Leopardstown Races Today – See Leopardstown Tips from South Dublin Track

From the location of a leper colony on the Southside of Dublin to Ireland’s premier dual purpose track for racehorses, Leopardstown races in the historic town once called Ballinlore has a colourful history. It’s the closest course to the Capital City of the Emerald Isle.

Leopardstown hosts unrivaled racing action across both the Flat and National Hunt codes of the sport, attracting the finest horses Ireland has to offer from top stables. There’s some big days in the Irish racing calendar here, that’s for sure. We have Leopardstown tips on all of the major meetings taking place here.

History of Leopardstown Racecourse

This may seem hard to believe, but Leopardstown races today model themselves on Sandown Park of all places. There are some major differences between the two tracks, however, as the Greater London venue races the opposite way around and is a much more undulating course.

Captain George Quin has the credit for founding Leopardstown, completing this project by 1888. In 1950, the Irish Champion Hurdle had its inaugural edition with the great Hatton’s Grace giving the race immediate credibility. What has since become the Irish Arkle followed suit six years later.

Horse Racing Ireland, then the Horse Racing Board of Ireland, saw the value in bringing Leopardstown races under its ownership. They purchased the track in 1967. Within the next decade, more of the biggest races we know today and associate with this venue first appeared in the Pattern.

To this end, 1971 was a big year with the creation of the Leopardstown Derby Trial. Initially called the Nijinsky Stakes after the English Triple Crown winner, it remains a key Classic trial to this day. Later that same year, the Irish Sweeps Hurdle (now Liffey Handicap Hurdle) transferred to Leopardstown from Fairyhouse.

That is another way in which the course has built itself up. When Phoenix Park, much closer to Dublin City Centre, closed in 1990, the following year saw plenty of key races moving to Leopardstown instead. Innovation lies at the heart of this track with the inaugural Dublin Racing Festival in 2018 just the latest example.

Flat racing is also a big part of Leopardstown, however, and that’s why in 2014 it started hosted the Saturday of Irish Champions Weekend. This has since been renamed the Irish Champions Festival with the Curragh used on the Sunday.

Is Leopardstown Races Today Jumps or Flat?

There are both National Hunt and Flat racing meetings among 23 race days Leopardstown Racecourse stages every calendar year. It plays a big part in both codes within this sport in Ireland.

While the winter months see highly-significant meetings take place over jumps, the spring, summer and autumn are all about the Flat. Indeed, some of the richest horse races in the Emerald Isle happen at Leopardstown.

What about the course itself? Leopardstown races go around a wide, left-handed oval track that is relatively level. A complete circuit is a mile-and-three-quarters with sweeping bends both turning into the back straight and for home, so the course suits galloping types. There’s a slight rise on the run-in of three furlongs to the winning post.

You won’t see any five-furlong sprints at Leopardstown during the Flat horse racing season. Instead, the minimum distance is six furlongs. For hurdle races, there are seven flights on a full lap. The first two come before turning down the back straight.

Three more flights follow. The penultimate obstacle is what they call a cross hurdle, because horses must jump it before completing the home turn. That leaves one final flight in the stretch before the line. That means just two hurdles taken in the final five furlongs.

As for steeplechases, horses cross 10 fences on a complete circuit. First up are a couple past the stands, before a cross fence jumped before entering the back straight. Leopardstown races has four more a line on the next section of the course with the second an open ditch.

Another such obstacle is three out at the end of the back stretch. Another cross fence comes up as the second last with the home turn not yet completed. That leaves a plain fence before the winning post.

Key Leopardstown Racecourse Events & Fixtures

As one of the busiest tracks in Ireland, Leopardstown hosts three major meetings that attract some of the biggest crowds of the annual racing season. Taken in chronological order throughout the calendar year, these are the Dublin Racing Festival, opening day of the Irish Champions Festival and Christmas Festival.

Each of these prestigious race cards has at least one Grade 1 or Group 1 event during them. During the Dublin Racing Festival, which can fall either right at the end of January or beginning of February, look out for the Irish Champion Hurdle and Irish Gold Cup. We have Leopardstown tips on both these massive cards with four top-level races apiece.

While springtime sees the course host Classic trials on the Flat, there are a number of meetings on the level over the summer. Many of these are on Thursday evenings, so those working in Dublin City Centre can make it out of town to the Southside in time for the opener.

In early autumn, a Saturday in mid-September sees the Matron Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes run at Leopardstown. Across four days of the Christmas Festival, which begins on Boxing Day or St Stephen’s Day as they call it in Ireland, there’s Grade 1 action over jumps every single day between 26 and 29 December.

Dublin Racing Festival Tips from Leopardstown Races

With four Grade 1 races each on both days of the meeting, the Dublin Racing Festival (DRF) attracts top-class horses from the National Hunt code to Leopardstown at the end of January or start of February.

This weekend fixture only began in 2018, combining two separate race days containing the Irish Champion Hurdle and Irish Gold Cup cards into one superb gala. The DRF has become an instant hit with horse racing bookies and punters alike. Here is more information about both days:

The Biggest Races We Have Leopardstown Tips for

As there are so many Pattern races and valuable handicaps taking place at Leopardstown throughout the year, delving into them leaves plenty to ponder. We discuss those with a €100,000 minimum prize fund in more detail below.

Irish Champion Stakes

The most valuable horse race in the Emerald Isle first. This mile-and-a-quarter Group 1 headlines the opening day of the Irish Champions Festival from Leopardstown in September. Established here in 1976 as the Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes, it briefly transferred to Phoenix Park during the 1980s but returned to its original home in 1991.

Open to horses aged three and up, the Irish Champion Stakes only has two dual winners in its 50-year history. Dylan Thomas and the wonder-filly Magical both struck in consecutive seasons. The Leopardstown betting tips on offer here focus on some of the best middle-distance Flat thoroughbreds in training in the British Isles.

First prize for landing the Irish Champion Stakes in 2025 was a whopping €712,500 with the favourite Delacroix obliging for punters. He gave trainer Aidan O’Brien a record-extending 13th win in this big race, but it’s not unusual for a British horse to make a successful raid across the Irish Sea here either.

Matron Stakes

Another Group 1 from the Irish Champions Festival now, but over a mile and one restricted to fillies and mares aged three and up. Transferred from the Curragh to Leopardstown races in 2002, the Matron Stakes just had to be part of this September fixture with the invention of this meeting for 2014.

No female has ever won this race more than once. Tactical speed is essential in a successful filly or mare for the Matron Stakes, because it’s possible to kick for home off the sweeping home turn. All good tips for Leopardstown today will remember that in mile races like this.

Winning the Matron Stakes comes with €236,000 in prize money. Yorkshire trainer Karl Burke plundered this pot for the second time in 2025 thanks to Fallen Angel, who went one better than 12 months earlier when she finished runner-up to Porta Fortuna.

Irish Gold Cup Tips

Inaugurated in 1987, this Grade 1 steeplechase over an extended three miles is one of the feature races at the Dublin Racing Festival. It can fall in January or February, but usually takes place six weeks before the Cheltenham equivalent.

The Irish Gold Cup, run as the Irish Hennessy for a time, has an illustrious roll of honour and many multiple winners. Florida Pearl made the race his own around the turn of the century with Willie Mullins bringing him back as a 12-year-old for a record fourth victory in 2004 that brought the house down.

Since then, the yard has enjoyed 10 more Irish Gold Cup winners with the last three editions going to Galopin Des Champs. Expect plenty of Leopardstown races tips to focus on him matching Florida Pearl’s record in 2026. Galopin Des Champs received €140,000 for first place when landing his hat-trick.

Solonaway Stakes

A valuable Group 2 for three-year-olds and up next, which only switched from the Curragh to Leopardstown in 2014 becoming part of the first-ever Irish Champions Weekend. Solonaway won the Irish 2000 Guineas in 1949 and this event remembers him.

Run over a mile for much of its history, apart from a brief spell at nine furlongs, Leopardstown racing tips today should always respect British raiders in the Solonaway Stakes if they cross the Irish Sea. Alakazi struck in 2025, giving the Aga Khan Studs their first win in this race for over 30 years, scooping €118,000 in prize money.

Paddy Power Chase

One of Ireland’s big betting races of the festive season now. Registered as the Clonskeagh Handicap Chase, this extended three-mile contest on the second day of the Christmas Festival has been sponsored for a number of years by Irish bookmaker Paddy Power. It has been an informative trial for the Grand National at Aintree later in the season in recent years.

Accorded Listed status when HRI reclassified valuable handicaps like this one, there is a ratings ceiling of 150 on it. Any horses handicapped above that by the assessor should instead run in another of the big Leopardstown races at Christmas in the Savills Chase the following day.

With total prize money of €200,000 on offer, the Paddy Power Chase winner gets the lion’s share of that. Perceval Legallois gave leading Irish owner JP McManus a fifth winner in nine years when he delivered for trainer Gavin Cromwell in 2024. First prize was €110,000.

Irish Champion Hurdle

Arguably the most famous hurdle race in Ireland. Established in 1950, it now takes place as a feature contest during the Dublin Racing Festival. Many legendary racehorses appear on the Irish Champion Hurdle roll of honour.

From inaugural winner Hatton’s Grace, through Winning Fair, Flyingbolt, L’Escargot, Captain Christy and Dawn Run to modern hurdling greats, two in particular that turned up year after year helped put this race on the map. The mighty Istabraq won four Irish Champion Hurdles in a row around the turn of the century only to see that record surpassed by Hurricane Fly landing five-timer in the 2010s.

Since then, Leopardstown tips putting forward the previous season’s winner have also often come off. That’s because Honeysuckle and State Man hit hat-tricks. A fall for Lossiemouth in 2025 handed the race to the latter horse and extra prize money totalling €112,000.

Savills Chase

Registered as the Leopardstown Christmas Chase, this succeeded a two-and-a-half miles Champion Chase in 1992. First sponsored by Ericsson and then Lexus, this Grade 1 contest over the extended three miles on the third day of the Christmas Festival picked up its present title in 2018.

Just like the Irish Gold Cup, which Savills Chase winners often logically return to Leopardstown for, the roll of honour reads like a who’s who of modern great steeplechasers. Best Mate, Denman and Bobs Worth are all successful British-trained horses to land this race.

Beef Or Salmon won it three times in the early 2000s, but Galopin Des Champs could match his record in 2025. Smart Leopardstown horse racing tips will always look at previous editions of this and the Irish Gold Cup for form guides. Savills Chase success in 2024 came with €103,250 for first place and total prize money in 2025 is €175,000.

Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle

Not to be confused with another Christmas Hurdle run at Kempton Park races 48 hours earlier on Boxing Day, this is the other main event at Leopardstown on day three of the track’s Christmas Festival. Run over almost three miles, Limestone Lad helped established the race as a place for top horses to go over the festive period.

The Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle was also the perfect event for Apple’s Jade, a remarkably versatile mare who notched a hat-trick in it during the late 2010s. It’s a test of stamina, upgraded to Grade 1 status in 2013. Staying hurdlers from the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan often come here.

Smart Leopardstown horse tips must respect anything saddled by Gordon Elliott in the €150,000 race, because he’s won it five times before. First prize of €88,500 in 2024 went to Home By The Lee, previously successful in 2022, for trainer Joseph O’Brien and jockey JJ Slevin.

December Hurdle

Formerly known as the Istabraq Festival Hurdle, this two-mile Grade 1 event is the big race on the fourth and final day of the Christmas Festival. Sponsored by Ryanair and Matheson in recent years, its old registered title stems from the fact Istabraq won it four times.

That record at Leopardstown races has been matched here since, however, first by Hurricane Fly and Sharjah. Grabel, Brave Inca and State Man are other multiple winners of the December Hurdle. Willie Mullins has a record 11 victories across four horses.

With total prize money of €150,000 at stake, Brighterdaysahead delivered in 2024 and earned €88,500 for her 30-length demolition of the field. Fellow mare Lossiemouth could clash with her if Gigginstown House Stud decide to supplement Gordon Elliott’s charge for a mouth-watering battle in 2025.

Champions Juvenile Stakes

Registered as the Golden Fleece Stakes, this juvenile Flat race is about to become a Group 1 over an increased distance in 2026. Run at a mile on Irish Champions Weekend and now the rebranded Festival in September, the European Pattern both upgrades and extends this event to the top level at nine furlongs.

Whilst two-year-old geldings won’t be able to run in it any longer, both colts and fillies that want further than seven furlongs have an attractive new option at the meeting. Aidan O’Brien has landed the Golden Fleece, a race named for the 1982 winner of The Derby on Epsom Downs, 11 times. Benvenuto Cellini is the latest of those and picked up €88,500 in prize money in 2025.

Pentigo Handicap

A Premier Handicap over a mile and five furlongs on the Irish Champions Festival card from Leopardstown. Recent years suggest a draw bias favouring those jumping from double-figure stalls. Happy Pharoah continued this trend in 2025 when picking up €88,500 in prize money for winning.

Sovereign Path Handicap

Another Premier Handicap on the Flat from the Irish Champions Festival, but over seven furlongs. Similar comments about a high draw stall advantage apply here. Rahmi defied topweight under a 7lb claimer and made off with the €88,500 first prize for the Johnny Murtagh stable in 2025.

Dublin Chase

One of the newer races we have Leopardstown tips today for as this two miles and a furlong steeplechase only had its inaugural edition in 2018. Created specifically for the DRF, replacing Punchestown’s Tied Cottage Chase in the programme, this quickly established itself as a big event in its own right.

The Dublin Chase is one race farmed by Willie Mullins since its introduction. He has won all but one edition of the contest so far. This dominance may well continue and all Dublin Racing Festival tips in general should look closely at any runners from his yard for obvious reasons.

Solness, something of a Leopardstown races specialist, broke up the Mullins monopoly on the Dublin Chase with his victory in 2025, however. He received €88,500 in prize money for the Joseph O’Brien stable after landing the spoils under an enterprising, frontrunning ride.

Irish Arkle Chase Tips

Initially the Milltown Novice Chase when inaugurated in 1956 and won by Arkle himself in 1963, this Grade 1 event is one of the chief supporting races during the Dublin Racing Festival. Initially run over two miles, it became a two-and-a-quarter-mile event in 1980.

Further tinkering with the Irish Arkle followed in the 1990s, going up to two miles and three furlongs in 1992 before seeing its distance cut to the current trip of two miles and a furlong from 1995. Willie Mullins has won the race a record 11 times including with star names like Un De Sceaux and Douvan.

Horse racing tips from Leopardstown will naturally revolve around his runners as a result. Majborough became the first five-year-old for a quarter of a century to land the Irish Arkle in 2025, picking up €88,500 in prize money in the process for Mullins and powerful owner JP McManus.

Golden Cygnet Novice Hurdle

Before 2018 and the creation of the Dublin Racing Festival, this was a Grade 2 contest over two-and-a-half miles. HRI and race planners felt they needed a longer distance event for staying novice hurdlers, however, so the Golden Cygnet became two-and-three-quarter miles from then on.

It also received promotion to Grade 1 status and now acts as a good trial for Irish horses pointing towards either the Albert Bartlett or Baring Bimgham Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. This race honours Golden Cygnet, the ill-fated champion novice hurdler of 1977-78.

Four of the last five renewals of this at Leopardstown races today have gone to Willie Mullins runners. When Final Demand laid a major marker down with his 2025 success, he netted a first prize of €88,500 after pulling a dozen length clear of Wingmen.

Spring Juvenile Hurdle

A four-year-olds only Grade 1 hurdle race from the Dublin Racing Festival now. Established in 1994, earning top level status in 2010 and moving to its current slot in the calendar with the introduction of the DRF in 2018, this is a major trial for the Triumph Hurdle.

Although called the Spring Juvenile Hurdle, it has never actually taken place in springtime. Converts from the Flat to jumps often do well in this race with Hello Neighbour for Gavin Cromwell just the latest example of this when he captured the €88,500 first prize in 2025.

Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle

Registered as the Brave Inca Novice Hurdle and contested over two-and-a-quarter miles before the introduction of the Dublin Racing Festival, this Grade 1 race is now a two-mile event. It acts as a key Irish trial for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Joining Brave Inca on its roll of honour are Carvill’s Hill, Danoli, Istabraq, Like-A-Butterfly and Vautour. With 13 wins including each season from 2019 onwards, Willie Mullins again holds the record here and so Leopardstown tips continue to highlight his runners in the race.

Kopek Des Bordes ran out an impressive winner when odds-on favourite for this in 2025 before following up at Cheltenham. Prior to his Supreme success, he left Leopardstown with €88,500 in prize money. Mullins mounts seem unstoppable with his stable only not winning this race once since 2013.

Scalp Novice Chase

The last of the Dublin Festival Grade 1s now. Currently run as the Ladbrokes Novice Chase, but previously sponsored by Flogas and known for a period as the Dr P. J. Moriarty Memorial Novice Chase, this contest over two miles and five furlongs is a longer distance alternative to the Irish Arkle during the meeting.

Famous winners of the Scalp include Dorans Pride, Florida Pearl, Faugheen and Galopin Des Champs. Ballyburn added his name to the roll of honour in 2025, giving Willie Mullins a record-extending twelfth win in it and picking up prize money of €88,500.

Leopardstown Handicap Chase

Using the same extended two miles and five furlongs is a Grade 3 handicap during the Dublin Racing Festival. Notable winners of this valuable prize include Seabass, who went on finished placed in the Grand National at Aintree races, and Heart Wood. Backtonormal won in 2025, justifying favouritism. He picked up €88,500 in prize money for his trouble.

Liffey Handicap Hurdle

Once upon a time, this was the Irish Sweeps Hurdle and switched to Leopardstown races from Fairyhouse in 1971. Although in its early years, this took place in December, from 1987 it moved to January. Given credibility by weight carrying performances by Persian War and Comedy Of Errors, it’s a Listed handicap hurdle with a ratings band of 0-150 these days.

In modern times, the Liffey Handicap Hurdle has only really produced one top-class horse in Gaelic Warrior, who scaled even greater heights over fences. Fans of trends should know that six-year-olds have a particularly good recent record and Leopardstown racing tips will probably focus on younger age brackets as a result.

McLaurey landed a gamble for Emmet Mullins and JP McManus in the Liffey Handicap Hurdle in 2025. Connections picked up prize money of €88,500 as a result of the 3/1 Starting Price favourite’s success.

Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase

Registered as the Bohernabreena Chase, this Grade 1 over two miles and a furlong happens on the second day of the Christmas Festival. Like so many other races from Leopardstown, its early winners helped to give the event real credibility. Papillon and Moscow Flyer both landed it twice. Big Zeb took it three times, however.

Despite being a veteran, Simply Ned won it twice as well including when promoted to first place by stewards. While Leopardstown tips today can’t legislate for that, Solness prevailed in 2025 and netted €73,750 as first prize from a €125,000 total purse.

Future Champions Novice Hurdle

An aptly named Grade 1 novice hurdle since 2008, its inaugural running in 1996 came over two-and-a-quarter miles when the first of four real champions won it. That was Istabraq. Since then, however, the Future Champions Novice Hurdle has been a two-mile race.

Other famous winners include Hurricane Fly, Jezki and Sizing John. Each of those horses went on to either win a Champion Hurdle or the Gold Cup at Cheltenham. Romeo Coolio obliged in 2024, picking up €59,000 for first out of a total prize fund of €100,000.

Racing Post Novice Chase

Now, we come to a Grade 1 that has been in and out of the programme of late. Not contested in 2024, it returns in 2025 with €100,000 in prize money up for grabs. Registered as the Christmas Novice Chase, this acts as the St Stephen’s Day feature at Leopardstown as the Christmas Festival gets underway.

Moscow Flyer and Douvan are probably the most famous winners. As with so many events at the big jumps meetings, Leopardstown races today tips will focus on Willie Mullins. He’s had nine winners of the Racing Post Novice Chase down the years including three of the last four editions.

Rathdown Handicap Hurdle

Run as the Premier Handicap Hurdle, this is a Listed event on the fourth and final day of the Christmas Festival. Introduced in 2024, there is the usual ratings ceiling for horse of 150 for a run here. With a €100,000 total prize fund, Al Gasparo won its inaugural running and received €59,000 as his reward.

Other Leopardstown Races Today

There are a number of Grade and Group 3 races from the track as well. The Dublin Racing Festival cards contain graded Irish National Hunt Flat races, colloquially known as bumpers, where the horses don’t jump any obstacles.

Away from these Grade 2 events in the National Hunt code, the track also has a Grade 3 Mares Hurdle taking place on the last day of the Christmas Festival. There is also a Listed handicap chase from a minor meeting at Leopardstown in March.

On the Flat, meanwhile, Group 3s to note at the 1000 Guineas Trial, 2000 Guineas Trial, Ballysax Stakes, Cornelscourt Stakes and Leopardstown Derby Trial in the spring. The Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes is also a Royal Ascot Gold Cup trial here at that time of year.

More Group 3s happen over the summer like the Ballycorus Stakes, Brownstown Stakes, Meld Stakes, Silver Flash Stakes, Tyros Stakes, Ballyroan Stakes and Desmond Stakes. Come the autumn, the Kilternan Stakes during the Irish Champions Festival is another such race.

Even later in the Flat season, Leopardstown has events like Killavullan Stakes and Eyrefield Stakes, plus the October Handicap. There are also Listed contests including the King George V Cup and Vinnie Roe Stakes restricted to three-year-olds who are potential St Leger horses.

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