The 2025 Willie Mullins Dublin Racing Festival runners are starting to take shape as the Closutton maestro looks to improve on the remarkable NINE winners he had at the two-day Leopardstown Meeting last season.
Galopin Des Champs Heads Willie Mullins Dublin Racing Festival Runners 2025
Many horse racing fans bill the upcoming Dublin Racing Festival as the ‘Willie Mullins Festival‘ and to be honest there is good reason for that – the champion Irish jumps trainer has dominated the event most seasons and looks set to do so again in 2025.
Twelve months ago, in 2024, racegoers saw the Willie Mullins Dublin Racing Festival runners win an incredible NINE of the 16 races – meaning the Closutton team won 56% (see all their 2024 winners below).
Oh, and eight of those nine Dublin Racing Festival winners came in the ALL the Grade Ones. He currently trains all the market leaders for these races again in 2025 – so could lightning strike twice?
Therefore, the best horse racing betting sites in the UK will be treading carefully again this year as the two-day meeting gets going on Saturday 1st February and ends the following day.
The meeting has also catapulted itself as the main Cheltenham Festival trials meeting – with many of the ‘big-gun’ horses set to be in action at Leopardstown one last time before heading to Prestbury Park in March.
One of those is the two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs, who will be trying to win the Irish Gold Cup – a race he’s also won for the last two seasons (watch his 2024 win below).
Galopin Des Champs currently heads the market with the best betting sites in the UK, not only for this race on Saturday 1st February – but also the Gold Cup on March 14th as he tries to become the first horse since Best Mate to win three-in-a-row.
A win in the Irish Gold Cup and this Willie Mullins Dublin Racing Festival runner will be an even bigger Cheltenham banker come March.
When Is The 2025 Dublin Racing Festival?
📅Date: Saturday 1st Feb and Sunday 2nd Feb 2025
⌚Time: Sat 1:20pm-4:40pm, Sun 12:40pm-4:25pm
🏇Racecourse: Leopardstown, Dublin (Ireland)
Did You Know? Willie Mullins has trained 103 Cheltenham Festival winners
State Man and Lossiemouth Expected To Clash In Irish Champion Hurdle
Two other Willie Mullins Dublin Racing Festival runners ‘big-guns’ are State Man and Lossiemouth, who look set to go head-to-head in the Irish Champion Hurdle in Sunday 2nd February.
Both horses have also been ridden in all their races (bar one each) by top Irish jockey Paul Townend – so he’ll have to decide who to ride.
Will he pick State Man, who provided him with his first Champion Hurdle win at the Cheltenham Festival in 2024?
Plus, has also won the last two runnings of the Irish Champion Hurdle – but flopped badly at the track in the Neville Hotels Hurdle over Christmas. Beaten 31 lengths by Brighterdaysahead.
Or will Townend stay loyal to the mare Lossiemouth – who a 6 years-old is two years younger than State Man?
Lossiemouth was last seen running a gallant second to the Champion Hurdle market leader Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and will also get a handy 7lbs mares’ allowance from State Man.
We’ll find out. But regardless, you feel that another porr run by State Man and we might not even see him in his Champion Hurdle title defence in March.
While, if Lossiemouth wins – then another clash with Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle is on the cards.
If she loses, then you would think Rich Ricci and co will opt for the Mares’ Hurdle on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival instead.
Willie Mullins Dublin Racing Festival Runners – Possible Entries For Closutton
Saturday 1st February 2025
- 1:20 – Nathaniel Lacy &Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle: Final Demand, Joystick, Sounds Victorius, Supersundae, Joystick, Jasmin De Vaux
- 1:50 – Gannon’s City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle: Sainte Lucie, Lady Vega Allen, Murcia, Willy De Houelle, Sony Bill
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2:25 – Race and Stay at Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle: Meetingofthewaters, King Alexander, Straight Home
- 2:55 – Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase: Majborough, Ile Atlantique
- 3:30 – Paddy Power Gold Cup: Fact To File, Galopin Des Champs, Embassy Gardens, I Am Maximus, Grangeclare West, Minella Cocooner
- 4:05 – Ryanair Handicap Chase – Ha d’ Or, Shanbally Kid
- 4:35 – Future Stars (C&G) I.N.H Flat Race – Green Splendour, Sortudo
Sunday 2nd February 2025
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12:40 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy and Maureen Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle: Got Glory, Straight Home
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1:10 Ladbrokes Novice Chase: Ballyburn, Impaire Et Passe, Dancing City, Lecky Watson, Champ Kiely, Ile Atlantique
- 1:40 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle: Ballygunner Castle, Kaid D’Authie, Karafon, Karniquet, Kopek Des Bordes, Redemption Day, Salvator Mundi, Sea Of Sands, You Oughta Know
- 2:10 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase: El Fabiolo, Gaelic Warrior, Blue Lord, Gentleman De Mee
- 2:45 O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Handicap Chase: James Du Berlais, Kilcruit, Meetingofthewaters, Horantzau d’Airy, Adamantly Chosen, Glengouly, Ha d’Or, Sa Majeste, Aime Desjy, Chavez
- 3:20 Irish Champion Hurdle: State Man, Lossiemouth, Winter Fog, Daddy Long Legs
- 3:50 Timeless Sash Windows Handicap Hurdle: Gala Marceau, Tounsivator, Storm Heart, Bunting, Batman Girac, Highwind, Stormbreaker, Strutter
- 4:25 Coolmore N.H. Sires Luxembourg Irish EBF Mares I.N.H Flat Race: Bambino Fever, Blue Velvet, Cameletta Vega, Future Prospect, Mummy Derry
Note: The final declarations for the 2025 Dublin Racing Festival will be out on Jan 30th and 31st.
Willie Mullins Dublin Racing Festival Winners In 2024
Saturday 3rd February 2024
- Nathaniel Lacy &Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle: DANCING CITY (16/1)
- McCann FitzGerald Spring Juvenile Hurdle: KARGESE (7/2)
- Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase: IL ETAIT TEMPS (6/1)
- Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup Chase: GALOPIN DES CHAMPS (1/3 fav)
Sunday 4th February 2024
- Ladbrokes Novice Chase: FACT TO FILE (6/4)
- Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle: BALLYBURN (10/11 fav)
- Ladbrokes Dublin Chase: EL FABIOLO (4/11 fav)
- Irish Champion Hurdle: STATE MAN (2/5 fav)
- Coolmore N.H. Sires ‘Hurricane Lane’ Irish EBF Mares I.N.H Flat Race: FLUER AU FUSIL (10/1)
