Dublin Racing Festival

The Dublin Racing Festival consists of 8 Grade One Races and €1.8 Million in Prize Money.
The races over this weekend have produced icons of jumps racing; Arkle, Hurricane Fly, Florida Pearl, Moscow Flyer, Douvan, Sizing Europe and Jodami. Witness new heroes as they emerge and watch the best of talent from Ireland and Britain fight it out for two massive titles – the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup and the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle.

Irish Champion Hurdle

The Irish Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race held at Leopardstown racecourse in late January. It is open to horses aged four years or older and is run over a distance of two miles. The event was established in 1950 and is recognised as the leading trial for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.  In recent years, the legendary Hurricane Fly made the race his own, winning on five occasions, one more than the great Istabraq.  

Irish Gold Cup

The Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase held at Leopardstown racecourse in early February.  It is open to horses aged five years or older and is run over a distance of three miles. The race was inaugurated in 1987 and run as the Vincent O'Brien Irish Gold Cup. The current title was adopted in 1991 and the race continues to serve as a leading trial for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. Jodami and Beef Or Salmon were three-time winners while Florida Pearl went one better and landed the spoils on four occasions. 

Longines Irish Champions Weekend

Inaugurated in 2014, Longines Irish Champions Weekend is a combined programme of top-class Flat racing over two days at Leopardstown and the Curragh. Highlighted by the Irish Champion Stakes on and the Palmerstown House Estate Irish St. Leger, for those two days in September, what’s best in Ireland is certainly what’s best in the world. Leopardstown hosts the opening day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend and the Grade 1 Irish Champion Stakes and the Grade 1 Coolmore Matron Stakes are the feature events on one of the best days racing anywhere in the world. 

A prestigious eight-race card offers a total prize fund of €2.45 million and features five Group races, a new Listed contest and two high-class handicaps each valued at €150,000.  

Leopardstown Christmas Festival

Leopardstowns Christmas Festival runs over four days from 26th – 29th December. The Leopardstowm Christmas Festival is filled with glamour, festivities, music, entertainment and of course top class National Hunt Racing.