See below our quickfire 2023 Dublin Racing Festival tips as the top-class Leopardstown horse racing continues on Sunday with an 8-race card that will throw out a load more clues for the Cheltenham Festival next month.
We’ve also got the best 2023 Dublin Racing Festival betting offers for new and existing customers here – so, why not set up a new betting account and some free bets along the way too?
Can Honeysuckle Bounce Back on Day Two Of The Dublin Racing Festival?
Day two of the 2023 Dublin Racing Festival continues on Sunday 5th February as horse racing fans lock themselves in for another 8 races that include four Grade One contests, one of which is the the Irish Champion Hurdle – the first race is at 1:10pm.
The Dublin Chase at 2:10pm is another big highlight as Queen Mother Champion Chase hopeful Blue Lord is in action, but it’s the Irish Champion Hurdle at 3:10pm that is sure to grab the headlines with a ‘trio matchup’ that sees State Man, Vauban and the three-time winner of the race – Honeysuckle – lock horns.
It’s another ‘must-see’ afternoon of horse racing jumps action and we’ve got our quickfire 1-2-3 Dublin Racing Festival tips and Leopardstown best bets to assist.
2023 Dublin Racing Festival Tips On Day One | Sunday 5th February
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1:10 – Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) (4yo+) 2m1½f RTV
SPORTSLENS 1-2-3 LEOPARDSTOWN TIPS: The Gordon Elliott yard have won this race twice in the last three years and both times jockey Davy Russell was riding – they team-up again with LIBERTY DANCE. This 6 year-old has won her last two in eye-catching fashion and runs in a handicap for the first time here – should have more to offer. Elliott also has Rock On Cassie, who should improve for her recent run at Thurles after 315 days off, while the shrewd Tony Martin camp also have an interesting one in Innatendue.
- LIBERTY DANCE
- ROCK ON CASSIE
- INNATENDUE
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1:40 – Ladbrokes Novice Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+) 2m5f RTV
SPORTSLENS 1-2-3 LEOPARDSTOWN TIPS: MIGHTY POTTER had Gaillard Du Mesnil back in second, beaten 4 1/2 lengths, the last day at Fairyhouse and can uphold that form on the same terms. This Gordon Elliott runner is now 2-from-2 over fences since making the switch from hurdles and has been freshened up for this with a few months off since his last outing. He’s expected to take the beating again and after this he’ll be heading to Cheltenham, where he’s got entries in the Turners and Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
With Mullins having ALL of the other runners in the race, then it goes without saying he’ll be picking up something here anyway – with James Du Berlais, Kilcruit and I Am Maximus is main players after Gaillard Du Mesnil.
- MIGHTY POTTER
- GAILLARD DU MESNIL
- JAMES DU BERLAIS
RELATED: 2023 Irish Champion Hurdle Trends | Do The Leopardstown Stats Point To State Man?
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2:10 – Ladbrokes Dublin Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+) 2m1f RTV
SPORTSLENS 1-2-3 LEOPARDSTOWN TIPS: It will be a huge shock if BLUE LORD isn’t taking this to give the Willie Mullins yard another big winner at the meeting and their sixth win on the spin in this contest too, having won the prize with Min (twice) and Chacun Pour Soi (3 times) in the past. He’s 6 from 7 over fences and has returned this season with facile wins at Clonmel and Leopardstown – he can take this before heading to the Champion Chase at Cheltenham, where he’s @ 3/1 with BetUK. Of the rest, Mullins could lead home a 1-2 with Gentleman De Mee having a good chance of taking silver and the UK raider Sceau Royal should be grabbing third.
- BLUE LORD
- GENTLEMAN DE MEE
- SCEAU ROYAL
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2:40 – Bulmers Handicap Chase (Grade A) (5yo+) 2m5f RTV
SPORTSLENS 1-2-3 LEOPARDSTOWN TIPS: Tricky contest, with many chances. Indigo Breeze is sure to be popular for the Gordon Elliott yard after running well at Cheltenham last time out, but being 0-from-4 over fences is the small worry. So a chance is taken on the Crawford runner NOW WHERE OR WHEN, who won last time out at Down Royal. Is only up 4lbs for that here, but from his 7 starts over fences has only been out of the first three once (2 wins). Of the others, Birchdale took the race last year and despite not winning a race since is back on just a 2lb higher mark, while another JP McManus runner – Ciel De Neige – will be fitter for his last run off a break and with this Willie Mullins runner having not lasted home over that 3m trip will enjoy the step back in distance here.
- NOW WHERE OR WHEN (e/w)
- BIRCHDALE
- CIEL DE NEIGE
RELATED: 2023 Irish Champion Hurdle Trends | Do The Leopardstown Stats Point To State Man?
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3:10 – Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo+) 2m RTV
SPORTSLENS 1-2-3 LEOPARDSTOWN TIPS: There will be many permutations of thoughts from punters as to which order the ‘main three’ in the Irish Champion Hurdle will finish, but STATE MAN continues to do nothing wrong and gets the nod from us. He’s the only last-time-out winner in the field, having won his last 5 starts and with 15 of the last 19 Irish Champion Hurdle winners coming here off a victory, this is a big trend in his favour and also a negative against Honeysuckle and Vauban, who were both beaten last time.
Yes, Honeysuckle is the three-time winner of this race and being a mare still gets the handy 7lbs allowance off the others, but after 16 straight wins her bubble burst last time when only third in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse over Christmas. Back in trip, she’ll certainly have her supporters still, but sometimes when these prolific winners finally lose a race it could just mean that all her racing is starting to catch up with her – we’ll see!
Last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner Vauban is useful on his day too but having been beaten 4 1/4 lengths by State Man last time here in the Matheson Hurdle it’s hard to see him overturning that form on the same terms.
- STATE MAN
- HONEYSUCKLE
- VAUBAN
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3:40 – Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) (5yo+) 2m RTV
SPORTSLENS 1-2-3 LEOPARDSTOWN TIPS: Another of the so-called ‘Dublin Racing Festival Bankers’ on show next as FACILE VEGA puts his unbeaten record on the line in this Grade One Novices Hurdle. This Willie Mullins runner took the bumper at this meeting last season and followed up in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, while since then has made the switch to hurdling with two easy wins at Fairyhouse and Leopardstown. He’s 3-from-3 at the track now too and if the ‘banker punters’ get this fair unscathed then there will be a monster roar if Vega goes in too – even at short odds. One time Epsom Derby hope High Definition, American Mile, Irish Point and Il Etait Temps can battle it out for the places.
- FACILE VEGA
- IRISH POINT
- IL ETAIT TEMPS
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4:10 – Liffey Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) (4yo+ 0-150) 2m RTV
SPORTSLENS 1-2-3 LEOPARDSTOWN TIPS: GAELIC WARRIOR has done little wrong since running a close second in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival last March – winning by 86 lengths at Tramore and 15 lengths last time at Clonmel. He’s up another 9lbs here and life gets harder with 11st 12lbs to carry, but he looks the sort that can progress out of handicap company soon and with only six career runs should have a lot more to come. Of the others, it’s a race the Charles Byrnes yard like to do well in with three wins since 2018, so their All Those Years has to enter the mix too, while despite three ‘duck eggs’ next to his name the Elliott runner The Tide Turns, with Davy Russell riding is also interesting with the jockey/trainer combo winning the prize last year.
- GAELIC WARRIOR
- ALL THOSE YEARS
- THE TIDE TURNS
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4:40 – Coolmore N.H. Sires “Santiago” Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race (Grade 2) (4-7yo) 2m RTV
SPORTSLENS 1-2-3 LEOPARDSTOWN TIPS: Lily Du Berlais won this race at a big price 12 months ago, but it won’t be easy following up having to give weight away to all the others. It’s also a race the Mullins yard have won twice in the last five years and can go well again with a strong hand in FUN FUN FUN and Fancy Girl. Both won well last time out and could be anything, but a chance is taken on the former, who won over a bit further (2m2f) so we know she’ll stay this trip well and connections are sure to make full use of that.
- FUN FUN FUN
- FANCY GIRL
- LILY DU BERLAIS
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