The Dublin Racing Festival 2024 continues on Sunday with another top-notch afternoon of jumps action and many more Cheltenham clues ahead of the Festival in March. The Irish Champion Hurdle and Dublin Chase are the two big races on the afternoon that are included below in our Leopardstown tips. While it could be a massive day for Willie Mullins with a stack of big fancies in all the main events.
You can also sign-up with BetMGM ahead of the Dublin Racing Festival 2024 with a £40 free bet (see below).
1.
|
Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets
New cust only. 3 days to claim & 7 days to place a qualifying bet to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 Horse racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 Football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. T&Cs apply.
New cust only. 3 days to claim & 7 days to place a qualifying bet to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 Horse racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 Football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. T&Cs apply. |
Claim Offer |
Dublin Racing Festival 2024: State Man All The Rage To Defend Irish Champion Hurdle Crown
The ITV Racing are spoiling armchair horse racing fans this week as their coverage of the Dublin Racing Festival continues on Sunday with FIVE more races on the free-to-air channel.
There’s a bumper 8-race card to get stuck into that starts at 12:40pm and runs through till 4:25pm.
Many highlights and big NH stars on show, with two of these State Man and El Fabiolo, who are both warm orders with the best UK horse racing betting sites for the Irish Champion Hurdle and Dublin Chase.
ITV racing will be showing a total of five races from Leopardstown on Sunday, plus another five at Musselburgh that include the Scottish Champion Chase.
Leopardstown Tips On Sunday 4th February 2024
12:40 – Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle (Listed) (4yo+) 2m2f RTV: SHECOULDBEANYTHING
Fleet Of A Dancer, Foxy Girl and Risk Belle are certainly respected on form, but this is a race the Gordon Elliott yard have done well in recently – winning two of the last four.
He runs two – Media Naranja, and it’s interesting that Jack Kennedy is on this one so might be worth a saver. While his other entry is SHECOULDBEANYTHING, who will be ridden by claimer Danny Gilligan.
This mare was a beaten favourite last time out at Punchestown but it was reported she made a breathing noise in-running that day. But connections have given her time to get over that effort and it’s also interesting the tongue-tie is on today.
1:10 – Ladbrokes Novice Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+) 2m5½f ITV: GAELIC WARRIOR
This looks a bit of a shootout between the Mullins pair Fact To File and GAELIC WARRIOR and cases can be made for either after making fine starts to their chasing careers.
However, the slight nod goes to Rich Ricci’s GW, who won over hurdles at this meeting last year, after impressing at Limerick and Punchestown. He looks the sort to improve further for the step up in trip and can lead home a Closutton 1-2.
1:40 – Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) (5yo+) 2m ITV: BALLYBURN
Farren Glory probably would have won at Aintree on Boxing Day but took a heavy fall late on and that’s not ideal – but if none the worse for that is a big player for the Elliott yard. Slade Steel has done little wrong either, but this has been a Mullins benefit race over the years – with 9 wins in the last 10.
He can add to that record with BALLYBURN, who was a 25-length winner here at the end of December over 2m4f and even though the drop back in trip is a slight negative, connections are sure to make plenty of use of his proven stamina.
2:10 – Ladbrokes Dublin Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+) 2m1f ITV: EL FABIOLO
Another of the 2024 Dublin Festival bankers takes to the Leopardstown stage here in EL FABIOLO and it will be one of the shocks of the meeting if he’s not obliging.
This Willie Mullins 7 year-old is yet to lose a race over fences (5 runs) and returned in December with another easy win at Cork. The Dublin Chase is also a race that no other trainer, but Mullins has won – winning all six previous renewals, with Min (2), Chacun Pour Soi (3) and last year with Gentleman De Mee, who is back for more.
El Fab can take this and then head to the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
2:45 – Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo+) 2m ITV: STATE MAN
The Wille Mullins bandwagon continues into the Champion Hurdle as we see another of the big short-priced fancies of the meeting – STATE MAN. This Joe Donnelly-owned 7 year-old lowered the colours of multiple winner Honeysuckle in the race 12 months ago and this year’s renewal looks a slightly easier race.
Bob Olinger and Impaire Et Passe are decent challengers, but both are rated 8lbs and 7lbs behind State Man and really behind Constitution Hill, at the moment State Man is the second best 2m hurdler around.
He can take this and head to the Festival for another crack at the Henderson superstar.
3:20 – O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Handicap Chase (Grade 3) (5yo+) 2m5½f ITV: BIRCHDALE (e/w)
Many familiar faces on show here in what looks set to be one of the most competitive races of the meeting. But a chance is taken on BIRCHDALE, who actually won this race two years ago. This JP McManus runner was a nice winner over the Bank Fences at Punchestown in November to advertise his well-being and is rated only 2lbs higher than when winning this in 2022.
Mark McDonagh has been booked to ride and he takes off a handy 3lbs.
3:50 – Liffey Handicap Hurdle (Listed Race) (4yo+ 0-150) 2m RTV: AN TOBAR (e/w)
Another very open race, with many chance, but the Henry De Bromhead yard look to have a decent hand with Magical Zoe and AN TOBAR, with the later preferred with Rachael Blackmore riding.
This 7 year-old has been running in much better races than this, when contesting the G1 Lawlor’s Of Naas Hurdle and before that was a close third in the G1 Royal Bond Novices Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
Dropped into a handicap here will make life a lot easier and doesn’t look badly treated off an opening mark of 138.
4:25 – Coolmore N.H. Sires Hurricane Lane Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race (Grade 2) (4-7yo) 2m RTV: AURORA VEGA
Willie Mullins has won three of the five runnings of this final Dublin Racing Festival race and has four runners again.
Of those AURORA VEGA will be all the rage with Patrick Mullins booked to ride and will head here 3-from-3. The last of those wins came with a comfortable success at Gowran Park in September and has clearly been freshened up since with this race in mind.
Of the rest, the Crawford camp often do well in this NH Flat races and won this in 2022 too, so their Mongibello can give the main Mullins pick most to think about.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
