Leopardstown Dublin Racing Festival Preview and Tips

Go on my Son!

Considering the weather in the Dublin and Wicklow area earlier this week it's great that the Dublin Racing Festival is set to go ahead despite more rain being expected at Leopardstown.

Given the way this season has panned out to this point, with Gordon Elliott's team being in great form throughout, Willie Mullins' horses just ready to kick into top gear, it seems there's just more going on at the 2026 DRF than has been the case in some recent years. There's less of a predictability about the majority of the races and there are a lot of questions to be answered, especially with some horses who have only had the opportunity to run once so far in the campaign.

It should be a cracking weekend's racing and we'll kick off our horses to follow in the Racing And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle. The handicaps are always a major part of the big festivals for punters and in race three on Saturday, owner JP McManus is obviously well represented.

The Graded-placed County Final would appear to be on a nice mark (128) following his second in Limerick at Christmas, but it's the Elliott-trained SON OF ANARCHY who, for me, shaped very much like a horse to watch in decent handicaps when third at Navan last time (replay below).

After winning at Punchestown in November, he emerged with a lot of credit when staying on to be third off a 10lb higher mark earlier this month. Despite going up another 2lb in the weights, he can run off 10-9 in this contest and has a very unexposed profile. There's still upside to his profile, especially stepping up in distance to three miles, and Jack Kennedy - on board for the Punchestown success - is back on board.

He's around 7/1 which generous enough with extra places on offer with most firms. He could be on his way to top-level handicaps in the spring.

Trust in Elliot's wunderkind

By the time race seven rolls around we'll have had the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup run, along with the various Grade 1 novice contests which should be highly informative and very exciting in their own right.

However, the next selection comes in the concluding bumper where trainer Martin Brassil has a high-class prospect in It's Only A Game who was an impressive winner of his bumper at Punchestown in November. The form of that race has been boosted somewhat by the second winning a maiden hurdle since and, given the stable's horses tend to only get better with time and experience, it could be that this is an above-average type.

However, I think he will need to be as he faces a new recruit for Gordon Elliott in the shape of CHARISMATIC KID, who created a fairly big impression when he won on debut for his previous connections. He stayed on well in testing conditions to win at Navan in December and, given the stable switch for big money and manner in which this horse scored, it could be that Charismatic Kid is capable of something very good on his second start.

He looks a real danger to It's Only A Game, in a race that surprisingly doesn't feature a runner from the Willie Mullins yard.

O'Brien filly prepared for big day

The Sunday card starts with a highly-competitive Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy And Maureen Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle, although if Only By Night's connections elect to take their chance then she will take up a large proportion of the market running off what looks an extremely low hurdles rating in comparison to her high-class chasing form.

One would have to have respect for her, especially with the revival of the Gavin Cromwell stable inside the last 10 days or so, but with the likely big field and many unexposed types set to line up, there are opportunities to be found elsewhere.

One horse that potentially has a very attractive handicap mark is the Joseph O'Brien-trained filly SHODA, who did nothing but improve from a low base last season on the Flat.

She's a Nathaniel filly who just got better with experience on the level and definitely looks like one who could progress into premier handicaps on the Flat this year, but she's also shown plenty of promise as a hurdler. She ran a superb race behind the promising Ballyfad at this course over Christmas and while it was perhaps a bit disappointing that she didn't seem to build on that run at Clonmel in early-January, that maiden didn't fully go her way on that occasion.

As a consequence of that defeat, there's every chance that Shoda can be very competitive from an opening mark of 116 stepping up to two and a quarter miles back here.

The O'Brien stable has turned into a real target operation for the festivals in the spring and this filly has all the hallmarks who could be primed to run a big race despite her lack of previous handicap experience.

Go for Gold in handicap

The O'Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Handicap Chase looks almost a rerun of the Paddy Power Chase run here over Christmas with a number of horses from that race proving popular in the betting this weekend.

However, I prefer the look of GOLD DANCER who at the time of writing does have a couple of weekend engagements. Should connections run him in this handicap he would be attractive in every yard given his profile as an unexposed novice stepping into staying handicap company.

He ran a superb race behind Final Demand in the Grade 1 Faugheen at Limerick over Christmas and, as we've seen with any amount of recent staying chases, the less exposed that you are going into these races, you can often have a major upside with your handicap mark.

Gold Dancer has actually been dropped 2lb for the last run and would fit that criteria of one who can improve a lot if taking their chance in this race rather than going for another Grade 1.

Bally a bet in intriguing event

That's the handicaps sorted, but we also have the small matter of the eight Grade 1 races across this weekend and the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle is typically a very strong and important event of its type.

Talk The Talk remains an exciting prospect but the two-mile novice division has never looked so open, that becomes clear if you look at the betting for the Sky Bet Supreme at Cheltenham, and plenty of young horses are still developing.

Willie Mullins has a few transitioning from maiden hurdles into Graded company and it will be fascinating to see how they fare but the Elliott-trained BALLYFAD has steadily been going about his business and I liked what I saw the last time.

He's a horse who looks like he's improving with racing and came nine and a half lengths clear of subsequent winner Leader d'Allier and the aforementioned Shoda in a maiden hurdle over this course at Christmas. He made all that day and the form would appear to be strong.

While he has to improve to match the likes of Talk The Talk, the potential is there and he has every chance of putting it up to the market leader.

Published at 15:15 GMT on 29/01/26

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