Dublin’s Southside hosts unrivalled racing action across both the Flat and National Hunt codes of the sport. However, the Leopardstown Christmas Festival is the undisputed highlight of the calendar over the holiday season.
Commencing on St. Stephen’s Day, there is Grade 1 action to catch every single day between 26th and 29th December, with the festival attracting the finest horses that Ireland has to offer.
The 2025 edition of the festival promises to deliver top-class jumps racing, a vibrant atmosphere, and all the trimmings you’d expect from a proper post-Christmas betting blowout.
12 months ago, more than 62,000 spectators and punters went shoulder-to-shoulder during the festival, though this year’s event promises to be even bigger, with hospitality already sold out across all four days.
This year’s attendees can watch horses clattering around Leopardstown’s left-handed track and testing uphill finish against a backdrop of live music and betting action, with marquees laden with the best in Irish food and drink also there to peruse.
As always, Tonybet will have its finger firmly on the pulse for all things bet-related at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, so let’s drill down into each of the four days to see what’s on the menu.
Racing Post Chase Day – 26th December
The spark is lit on day one of the festival on 26th December with the Racing Post Chase Day. The card on St. Stephen’s Day typically features seven races, with the first starting around midday and the finale pencilled in for mid-afternoon.
The showpiece is the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase, which is contested over two miles and one furlong. It’s a proper test of speed and the race has a knack for launching big careers – just ask Douvan, Ferny Hollow and Found A Fifty’s connections.
This year, anticipation is building around a potential head-to-head between the Gordon Elliott-trained Romeo Coolio and Irish Panther, from Eddie and Patrick Harty’s stables.
The latter made a notable impression on his chase debut at Naas in early November, showing fluency over jumps and quickening late to pull clear by eight lengths off a finishing price of 5/1. The eight-year-old looks fully settled and could be primed to impress again at Leopardstown.
Romeo Coolio, meanwhile, has equally solid credentials, so this face-off could develop into a real Christmas cracker. Wille Mullins looks to have a strong hand here, with entries such as Kopek Des Bordes, Westport Cove and Salvator Mundi also capable of ruffling feathers.
Elsewhere on day one, the supporting Grade 2 Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle (or novice/juvenile feature) is another race to look out for and often informs thinking for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham the following March.
Paddy Power Chase Day – 27th December
On to day two then, and the branded Paddy Power Chase Day. This is a big crowd-puller and regularly draws 18,000+ racegoers through the gates, who descend on Leopardstown for the handicap spectacle and the merrymaking that runs alongside it.
There is another seven-race card to look forward to here, starting around noon and running into the afternoon. The headline act is the Grade 1 Paddy Power Chase, a taxing three-mile handicap that demands stamina as well as speed from runners.
This is a big-field event and regularly features 20+ entrants, giving punters options galore as they try to profit from the chaos. The second Grade 1 race on day two is the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle, which is favoured by speedier types and considered a key trial for the Supreme Novices’ at Cheltenham.
The Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase completes a hat-trick of Grade 1 runs on the 27th, and the two-mile race is a specialist speed event where mares are given a handy allowance.
Marine Nationale (Barry Connell) has been talked up as a potential market leader for this year’s race, while Dinoblue (Willie Mullins), Found A Fifty (Gordon Elliott) and Majborough (Mullins again) are also likely to be in the mix.
This race often shapes the Arkle picture, so keep an eye on the market movers closer to go time. Last year, JP O’Brien’s Solness was a surprise winner with JJ Slevin on board, delivering off a bumper starting price of 28/1.
Savills Chase Day – 28th December
The bar is raised again for the third day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, when two mammoth Grade 1s compete for the attention of the masses.
Seven races cover the card, with timings similar to days one and two, but the quality here feels even deeper than before, with Ireland’s staying elite ready to showcase their quality.
The Grade 1 Savills Chase is the blue-riband event of the entire meeting and is a bona fide trial for the Gold Cup over three miles (plus a half furlong) on testing ground.
Previous winners of this one read like a who’s who of horse racing legends and include Galopin Des Champs, Conflated, A Plus Tard, Delta Work and Kemboy.
This year, entries ooze class again. Grey Dawning (Dan Skelton) arrives off a dominant win in the Betfair Chase last month, while Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior are among another strong contingent from Willie Mullins’s prolific stables.
Mullins’s Galopin Des Champs, who won the race’s last two iterations, is the early favourite to mount a successful defence, though Gold Cup hero Inothewayurthinkin and the robust Fastorslow will be determined to spoil the party.
Paired with that is the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle over three miles, another staying test. JP O’Brien’s Home By The Lee, who was winner of the race in 2022 and 2024, returns for another crack.
Other entries could include Ballyburn (Mullins), Bob Olinger (De Bromhead) and Teahupoo (Elliott) if the conditions suit. Battle-proven three-mile grit is essential here in what is always a tough, tactical skirmish. Just eight horses ran in the Christmas Hurdle in 2024, though a larger field is hoped for this year.
December Hurdle Day – 29th December
The final day of the festival traditionally has a slightly more relaxed, family-friendly feel. Entertainment trackside is geared towards children, though the racing remains top-drawer and ensures that the meeting has a chance to end on a fitting high.
There are seven races again, including two more Grade 1s, with a start time of around noon. The feature event is often the Grade 1 December Hurdle (also referred to as the Matheson Hurdle), which is a Champion Hurdle trial for some of the island’s most rapid runners.
This year, Willie Mullins’s formidable Lossiemouth looks like the standout. She has won 12 out of 15 races and arrives fresh from her latest victory in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown last month.
Brighterdaysahead is set to be supplemented by Gordon Elliott, however, spicing up the interest. The Gigginstown mare defended her title here last year with a 30-length romp and remains in flying form ahead of the renewal.
A strong mares’ contest and novice chases round off the Grade 1 tally on the festival’s final day, including the Neville Hotels Premier Handicap Hurdle.
Again, this looks like a face-off between the best that Mullins and Elliott have to offer, with up to 14 entries from their stables combined likely to have a shot. Staffordshire Knot (Elliott) and Zillow (Mullins) are the early joint-favourites on Tonybet’s horse racing markets, but prices should shift.
By close of business, you’ll have seen the best of Irish jumping and plenty of Cheltenham pointers to mull over into the new year.
Keep up to date with Tonybet
The Leopardstown Christmas Festival always throws up surprises, twists in the betting and late market moves as declarations begin to firm up.
If you’re planning a flutter, remember to keep a close eye on the latest odds and expert insight.
Tonybet offers comprehensive coverage of all the races at Leopardstown and beyond, with sharp prices, live streaming (where available), and regular updates on the contenders involved.
