to Marine Nationale in 2023 Supreme Novices' Hurdle, flopped behind Find A Fifty on latest start
3.35 Leopardstown: Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1), 3m½f
Gold Cup hero was brilliant at Christmas, likely to avenge defeats inflicted by Fastorslow
Horse
Among all the stars on show, all eyes will be drawn to Galopin Des Champs as he bids for successive wins in Saturday's Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (3.35).
An easy eight-length winner of the race last year, he then went on to secure crowning glory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but questions were starting to be asked if he was the same horse following two shock defeats.
However, he dispelled those doubts with a breathtaking success in the Savills Chase at this track at Christmas, slamming the high-class Gerri Colombe by a staggering 23 lengths.
That saw him cement his place at the top of the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting again, but he faces a fascinating clash in the Irish equivalent against Fastorslow, his conqueror in the Punchestown Gold Cup and John Durkan Memorial Chase.
Race
The only Grade 1 of the meeting where Willie Mullins does not have the red-hot favourite is Saturday's Goffs Irish Arkle (2.25), in which Marine Nationale bids to enhance his Cheltenham Festival claims.
A brilliant winner of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle last year, he has been seen only once since when making a fine chasing debut over this course and distance in December.
Barry Connell's star had been expected to face a fascinating clash against Gaelic Warrior, but he was not declared on Thursday and takes on Facile Vega again.
Marine Nationale had Facile Vega three and a quarter lengths behind him in the Supreme and will be highly fancied to confirm that form over fences.
Get £50 in free bets with Betfair on horse racing multiples
Betfair are offering £50 in free bets for the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown this weekend.
You can follow these simple steps outlined below to grab £50 in free bets to place on multiples on the big races. It's fast, secure and straightforward.
- Head over to Betfair through this link and click the 'Get Started' button
- Create your username and password
- Place a minimum £10 bet on horse racing at odds of minimum EVS (2.0)
- £50 of free bet tokens for use on horse racing multiples will added to your balance
Betfair betting sign-up offer: the key terms and conditions
It's worth taking a few minutes to read through the terms and conditions associated with the new player promotion before signing up. Doing so will help you get a better grasp of the details of the Dublin Racing Festival betting offer and what's expected of you as a new player.
- New customer offer
- Place a minimum £10 bet on horse racing at odds of minimum EVS (2.0) and get £50 in free bets
- Rewards valid for 30 days and can be used on horse racing multiples only
- Only deposits via cards will qualify
- T&Cs apply
- Please gamble responsibly
Read these next:
Do you want £700+ of free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.
Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.
Published on inDublin Racing Festival
Last updated
Copy- Fancy a trip to the Dublin Racing Festival? Be sure to book in advance as Leopardstown scraps ticket sales on the gate
- Leopardstown delighted with 'very significant increase' in British racegoers at packed-out Dublin Racing Festival
- 'It's been absolutely extraordinary - it's certainly way more winners than I thought we would achieve'
- Who has been your big Dublin Racing Festival eyecatcher?
- Irish Champion Hurdle: 'You can't get much better than this' - State Man completes remarkable Grade 1 clean sweep for Willie Mullins
- Fancy a trip to the Dublin Racing Festival? Be sure to book in advance as Leopardstown scraps ticket sales on the gate
- Leopardstown delighted with 'very significant increase' in British racegoers at packed-out Dublin Racing Festival
- 'It's been absolutely extraordinary - it's certainly way more winners than I thought we would achieve'
- Who has been your big Dublin Racing Festival eyecatcher?
- Irish Champion Hurdle: 'You can't get much better than this' - State Man completes remarkable Grade 1 clean sweep for Willie Mullins