Willie Mullins throws plenty of darts at the Dublin Racing Festival 2025 including some of his best prospects and top horses. That is probably why he cleans up at this two-day Leopardstown fixture that gets underway on Saturday, 1 February with the Irish Gold Cup.
That is the last of four Grade 1 races taking place on the opening day card. Mullins has two or more runners in each of the top-class events that also includes the Spring Juvenile Hurdle and Irish Arkle over fences.
Naturally, the Irish Gold Cup where he runs six headlines proceedings. Galopin Des Champs seeks a hat-trick of wins in this, his final prep race before bidding to join equine greats Arkle and Best Mare in winning three Cheltenham Gold Cups.
The action comes thick and fast from the track south of Dublin city centre with horse racing betting sites on both sides of the Irish Sea expecting plenty of turnover. There are also a couple of handicaps and a Grade 2 bumper on the card.
We didn’t exactly have to twist the arm of our in-house horse racing experts to take a look through this meeting. Read their thoughts and race by race analysis of everything happening below:
Dublin Racing Festival 2025 Day 1 Preview from Leopardstown
1:15 – 2m 6f Grade 1 Novice Hurdle
Mullins runs five in the DRF opener with Final Demand the choice of stable jockey Paul Townend. That may be a tip in itself, but you can’t entirely rule out any of the other four either. Supersundae shapes like he will appreciate going back up in trip after chasing home The Yellow Clay in the Lawlor’s Of Naas last time out.
Of particular interest, however, are the extended bumper winners JASMIN DE VAUX and Joystick. Neither have jumped their hurdles particularly well so far, but the former won over 2m 2f at Naas en route to Cheltenham Festival glory. Jasmin De Vaux hasn’t become a bad horse over night, and the combination of this longer trip and first-time cheekpieces to sharpen him up might lead to improvement. JJ Slevin now takes the ride.
Joystick is a 2m 4f course bumper winner, meanwhile, so did very well to score down over 2m the last day. Sounds Victorious ran fourth in both the Cheltenham and Irish Champion Bumpers and has since won around Fairyhouse over 2m 4f. He too can have a say in the finish.
Outside of the Mullins mounts, both Gavin Cromwell maiden I Am Lorenzo and Declan Queally’s Mozzies Sister could be well-handicapped. They won’t want to blow potential tilts at future big pots by finishing too close to the market principals here. Cork Grade 3 winner Pray Tell has a lot more on his plate here and the Gordon Elliott pair make little appeal.
1:50 – 2m Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle
Lady Vega Allen again has Sean O’Keeffe aboard with Townend riding female female Sainte Lucie for Rich & Susannah Ricci. The same connections also persist with Willy De Houelle, but he doesn’t look up to this level right now. Sainte Lucie won a Punchestown maiden that the yard has targeted with smart juveniles in recent seasons, so commands respect.
As Lady Vega Allen has more juice in her odds, however, and could turn the tables on Cromwell’s Hello Neighbour, she is the percentage call. The fourth Mullins mount Sony Bill has something to find on the re-opposing front two from their festive Grade 2 encounter here. Useful Flat convert Galileo Dame must try and reverse other course and distance form with Gigginstown’s Wendrock.
2:25 – 3m Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle (Listed)
Townend & Mullins combine as King Alexander makes a winning start for Closutton at @Fairyhouse 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/Hy50fVjFRB
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 11, 2025
The eye is inevitably drawn to bottom weight Meetingofthewaters, who is two-and-a-half stone (36lb) lower over hurdles than fences. He could be chucked in for this sphere off just 112 based on last winter’s Paddy Power Chase triumph. It’s a highly exploitable mark, but connections could just be taking in the Dublin Racing Festival 2025 and a run in over the smaller obstacles prior to publication of the Grand National weights.
Step forward yet another Mullins mount and KING ALEXANDER, who has an 8lb hike for a smooth success and stable debut around Fairyhouse. He was value for plenty more than the two-length winning margin, although re-opposing runner-up Fortunedefortunata is now half-a-stone better off with him. Don’t rule out further progress for former Nicky Henderson inmate King Alexander over this trip.
Other to consider include JP McManus’ other runner Perceval Legallois, who is 18lb lower over hurdles than fences following his Paddy Power Chase victory this Christmas. In-form Flicker Of Hope has won four of his last five for Mark Fahey, and Emmet Mullins’ re-opposing Naas second Backmersackme isn’t out of it either. Galway winners Patter Merchant and Donnie Devito could outrun their odds, meanwhile.
2:55 – 2m 1f Grade 1 Irish Arkle Novice Chase
This was some performance earlier at Fairyhouse! 🤩
Is Majborough your choice for the Arkle next year?#ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/TYQ4sPXYNI
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) December 14, 2024
He also jumped well albeit left-handed around Fairyhouse on chase debut, turning away challengers. After just four career starts, Majborough is still open to any amount of improvement and receives a handy 2lb weight for age all-round. Ile Atlantique should confirm Naas form with Firefox, who seems an unlucky horse.
Course and distance winner Jeannot Lapin must prove his 150/1 victory wasn’t a fluke and goes straight into elite company. Touch Me Not, another Elliott entrant alongside Firefox, must find more fluency and rhythm in his jumping to land a blow on the market principals. There’s a sixth place prize for Here Comes Georgie if he makes it round.
3:30 – 3m Grade 1 Irish Gold Cup
It makes sense instead to look for each-way value, then. Those open to most progress are New Year’s Day Chase 1-2 EMBASSY GARDENS and Monty’s Star. Although the latter has come in for ante-post support in the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting, it’s the former some 6lb better off from Tramore. The fifth home has won since, so that franks the form.
On official ratings, both Embassy Gardens and Monty’s Star have lots to find with established staying chasers but are least exposed in this company. McManus has two more runners besides Fact To File, but this is surely to help I Am Maximus and Inothewayurthinkin come on for spring targets and prove to the handicapper that their current marks need adjusting downwards for the Grand National.
The ground may not dry out sufficiently in time for Hewick, who could otherwise run into a place on a sound surface. Those remaining horses in the 10-runner field, Conflated, Grangeclare West and Minella Cocooner, are all course winners but 100/1 shots here. There is little value in backing Galopin Des Champs at odds-on.
4:05 – 2m 1f Ryanair Handicap Chase (Registered as the Sandyford) (Listed)
Course and distance winner AN PEANN DEARG needed a 6lb hike for his Racing Post Handicap Chase success here over Christmas in order to get in to the Dublin Racing Festival 2025 without being out of the weights. Paul Nolan’s charge has the featherweight of 10st and O’Keeffe again takes the ride.
An Peann Dearg beat subsequent Dan Moore scorer The King Of Prs that day, but a real eyecatcher back in third was stable companion Midnight It Is. Cromwell offsets a 1lb nudge up the handicap with Conor Stone-Walsh in the saddle claiming 5lb off. The yard also runs My Mate Mozzie, but he will surely need this reappearance.
Mullins needs immediate and significant improvement from Shanbally Kid, meanwhile, to justify his prominent place in the market. A maiden over fences following four failures in beginners chases shouldn’t fill punters with confidence, but Michael O’Sullivan slims down to 10st 3lb for the ride on this Gigginstown horse.
4:40 – 2m Grade 2 INH Flat Race
Only one with a course and distance victory under their belt, so GREEN SPLENOUR can land the closing race on day 1 of the Dublin Racing Festival 2025. Since joining Mullins, this Simon Munir & Issac Souede owned runner has clearly improved since his fourth behind big-money purchase Regent’s Stroll.
The Newbury Spring Sales Bumper is one of the most valuable National Hunt Flat races outside the championship events at Cheltenham and Aintree in the UK. Green Splendour kept on going through the fog to score here over Christmas and can take his form to a new level.
Sortudo suffered defeat in another festive course and distance bumper, so the greater threat should emerge from Gigginstown and Elliott’s Cullentra House stables. Those connections run three in this with the unbeaten He Can’t Dance the pick of those. He won as he should at long odds-on around Navan on his Rules debut following Irish Point success.
Take out a fourth place finish behind Sortudo the last day, and Koktail Brut would be a shorter price. Barry O’Neill now takes the ride, and that jockey booking suggests connections keep the faith and mean business. Classical Creek ran third in the Listed bumper at Navan before Christmas, so will provide a good form marker to this result.
