The Dublin Racing Festival has emerged as one of the key dates on the National Hunt calendar.
As well as providing two days of awesome action at Leopardstown with eight Grade 1s on the schedule, the 15-race meeting offers plenty of clues for the following month’s Cheltenham Festival.
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The Irish have dominated proceedings at Cheltenham in recent years – and a quick glance at the history books shows that five of last year’s 28 winners ran at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Four of those won at both meetings, while Delta Work bounced back from a poor run in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup to beat Tiger Roll in a thrilling renewal of the Cross Country Chase.
Galopin Des Champs would have made it six but the most exciting chaser in training fell at the final fence when miles clear of Bob Olinger in the Turners Novices’ Chase.
That means it’s worth keeping an eye on this weekend’s racing at Leopardstown as Cheltenham prospects are set to emerge from the pack.
The latest Dublin Racing Festival odds can be found on the Paddy Power website and Paddy Power app.
Otherwise, we’ve gone through last year’s Dublin Racing Festival results to see how the 15 winners got on at the Cheltenham Festival.
DUBLIN RACING FESTIVAL 2022 DAY 1 WINNERS
Minella Cocooner won the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors `€50,000 Cheltenham Bonus For Stable Staff` Novice Hurdle and went on to place second in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
Vauban won the Juvenile Hurdle and went on to win the Triumph Hurdle.
Blue Lord won the Irish Arkle and went on to place third in the Arkle Chase.
Good Time Jonny won the Paddy Power `I`d Love A Can But Pints Are Cheaper` Handicap Hurdle and went on to finish ninth in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
Conflated won the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup and went on to fall in the Ryanair Chase. Minella Indo (second) placed second in the Gold Cup, Janidil (third) placed second in the Ryanair Chase while Delta Work (sixth) won the Cross Country Chase.
A Wave Of The Sea won the Paddy Power `I`m Never Going Back To The Office` Handicap Chase and went on to finish ninth in the Grand Annual.
Facile Vega won the Future Stars (C & G) I.N.H. Flat Race and went on to win the Champion Bumper.
DUBLIN RACING FESTIVAL 2022 DAY 2 WINNERS
Party Central won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle and went on to finish seventh in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
Galopin Des Champs won the Ladbrokes Novice Chase and went on to fall in the Turners Novices’ Chase.
Chacun Pour Soi won the Dublin Chase and went on to unseat his rider in the Champion Chase.
Birchdale won the Bulmers Secret Orchard Leopardstown Handicap Chase and didn’t run at the Cheltenham Festival.
Honeysuckle won the Irish Champion Hurdle and went on to win the Champion Hurdle.
Sir Gerhard won the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle and went on to win the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
Call Me Lyreen won the Liffey Handicap Hurdle and went on to finish 14th in the County Hurdle.
Lily Du Berlais won the Coolmore N.H. Sires Santiago Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race and didn’t run at the Cheltenham Festival.
If you ignore the handicappers and non-runners then the record of last year’s Dublin Racing Festival winners at the subsequent Cheltenham Festival was mighty impressive. As previously mentioned, four went on to score and two more placed at the big one in March. The fallers also wouldn’t have let the record down too much as Galopin Des Champs was set to win the Turners Novices’ Chase by a mile while Conflated was disputing second when coming down late in the Ryanair Chase.
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