2018 was the first year for Dublin Racing Festival and the 2019 event looks on paper to be every bit as good and offers punters a great opportunity to bet on horse racing in Ireland before the Cheltenham Festival comes along.

The two-day Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown on Saturday, February 2 and Sunday, February 3 has attracted a stellar cast of star names.

Horses such as Apple’s Jade, Laurina, Battleoverdoyen, Waiting Patiently, Presenting Percy, Road To Respect, Footpad, Le Richebourg, La Bague Au Roi and Simply Ned all appear in the lists of current entries.

The BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle on the opening day looks like being an absolute cracker of a race with mares Apple’s Jade and Laurina all set to line up for Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins respectively.

Mullins has also entered up Sharjah, winner of the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown over the Christmas break. Last year’s first and second, Supasundae and Faugheen could also contest the race again.

The first of eight Grade 1 races at the Dublin Racing Festival is the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle which has attracted plenty of entries.

Battleoverdoyen heads the ante-post betting after his recent Grade 1 success at Naas and his rivals could include Philip Dempsey’s Derrinross, the Pat Fahy-trained Dunvegan and Henry De Bromhead’s Honeysuckle.

Meanwhile, Willie Mullins has entered a multitude of runners including Annamix, Tornado Flyer, Relegate, Robin De Carlow and Getareason.

The Dublin Chase has now been upgraded to a Grade 1 and has attracted plenty of English raiders.

The Ruth Jefferson-trained Waiting Patiently who was brought down early in the King George, course specialist Simply Ned, Saint Calvados, from the Harry Whittington stable and the Harry Fry-trained Hell’s Kitchen will all feature at Leopardstown.

Last year’s winner Min, Footpad, Un De Sceaux and Great Field all represent Willie Mullins while Jessica Harrington has entered the former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Sizing John.

In the Grade 1 Frank Ward Solicitors Arkle Novice Chase, the home squad is headed by the Joseph O’Brien-trained Le Richebourg, the Terence O’Brien-trained Articulum and the recent Punchestown scorer, Winter Escape.

Amongst a Gordon Elliott quintet is the Limerick Grade 1 winner Hardline and Mengli Khan.

Day two of the Dublin Racing Festival features four more Grade 1 races and the main race of the weekend, the Irish Gold Cup has attracted an impressive entry.

Waiting Patiently has another entry here, the Nicky Henderson-trained Top Notch and Jonjo O’Neill’s Minella Rocco make up the British challenge while leading Cheltenham Gold Cup fancy Presenting Percy, heads a strong home contingent.

Last year’s winner Edwulf is entered again, while Willie Mullins has made five entries, headed by the impressive Savills Chase winner Kemboy.

Gordon Elliott has entered the only mare in the field, Shattered Love along with six others. Road To Respect, Monalee and Anibale Fly are three more notable entries.

The Grade 1 Flogas Novice Chase is proving to be a popular race with the entries up from last year.

La Bague Au Roi, unbeaten in three starts over fences, including the Kauto Star Novices´ Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, has had this race on the target list since that Christmas time victory.

Henry De Bromhead won the Flogas last year and the County Waterford trainer has made four entries this time around with Chris’s Dream and Paloma Blue the stand out picks.

Gordon Elliott is looking towards Christmas Grade 1 winners Delta Work or Hardline to bring home the spoils. Winter Escape and Articulum are two more that have the two-mile, five-furlong event as an option.

The youngsters will be under the spotlight in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Spring Juvenile Hurdle.

The Tom Mullins-trained Rocky Blue, winner of the Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle at the Leopardstown could renew rivalry with Gordon Elliott’s Coeur Sublime in a race that could also feature a rematch between Joseph O’Brien’s Sir Erec and the Willie Mullins-trained Tiger Tap Tap.

A large entry has been received for the Grade 1 Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle. Battleoverdoyen is one of nine in Gordon Elliott’s hopes while Aramon, another Grade 1 winner for the Supreme Horse Racing Club, is one of nine entries from Willie Mullins.

 

Schedule Of Races:

Day One (February 2nd)

12.50 The Nathanial Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)

1.25 - The Ladbrokes Dublin Steeplechase (Grade 1) 

2.00 - The Frank Ward Solicitors Arkle Novice Chase (Grade 1) 

2.35 - The Matheson Handicap Chase (Grade B) 

3.10 - The BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)

3.45 - The Ladbroke Hurdle (Grade B) 

4.20 - The Goffs Future Stars (C&G) INH Flat Race (Grade 2) 

Day Two (February 3rd)

12.40 - The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle (Grade B)

1.50 - The Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)

2.25 - The William Fry Handicap Hurdle (Grade B)

3.00 - The Flogas Novice Steeplechase (Grade 1)

3.35 - The Unibet Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1)

4.10 - The Abbey International Leopardstown Steeplechase (Grade A)

4.40 - The Coolmore N.H. Sires Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race (Grade 2)

 

888sport Betting On Irish Gold Cup:

Road To Respect 4, Al Boum Photo 5, Presenting Percy 5, Kemboy 11/2, Bellshill 7, Monalee 8, Anibale Fly 10, Waiting Patiently 12, Sizing John 12, Shattered Love 12, Total Recall 12, Top Notch 16, Balko Des Flos 16, Tout Est Permis 20, Killultagh Vic 20, Outlander 25, The Storyteller 25, Edwulf 28, Alpha Des Obeaux 33, Sub Lieutenant 33, Minella Rocco 33, Don Poli 40, Monbeg Notorious 50, Noble Endeavor 50.

 

888sport Betting On Irish Champion Hurdle:

Apple’s Jade 7/4, Melon 7/2, Sharjah 7/2, Supasundae 7/2, Laurina 4, Faugheen 12, Saldier 14, Petit Mouchoir 16, Cilaos Emery 33, Farclas 33, Tombstone 50.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.