The Christmas Festival at Leopardstown is one of the highlights of the Irish Jump Racing calendar, with four days of the prestigious racing at the racecourse just outside of Dublin.
This year’s meeting is set to attract some strong entries across each day, including for the Savills Chase, the highlight of the festive period in Ireland.
Gold Cup Winner Bidding to Defend His Crown
Irish trainer Willie Mullins has confirmed that Galopin Des Champs will run in the Savills Chase again at the Christmas Festival. The leading 3m chaser in Ireland won the race in 2023.
Mullins star has won the last two renewals of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and he is 7/2 in the betting on horse racing online to make it a hat-trick on wins at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
With an excellent record at Leopardstown, Galopin Des Champs is likely to be one the leading horse racing betting tips for the 2024 Savills Chase. He has won his last five consecutive races at the course, including the Irish Gold Cup back in February.
State Man Expected to Return in Matheson Hurdle
The leading hurdles race during the Christmas Festival is the Grade One Matheson Hurdle. It was won last year by State Man, who dominated the 2m hurdles division. Mullins runner won all five of his races during the campaign, all of which were at the highest level.
State Man has already featured once this season. He had to settle for second place in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown. Mullins is hoping his horse will step up from that run when he appears at Leopardstown.
The Champion Hurdle winner is likely to return to this course in February for the Dublin Racing Festival. He will defend his crown in the Irish Champion Hurdle before heading across to Gloucestershire for the day one feature of the Cheltenham Festival.
Novices Get Opportunity to Shine
There is no shortage of novice races at the Christmas Festival, and it is often the meeting where horses step up to Grade One level for the first time. At this meeting in 2023, Found A Fifty won a novice chase, Caldwell Potter landed a novice hurdle and former Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner, Marine Nationale, prevailed in a beginners’ chase.
First-season chaser Ballyburn could feature at this year’s meeting as he looks to gain more experience over fences ahead of the Arkle Trophy. The six-year-old gelding scored on his opening chase start at Punchestown. The Irish horse jumped well and made all the running in the race, eventually scoring by 13 lengths.
In the 2m novice hurdles division, Salvator Mundi has a big reputation. He broke his maiden at Tipperary back in May. A lot is expected from Mullins’ hurdler this season, with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on day one of the Cheltenham Festival likely to be his primary target at the back of the campaign.
The 2024 Christmas Festival takes place between 26-29 December, and tickets remain available for all four days on Leopardstown’s official website.
