Leopardstown Christmas Festival: Race List & Meeting Info

Day One Races - Boxing Day

TOTE Maiden Hurdle

2m

A hurdle race that is aimed specifically at four-year-olds, this event is run over two miles. It’s for maidens, often seeing a big field turn up to take on the challenge of the opening race of the entire Festival. There are six hurdles for the horses to negotiate, with a prize fund of €15,000 on offer for those that manage to do so. If the Going is Soft then you’ll see the leaders enter the final straight after about four minutes of running.

Thorntons Maiden Hurdle

2m

Another race for maiden hurdlers, race two of Day One is sponsored by Thorntons Recycling at the time of writing. It is for horses aged five and over and is run over two miles. There are six hurdles to be jumped during the race, with prize money of €15,000 available. When the Going is Soft you’ll be looking at a race time of about four minutes and the race often sees quite a large field enter into it.

Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle

Grade 2, 2m

This Grade 2 race is run over a distance of around two miles and features eight hurdles during that time. Open to horses aged three, it has enjoyed numerous sponsors over the years. In 2010 it took on the moniker of the Bord na Mona Fire Magic Juvenile Hurdle, the following year the United Arab Emirates Embassy had the honour and in 2012 it was run as the Q8 Oil Juvenile Hurdle.

The race was known as the Dennys Juvenile Hurdle during the 1990s and then it was the Durkan New Homes Juvenile Hurdle until 2009, when it briefly took on the name Inforthenight.ie Juvenile Hurdle. As it's a race for three-year-olds only no horse has ever won it more than once, though the same is not true of jockeys. Barry Geraghty, Charlie Swan, Davey Russell and Tom Rudd have all won it twice to date.

In terms of trainers to look out for, Christy Roche, Gordon Elliot, Michael O'Brien, Noel Meade and Paddy Mullins have all won it twice at the time of writing, but it's another name associated with Irish racing that leads the way. Between 2005 and 2016 Willie Mullins won it four times, whilst the wins for Paddy Mullins and another for Thomas Mullins ensure that the Mullins family will take a while to be beaten in this race.

Holden Handicap Hurdle

2m

Holden Plant Rentals are the current sponsors of this hurdling event. It is open to horses aged four and over and is run over two miles. If you’re at Leopardstown on a day when the Going is Soft, you’ll be waiting about four minutes and ten seconds or so to see if your selected horse is in the running for this one. They’ll need to get over the eight hurdles that are spread across the course, with €20,000 on offer in prize money.

Racing Post Novice Chase

Grade 1, 2m1f

This grade 1 offering is run over two miles and one furlong and features eleven fences. Open to horses aged four and over. It is usually run on Boxing Day, which is known as St. Stephen's Day in Ireland. It is the day's feature race and is also one of the most prestigious days of the Festival.

In the 1990s it was run as the Dennys Gold Medal Novice Chase and then prior to 2009 it was the Durkan New Homes Novice Chase. It was briefly named the Bord Na Mona With Nature Novice Chase, with the Racing Post taking over sponsorship responsibilities from 2011.

Whilst it is open to horses aged four and over, the fact that it's a race for novices means that it hasn't been won by the same horse more than once. It's the usual names that are written on the winning jockey list, including Barry Geraghty, Mark Walsh and Paul Carberry. Yet it's Paul Townend who leads the way with three wins to date.

It's also a similar story in the world of trainers, with Dessie Hughes, Edward O'Grady, Noel Meade and Arthur Moore all have been victorious more than once. Yet they all trail behind the racing giant that is Willie Mullins, who racked up six wins between 2005 and 2017.

In terms of what you need to bear in mind about this race, previous winners include Douvan, who went on to win the likes of the Arkle Novice Chase and the Ryanair Novice Chase at Leopardstown, Moscow Flyer who won the Queen Mother Champion Chase twice at Cheltenham, and Sizing Europe, who also won the Queen Mother Champion Chase after victory in this race.

Racing Post Handicap Chase

2m1f

Sponsored by Racing Post at the time of asking and used by the company to advertise their mobile app, this steeplechase is run over two miles and one furlong. It’s for horses aged four and over and the prize pool is about €30,000. Eleven fences stand between the horses and the end of the race, which will take them about four minutes and twenty seconds to complete if the Going is Soft on the day of the race.

INH Flat Race

2m

Day One of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival is drawn to a close with this Irish National Hunt flat race. As the name suggests, it is a bumper that is run under National Hunt rules in order to give inexperienced horses a sense of life during a jump race meeting. Open to four-year-olds, the race is run over two miles and the prize money is €12,000. With Soft Going, the race will take about four minutes or so to come to its conclusion.

Day Two Races - Christmas Festival

Paddy Power Maiden Hurdle

2m

The races on Day Two of the meeting are pretty much all sponsored by Paddy Power at the time of writing. The opening race of the day is one that is restricted to three-year-old maiden hurdlers. They’ll be required to jump eight hurdles during the two miles of the running, with the field often being large and competitive. Those that are successful will be eyeing up the €15,000 prize, whilst Soft Going will mean a race time of about four minutes.

Paddy Power Beginners Chase

2m1f

Aimed at horses that don’t have a huge degree of experience in steeplechases, the race is run over two miles and one furlong. There are twelve hurdles to be jumped, with a prize of €17,500 on offer. Horses can be aged four and over to take part in the race, which is another one that is sponsored by Paddy Power. Should the Going be Soft on the day of the race then a time of about four minutes and fifteen seconds can be expected.

Paddy Power Chase

Grade 1, 2m1f

Run under various titles over the years thanks to its sponsorship by the Irish bookmaker Paddy Power, this race is a Grade 1 offering run over a distance of around two miles and one furlong. There are eleven fences that the runners need to negotiate before they'll reach the finish line, so it's a challenging race that tests the competitors.

First run as a Listed race in 1998, it was promoted straight to Grade 1 in 2007. Papillon and Moscow Flyer have both won the race twice, but it's Big Zeb who leads the way thanks to three wins between 2008 and 2011. Interestingly it was a different winning jockey each time for Big Zeb, though more than a few have won the race more than once. Here's a list of them:

• Andrew Lynch (2012, 2015)
• Mark Walsh (2017, 2018)
• Paul Townend (2009, 2014)
• Barry Geraghty (2002, 2003, 2010)
• Ruby Walsh (1998, 2000, 2016)

Jessica Harrington, Nicky Richards and Ted Walsh have all won the race more than once, but Willie Mullins still leads the way as the race's most successful trainer. Interestingly, he doesn't have it all his own way this time as Colm Murphy has also enjoyed three wins as a trainer.

We've already told you about the success of horses like Sizing Europe and Moscow Flyer outside of the races they won at the Festival, but it's interesting that Big Zeb also has a Queen Mother Champion Chase to his name.

Paddy Power Novice Hurdle

Grade 1, 2m

The next Grade 1 race to tell you about is another one that enjoys sponsorship from Paddy Power. The Future Champions Novice Hurdle is a race that's worth watching if you want to get a sense of horses with plenty of potential. Run over a distance of about two miles and featuring eight hurdles, it's open to horses aged four and over.

The race was inaugurated in 1996 when it was run over two miles and two hurdles before being reduced to its current length the following year. It was a promoted to become a Grade 1 offering in 2008 and is one of the races to watch if you want some clues about the following year's Cheltenham Festival, given that it's considered to be one of the main trails for that.

No horse has won the race more than once, but big names such as Hurricane Fly, Istabraq and Sizing John have all won it. For Hurricane Fly the victory here came in 2008 and then in 2011 and 2013 he won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. Istabraq, meanwhile won this race in 1996 and then the Champion Hurdle three times in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Sizing John was arguably the race's most successful horse, winning it in 2014 and then the Gold Cup at Cheltenham in 2017.

Charlie Swan, Andrew Lynch and Paul Townend have all won the race twice as jockeys, but Ruby Walsh and Conor O'Dwyer lead the way with three wins apiece. Christy Roche, Mouse Morris, and Noel Meade have won it twice as trainers and Edward O'Grady has won it three times, but it's that man Willie Mullins who leads the way again with five wins at the time of writing.

Paddy Power Handicap Hurdle

2m

It’s time for the handicappers to get involved, with this race for hurdlers seeing the weights carried by the horses decided by their ability. It’s run over two miles and there are eight hurdles to jump during that distance. The horses that take part in this offering will need to be aged four or over, whilst the prize money sits at €30,000. The Irish bookmaker Paddy Power are once again the sponsors for the race at the time of writing.

Paddy Power Handicap Chase

Grade B, 3m

A Grade B steeplechase for horses aged five and up, this event that is currently sponsored by Paddy Power needs competitors to have a rating of between 0 and 150. It is run over three miles and fifty yards, often seeing a large field enter to take part in it. That’s probably because of the prize money that is in excess of €200,000. The weight carried by each horse is decided by the handicappers, who aim to level the playing field as much as possible and there are seventeen fences to jump.

Paddy Power INH Flat Race

2m4f

Day Two follows the pattern set by Day One insomuch as it is drawn to a close with an Irish National Hunt flat race. As with the rest of the races on the day, it is sponsored by Paddy Power at the time of writing. Run under National Hunt rules but lacking any jumps, the race takes place over two miles, four furlongs and fifteen yards. It is open to horses aged four to seven, whilst the prize money for the event stands at €12,000.

Day Three Races - Christmas Festival

TOTE Maiden Hurdle

2m4½f

A hurdle event for maiden horses, the opening race of Day Three is limited to those aged four. There are ten hurdles to be jumped during the two miles, four furlongs and seventy-five yards of the race. The prize money is €15,000 and if the Going is Soft then the leaders will likely head up the home stretch after about five minutes or so. The race is aimed at giving inexperienced jumpers the chance to get some competitive minutes under their belts.

Pertemps Network H'cap Hurdle

3m

Sponsored by Pertemps Network at the time of writing, the second race of Day Three is run over three miles. It is open to horses aged four and over and the weight that each horse will carry is decided by the handicappers according to the horse’s ability. The prize money on offer is double that of the first race, standing at €30,000, which often leads to large fields. A Qualifier race, horses will need to jump twelve hurdles during the event.

Ballymaloe Beginners Chase

2m5f

Currently run in association with Ballymaloe Foods, this race is for horses that don’t have a huge heap of experience in steeplechases. It takes place over two miles and five furlongs, with fourteen fences to jump during that distance. The prize money is about €17,500, meaning that it’s not likely to see the biggest field of the meeting. The horses will need to be aged four and over to take part in the event.

Frank Ward Memorial Hurdle

Grade 1, 3m

Officially registered as the Christmas Hurdle, the race was renamed in honour of popular Irish racing figure and sponsor Frank Ward for the 2019 running after he died in October of that year. It's a Grade 1 race for horses aged four and over and it is run over three miles. During that distance there are twelve hurdles to be jumped.

First run in 1996, the race was a Grade 2 offering until it was promoted to Grade 1 in 2013. Limestone Lad won the race in 1999 and again in 2002, but sandwiched between those two wins were back-to-back victories for Bannow Bay. Apple's Jade also won the race twice in 2017 and 2018.

Commanche Court won the race in 1998 then the Irish Grand National and the Punchestown Gold Cup in 2000, whilst Limestone Lad's 1999 win preceded victories in the likes of the Bank of Ireland Hurdle, the Irish Field Novice Chase and the Champion Stayers' Hurdle.

In terms of the jockeys that have done well in this race in the past, it's mostly the names you've read before in the world of Irish racing. Andrew McNamara, Barry Geraghty, Charlie Swan and Davy Russell have all won it a couple of times. But, Paul Carberry and Ruby Walsh lead the way with three wins apiece at the time of writing.

If you were hoping that things would be less predictable in terms of the race's most successful trainers then you'll at least be mildly pleased. Christy Roche, Edward O'Grady, Michael Bowe and Noel Meade have won it a couple of times each, but who else other than Willie Mullins would lead the way as a trainer thanks to three wins? The answer is Gordon Elliott, who has also won the race three times to date.

Christmas Novice H'cap Hurdle

2m4½f

A race for horses aged four and over with a rating of between 80 and 116, the Christmas Novice Handicap Hurdle is sponsored by the Irish Daily Star at the time of writing. As the name suggests, it’s a hurdle race for novices and the handicappers will decide how much weight each horse will carry depending on its ability. Run over two miles, four furlongs and seventy-five yards, there are ten hurdles to be jumped by the competitors and a €15,000 prize fund.

Savills Chase

Grade 1, 3m

There are three more Grade 1 races to tell you about, starting with the Savills Chase. Open to horses aged five and over and run over a distance of around three miles, it offers seventeen opportunities for the horses to make a mistake as that's how many fences it features. The race has enjoyed a mixed history, not least because it began life in 1986 as the Black and White Whisky Champion Chase, which was run over two and a half miles.

That was replaced by a race known as the Ericsson Chase, which was run over this contest's current distance in 1992. Between 2004 and 2016 it was run as the Lexus Chase thanks to a sponsorship deal with the car manufacturer, but they ended their association with it in November 2017 and it was run as the Leopardstown Christmas Chase that year. In 2018 the race's current sponsor, the property company Savills, took over the responsibility.

Maid of Honey became the first horse to hold on to the title for this race when winning it consecutively in 1988 and 1989, before Rince Ri repeated the trick in 1999 and 2000. Yet it's Beef or Salmon who holds the record thanks to three wins in 2002, 2004 and 2005. In terms of what you can learn from the winners of this race the answer is probably quite a lot. Some well-known names have been victorious here before going in to win bigger races later in their career.

That is arguably most true for Best Mate who won here in 2003, midway through his three wins in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. That major race was also won by Denman in 2008, Synchronised in 2012 and Bobs Worth in 2013. Whilst this isn't scientific, if a horse has a Savills Chase victory to their name then there's an increased chance that they could go on and win the Gold Cup during the Cheltenham Festival later in their career.

There's a mix of familiar names and some newer ones when it comes to looking at the most successful jockeys in the Savills Chase. All of Anthony Powell, Bryan Cooper, Conor O'Dwyer, Richard Dunwoody and Tony McCoy have won the race twice, with Ruby Walsh doing so three times. Yet it's Paul Carberry who leads the way with four wins to his name, not least of all because he was the jockey for two of Beef or Salmon's victories.

The trainer for all of Beef or Salmon's wins in the race was Michael Hourigan, who enjoyed two wins with other horses to rack up five wins as a trainer. That makes him the race's most successful, but Noel Meade isn't far behind with four wins to his name. John Fowler, Jonjo O'Neill, Willie Mullins, Victor Bowens, Ted Walsh and Mouse Morris have all trained two winners, whilst Paul Nicholls has been responsible for three victors at the time of writing.

Midland INH Flat Race

2m

Midland Legal Solicitors are the sponsors of the final race of Day Three, which is another flat race run under Irish National Hunt rules. Obviously there are no jumps to deal with in this bumper, but it’s two miles long so asks plenty of questions of the competing horses. They can be aged between four and seven in order to take part in the event, which has a prize pool of €12,000 on offer for those that do well.

Day Four Races - Christmas Festival

Adare Manor Handicap Chase

2m5f

The opening race of the final day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival is sponsored by Adare Manor at the time of writing. It’s run over two miles and five furlongs, requiring participants to make it over thirteen fences if they hope to win. This steeplechase asks the handicappers to set the weights that the horses will carry depending on their ability, with those taking part being aged four or over with a rating of between 0 and 123.

Pigsback Maiden Hurdle

2m4½f

This hurdling event is for maiden horses afed five and over. It is run over two miles, four furlongs and sixty-five yards, boasting ten hurdles during that distance. The prize fund on offer isn’t the largest of the meeting, sitting at around €15,000, though the fields are often decent enough in size to make it exciting. When the Going is Good to Soft you can expect to have a winner decided after about five minutes of running.

Advent Irish EBF Mares Hurdle

Grade 3, 2m4½f

The final race that fits into the 'noteworthy' category is the Leopardstown E.B.F. Mares Hurdle. It's a Group 3 offering for mares aged four and up and is run over a distance of two miles and four furlongs. There are ten hurdles that the horses need to negotiate if they're hoping to win the race. First run in 2005, it was promoted to Grade 3 in 2011. It is currently being run as the Advent Insurance Leopardstown E.B.F. Mares Hurdle thanks to sponsorship from the Advent Insurance group.

Despite only having been on the Christmas Festival's roster since 2005, the race has been won by several horses more than once. All of Grangeclare Lark, Our Girl Salley and Let's Dance have two wins to their names. Roger Loughran was on the back of Grangeclare Lark for both of her wins and Barry Geraghty rode Our Girl Salley to both victories, but Ruby Walsh and Paul Townend shared the duties on Let's Dance.

Townend also won the back of Voler La Vedette in 2009, meaning that all of those jockeys share the honour of most wins with two apiece. Jessica Harrington, Dessie Hughes and Prunella Dobbs have all trained two winners, whilst Willie Mullins once again leads the way as trainer with four wins to his name at the time of writing.

Indeed, this is a race that the Mullins family in general has a decent history with. As well as Willie Mullins' four wins as a trainer, both David Mullins and Patrick Mullins have won it as jockeys. Perhaps somewhat unsurprisingly their victories came on the back of horses that Willie had trained.

Neville Hotels Novice Chase

Grade 1, 3m

The final Grade 1 race that we can tell you about is the Fort Leney Novice Chase. First run in 1996, the race has borne the Grade 3 and Grade 2 labels before being promoted to its current status in 2003. It was run as the Topaz Novice Chase in 2014 and is currently run under the moniker of the Neville Hotels Novice Chase thanks to sponsorship from the Irish hotel chain.

Run over a distance of three miles and offering seventeen fences over the course of it, the Fort Leney Novice Chase is open to horses aged four and over. Whilst that is the case, the fact that it's only open to novices means that no horse has won it twice. The following five jockeys have won it twice, though:

• Bryan Cooper (2014, 2015)
• Davy Russell (2006, 2018)
• Robbie Power (2010, 2016)
• Ruby Walsh (2005, 2012)
• Tony McCoy (1997, 2013)

It's another race that sees some familiar names on the 'most successful trainers' list, with Edward O'Grady winning it in 1998 and 2003, Jessica Harrington doing so in 2010 and 2016, Jim Dreaper seeing his horses win in 1999 and 2007, Noel Meade having the honour in 2008 and 2009 and Willie Mullins training the winner in both 2012 and 2014. It's Gordon Elliott that sits at the top of the list though, training the winning horse here in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

Matheson Hurdle

Grade 1, 2m

The penultimate Grade 1 race on our list is the December Festival Hurdle, which was only ever going to take place at this meeting with a registered name like that. It is currently run as the Matheson Hurdle because of sponsorship, having previously taken place under the moniker of the Ryanair Hurdle. The Irish airline took over sponsorship duties in 2013, but other big companies have had the honour at one point or another. It was also run as the Istabraq Festival Hurdle for a time, in honour of the horse who won it four times.

First run in 1986, it was promoted to become a Grade 1 race in 2002 and has held the status ever since. Run over two miles and open to horses aged four and over, there are eight hurdles to be jumped during its running. It is another important race for those of you looking to learn some information about the Cheltenham Festival and, more specifically, the Champion Hurdle that is run during that event in March. Istabraq, Hurricane Fly and Brave Inca have all won both races in the same season at least once.

Two of those horses, Hurricane Fly and Istabraq, share the honour of being the race's most successful participants with four wins each. Grabel was unlucky to miss out on the title thanks to three successive wins between 1988 and 1990, whilst Brave Inca also notched up successive victories in 2005 and 2006.

All four of Istabraq's wins came with Charlie Swan in the saddle, who supplemented them with a 1992 win on Novello Allegro and another win in 1996 on Theatreworld to rack up six wins and make himself the event's most successful jockey. Ruby Walsh isn't far behind with five wins, three of them on Hurricane Fly, whilst Tony Mullins and Barry Geraghty won it three times during their careers. Davy Russell and Paul Towend have also won it more than once.

When it comes to the race's most successful trainer it's back to the Mullins family we go. Willie Mullins won the race in 1988 as a jockey, riding a horse trained by his dad Paddy Mullins. Paddy won it another five times as a trainer, whilst Willie matches his dad's record with six wins of his own as trainer in addition to the one as a rider. Tony Mullins has also trained a winner here, whilst Colm Murphy, Dermot Weld, and Jessica Harrington have won it twice apiece. Aidan O'Brien is also chasing the Mullins' down with five wins to date.

Irish EBF Novice H'cap Hurdle

2m4½f

Run in association with the Irish Stallion Farms and the European Breeders’ Fund, this handicap hurdle is for novices aged four and over. They’ll need to have a rating of between 80 and 130 to take part, with the handicappers deciding how much weight each horse will carry depending on where within that range they sit. It’s run over two miles, four furlongs and sixty-five yards, with ten hurdles to jump as the race goes on.

O'Driscoll O'Neil INH Flat Race

2m

The entire meeting is drawn to a close in the same manner that each of the previous three days have been: with a flat race run under Irish National Hunt rules. The race is sponsored by O’Driscoll O’Neil Insurance Brokers at the time of writing and it is open to horses aged between four and seven. They’ll need to run two miles, which will take them about four minutes if the Going so Good to Soft. The prize pool currently stands at about €12,000.