Lossiemouth central to second day of Dublin Racing Festival
Friday, January 30, 2026
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Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead went head-to-head in the Gr.1 December Hurdle at Leopardstown and are set to renew their rivalry on Sunday's Timeless Sash Windows Irish Champion Hurdle.
Declarations for the second day of the Dublin Racing Festival (DRF) promise a feast of elite jumps action at Leopardstown on Sunday, February 1.
A programme of eight races includes four at Grade 1 level with the €200,000 Timeless Sash Windows Irish Champion Hurdle taking centre stage in which the popular grey, Lossiemouth, is likely to start favourite.
These highlights will be supported by very competitive Grade 3 and Listed handicaps and a Grade 2 mares’ INH Flat race. The first race is set for 12.40pm.
Mark Clayton, Leopardstown’s CEO, is looking forward to a packed second day of the DRF. He said: “We are happy with the quality of the fields. The Grade 1 races have held up well on Sunday and the handicaps are as open as we could wish for.
“The continued rain has forced us to inspect on Friday afternoon to be sure about Saturday going ahead. Drier conditions are anticipated on Sunday. There are still some tickets available for Sunday of this Bank Holiday weekend.”
Tenth Grade 1 for Lossiemouth?
Lossiemouth is one of the most dependable and classiest horses in training. Willie Mullins’ mighty mare has raced 16 times for 13 wins, nine of those at the highest level. She sets a very high standard in the Grade 1 Timeless Sash Windows Irish Champion Hurdle with six declared.
Her principal rival appears to be Brighterdaysahead, trained by Gordon Elliott, three times successful in Grade 1 races. The only time the pair have met came at Christmas when Lossiemouth, with a race-fitness edge, had a length to spare over this course and distance.
El Fabiolo, also trained by Mullins, could prove a lively outsider judged on his winning return over hurdles last month.
Ladbrokes Dublin Chase looks a cracker
This looks like being one of the races of the weekend with the first three in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase here at Christmas – Solness from Marine Nationale and Majborough – all returning with scores to settle.
Solness is unbeaten in his last three Grade 1 starts over this course and distance. Marine Nationale was by some margin the best horse in this division last season and remains the apple of trainer Barry Connell’s eye. Majborough, meanwhile, has had his critics of late but he won the Grade 1 Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase at this meeting in 2025. Six are declared for this race.
Very much in Demand
Final Demand won the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners-sponsored novice hurdle at DRF last year. He has looked even better in two novice chase starts to date, most recently in a Grade 1 at Limerick. In short, he looks very hard to beat in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase.
Western Fold, Gordon Elliott’s Galway Plate hero last summer, should not be underestimated, however, as he returns from a break. He defeated subsequent Grade 1 Savills Chase winner Affordale Fury two starts back and was just over a length behind the same horse in the Grade 1 BetVictor Champion Chase at Down Royal - serious form for a novice. Five are declared here.
Challenges to Mullins’ novice dominance
Willie Mullins has won 12 of the last 13 editions of the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle and each of the last seven. King Rasko Grey is his shortest-priced runner with The Reverend and Davy Crockett also in the mix.
If the Mullins stranglehold is to be broken, perhaps Talk The Talk, trained by Joseph O’Brien for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, will be responsible. He was so unlucky at Grade 1 level here last month, exiting at the final hurdle and redemption may await.
Ballyfad bolted up in a maiden hurdle for Gordon Elliott here at Christmas and the runner-up in that event has won since very easily. It’s not hard to envisage him being involved either. Twelve will face the starter.
The supporting card is well furnished with plenty of runners.
In the opening race, the Listed Irish Stallion Farms Paddy and Maureen Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle, the very consistent Siog Geal has travelled from Fergal O’Brien’s yard in Gloucestershire. This is a wide-open contest for which 19 are declared.
Offering €150,000 in prize money, the Grade 3 O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Handicap Chase is extremely competitive with 23 declared and any number of chances.
Maybe one to look out for is Ballybawn Belter, an easy winner at Limerick last month. Wexford trainer Liz Doyle landed this race in 2018 via Last Goodbye and her star mare also won at this meeting three years ago. She is one of seven in the race owned by JP McManus.
The other handicap on the card is the Listed Padel At Leopardstown Golf Launching Spring 2026 Handicap Hurdle. Limerick trainer Charles Byrnes has an excellent record at this fixture: four winners from 13 runners so a 30% strike-rate. It is therefore worth noting the strong support for his race favourite I Started a Joke especially with British champion jockey Sean Bowen taking the mount. A field of 20 is expected.
The meeting concludes with the mares’ bumper, the Coolmore NH Sires Los Angeles Irish EBF INH Flat Race.
Willie Mullins has won five of the eight editions of this contest to date but has just one of the 10 declarations in Wonderful Everyday. Kerry trainer Tom Cooper’s winner at Cheltenham last November, Celestial Tune, is the early favourite.
Click here for the link to declarations for Day Two of Dublin Racing Festival.
A programme of eight races includes four at Grade 1 level with the €200,000 Timeless Sash Windows Irish Champion Hurdle taking centre stage in which the popular grey, Lossiemouth, is likely to start favourite.
These highlights will be supported by very competitive Grade 3 and Listed handicaps and a Grade 2 mares’ INH Flat race. The first race is set for 12.40pm.
Mark Clayton, Leopardstown’s CEO, is looking forward to a packed second day of the DRF. He said: “We are happy with the quality of the fields. The Grade 1 races have held up well on Sunday and the handicaps are as open as we could wish for.
“The continued rain has forced us to inspect on Friday afternoon to be sure about Saturday going ahead. Drier conditions are anticipated on Sunday. There are still some tickets available for Sunday of this Bank Holiday weekend.”
Tenth Grade 1 for Lossiemouth?
Lossiemouth is one of the most dependable and classiest horses in training. Willie Mullins’ mighty mare has raced 16 times for 13 wins, nine of those at the highest level. She sets a very high standard in the Grade 1 Timeless Sash Windows Irish Champion Hurdle with six declared.
Her principal rival appears to be Brighterdaysahead, trained by Gordon Elliott, three times successful in Grade 1 races. The only time the pair have met came at Christmas when Lossiemouth, with a race-fitness edge, had a length to spare over this course and distance.
El Fabiolo, also trained by Mullins, could prove a lively outsider judged on his winning return over hurdles last month.
Ladbrokes Dublin Chase looks a cracker
This looks like being one of the races of the weekend with the first three in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase here at Christmas – Solness from Marine Nationale and Majborough – all returning with scores to settle.
Solness is unbeaten in his last three Grade 1 starts over this course and distance. Marine Nationale was by some margin the best horse in this division last season and remains the apple of trainer Barry Connell’s eye. Majborough, meanwhile, has had his critics of late but he won the Grade 1 Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase at this meeting in 2025. Six are declared for this race.
Very much in Demand
Final Demand won the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners-sponsored novice hurdle at DRF last year. He has looked even better in two novice chase starts to date, most recently in a Grade 1 at Limerick. In short, he looks very hard to beat in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase.
Western Fold, Gordon Elliott’s Galway Plate hero last summer, should not be underestimated, however, as he returns from a break. He defeated subsequent Grade 1 Savills Chase winner Affordale Fury two starts back and was just over a length behind the same horse in the Grade 1 BetVictor Champion Chase at Down Royal - serious form for a novice. Five are declared here.
Challenges to Mullins’ novice dominance
Willie Mullins has won 12 of the last 13 editions of the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle and each of the last seven. King Rasko Grey is his shortest-priced runner with The Reverend and Davy Crockett also in the mix.
If the Mullins stranglehold is to be broken, perhaps Talk The Talk, trained by Joseph O’Brien for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, will be responsible. He was so unlucky at Grade 1 level here last month, exiting at the final hurdle and redemption may await.
Ballyfad bolted up in a maiden hurdle for Gordon Elliott here at Christmas and the runner-up in that event has won since very easily. It’s not hard to envisage him being involved either. Twelve will face the starter.
The supporting card is well furnished with plenty of runners.
In the opening race, the Listed Irish Stallion Farms Paddy and Maureen Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle, the very consistent Siog Geal has travelled from Fergal O’Brien’s yard in Gloucestershire. This is a wide-open contest for which 19 are declared.
Offering €150,000 in prize money, the Grade 3 O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Handicap Chase is extremely competitive with 23 declared and any number of chances.
Maybe one to look out for is Ballybawn Belter, an easy winner at Limerick last month. Wexford trainer Liz Doyle landed this race in 2018 via Last Goodbye and her star mare also won at this meeting three years ago. She is one of seven in the race owned by JP McManus.
The other handicap on the card is the Listed Padel At Leopardstown Golf Launching Spring 2026 Handicap Hurdle. Limerick trainer Charles Byrnes has an excellent record at this fixture: four winners from 13 runners so a 30% strike-rate. It is therefore worth noting the strong support for his race favourite I Started a Joke especially with British champion jockey Sean Bowen taking the mount. A field of 20 is expected.
The meeting concludes with the mares’ bumper, the Coolmore NH Sires Los Angeles Irish EBF INH Flat Race.
Willie Mullins has won five of the eight editions of this contest to date but has just one of the 10 declarations in Wonderful Everyday. Kerry trainer Tom Cooper’s winner at Cheltenham last November, Celestial Tune, is the early favourite.
Click here for the link to declarations for Day Two of Dublin Racing Festival.
We are happy with the quality of the fields. The Grade 1 races have held up well on Sunday and the handicaps are as open as we could wish for.
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