Get ready for our Dublin Racing Festival tips, our full, one-stop guide for one of the most important National Hunt race meetings of the season. We’re covering the latest odds, giving our exclusive selections, sharing the best sites to bet with, as well as highlighting key dates and major entries for January 31 and February 1 at Leopardstown.
- 1 Dublin Racing Festival Odds
- 2 Dublin Festival Horse Racing Tips
- 3 Best Dublin Racing Festival Betting Sites
- 4 How to Find Free Bets for the Dublin Racing Festival 2026
- 5 Dublin Racing Festival 2026 Dates
- 6 Dublin Racing Festival 2026 Entries
- 7 Willie Mullins Dublin Racing Festival Entries for 2026
- 8 More About Leopardstown – Dublin Racing Festival 2026
- 9 The Punterspage Final Say
- 10 Dublin Racing Festival FAQs
Dublin Racing Festival Odds
Dublin Racing Festival betting is hot, just as it ought to be. Keep an eye out for any significant changes in the betting leading up to the weekend.
Dublin Festival Horse Racing Tips
Romeo Coolio is the value in the Irish Arkle
While Willie Mullins is bound to bang in the winners, his favourite Kopek Des Bordes could be vulnerable in the Arkle. Gordon Elliott’s Romeo Coolio was outstanding in his first two chases, and he is now a dual Grade 1 winner over fences.
Affordable Fury has proven a liking for Leopardstown
Galopin Des Champ is looking for a four-timer in this race, but he’s not getting any younger. Affordable Fury is already a 3-mile Grade One winner at Leopardstown and is improving all the time for trainer Noel Meade.
Mullins in control in Dublin Chase
Marine Nationale is the likely favourite, but it’s Willie Mullins’ turn to present the value. His Majborough is well fancied and can improve past the market leader, but Il Etait Temps is the true class in the race, as long as he’s OK after his fall at Ascot in the Clarence House Chase.
Best Dublin Racing Festival Betting Sites
Payment methods(10):
Bet £5 Get £30 in Free Bets 18+ New UK customers. Min £10 first deposit. Place a bet of £5 at min odds of 2.0 and get £30 in Free Bets within 48 hours. Restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
Payment methods(10):
100% up to £50 Welcome Bonus 18+ New players. Choose bonus at signup. Wager bonus 10x. Any withdrawals void bonus. Valid 30 days. Deposit used 1st. Odds, bet & payment limits. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
Payment methods(4):
Bet £10 Get £20 18+, New customers only. Opt in, deposit & bet £10 on any sports (odds 2.00+) in 7 days. No cash out. Get 4x£5 sports free bets for set markets (odds 2.00+), which expire in 7 days. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
Payment methods(5):
Horse Racing: Bet £10 Get £30 18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet £10 or more on any Horse Racing market at minimum 1/1 odds within 7 days of registration. No cash out. Get £30 in Free Horse Racing Bets, selected markets. Free Bets expire in 7 days. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
Payment methods(11):
Bet £10 & Get £30 18+. Registration Required. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Funded account or place a bet to qualify. Geo location and live streaming rules apply. Time limits and Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
Payment methods(8):
Bet £5 Get £30 in Free Bets 18+ New UK + ROI customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £/€5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 6 x £/€5 free bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days, stakes not returned). Restrictions + Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
Payment methods(6):
Lucky Double Odds 18+ Double Odds for 1 winner only on L15, L31 or L63. No bonus applies for 2 or more winners. All selections must run for double winner bonus to apply. Any NR will mean the bonus will not apply. No max price or max bonus to apply. Available on Horse Racing and Greyhounds only. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
Payment methods(10):
Trade with 0% commission for 60 days 18+ Use code COMMFREE to trade with 0% commission for 60 days. Min. £10/€10 first deposit using Debit Card or Instant Banking. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
Payment methods(7):
Bet £10 Get £50 in Free Bets 18+ New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
Mobile Exclusive: Bet £10 Get £40 18+. Play Safe. Online only. For new UK register customers using promo code G40. Deposit & place £10 cash single bet (min odds 1/2) on sportsbook (excl. Virtuals). Get £40 in Free Bets (4x£10), valid for sportsbook (excl. Virtuals), 7 days expiry, must use in full (£10 each). Not valid with deposits via PayPal, Neosurf, Paysafe, Apple Pay, NETELLER, Skrill, ecoPayz, Kalibra/Postpay or WH PLUS Card. One per customer. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
How to Find Free Bets for the Dublin Racing Festival 2026
We’ve always got you covered for attractive horse racing deals. You can find out who offers free bets and how to use them, and right now a handful of the biggest brands have free bet promos leading up to the Dublin Racing Festival.
bet365
One of the biggest names in the industry, bet365, are offering a number of racing promotions which can enhance your bets. For free bets, the way to go is to grab their sports betting welcome offer – Bet £10, Get £30. The £30 in free bet tokens can be used on races at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Betfred
Betfred offers up to £50 in free bets for new sports customers. Once you join, deposit and place a qualifying bet, you are eligible for 3 x £10 free bets to use on any sport, including horse racing, and 2 x £10 free accumulators of 4+ selections.
Technically, all of these can be used for the Dublin Racing Festival, though it may be hard to pick out two separate accas of four or more horses. The three £10 free sports bets can be used on any racing market.
Coral
Another potentially big promo is Coral’s welcome deal which offers £30 in Free Bets. All you need to do after joining is stake a £5 bet at 1/2 or greater, and you get 6 x £5 free bets, most of which can be used for the Dublin Racing Festival. In fact, you can use the free bets for forecasts and combination wagers as well.
William Hill
There are some racing-specific features, but the free bets come within William Hills’ sports betting welcome offer. The current deal is Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets and those bets can be used for the Dublin Racing Festival.
Dublin Racing Festival 2026 Dates
| Day | Race | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, January 31 | Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) | 1:15 |
| Saturday, January 31 | Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1) | 1:50 |
| Saturday, January 31 | Handicap Hurdle (Listed Race) | 2:25 |
| Saturday, January 31 | Irish Arkle Novice Chase (Grade 1) | 2:55 |
| Saturday, January 31 | Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1) | 3:30 |
| Saturday, January 31 | Handicap Chase (Listed Race) | 4:05 |
| Saturday, January 31 | Irish National Hunt Flat Race (Grade 2) | 4:40 |
| Sunday, February 1 | Handicap Hurdle (Listed Race) | 12:40 |
| Sunday, February 1 | Ladbrokes Novice Chase (Grade 1) | 1:10 |
| Sunday, February 1 | Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) | 1:40 |
| Sunday, February 1 | Dublin Chase (Grade 1) | 2:10 |
| Sunday, February 1 | Handicap Chase (Grade 3) | 2:45 |
| Sunday, February 1 | Irish Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) | 3:20 |
| Sunday, February 1 | Handicap Hurdle (Listed Race) | 3:52 |
| Sunday, February 1 | Mares Irish National Hunt Flat Race (Grade 2) | 4:27 |
Keep in mind that plenty of horses entered in the Dublin Racing Festival 2026 events will also be targeted at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, taking place from March 10 to March 13.
Dublin Racing Festival 2026 Entries
At the five and six-day stage for DRF entries, 328 horses have stood their ground across 15 races. These are the key entries for the eight Grade 1 events on the card.
| Race | Distance | Entries | Best Ante-Post Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice Hurdle | 2m6f | Doctor Steinberg | 5/4 |
| Tackletommywoowoo | 7/1 | ||
| Santo Sospir | 9/1 | ||
| Doctor Du Mesnil | 12/1 | ||
| Juvenile Hurdle | 2m | Narciso Has | 8/11 |
| Mange Tout | 11/4 | ||
| Proactif | 10/1 | ||
| Selma De Vary | 8/1 | ||
| Irish Arkle | 2m1f | Kopek Des Bordes | 5/4 |
| Romeo Coolio | 2/1 | ||
| Kargese | 5/2 | ||
| Irish Panther | 5/1 | ||
| Irish Gold Cup | 3m½f | Galopin Des Champs | 5/4 |
| Affordable Fury | 6/1 | ||
| Haiti Couleurs | 8/1 | ||
| Fact To File | 8/1 | ||
| Inothewayurthinkin | 8/1 | ||
| Novice Chase | 2m5½f | Final Demand | 1/2 |
| Kaid d’Authie | 10/1 | ||
| Kitzbuhel | 10/1 | ||
| The Big Westerner | 10/1 | ||
| Novice Hurdle | 2m | Talk The Talk | 5/4 |
| King Rasko Grey | 4/1 | ||
| Ballyfad | 9/2 | ||
| The Reverend | 6/1 | ||
| Dublin Chase | 2m1f | Marine Nationale | 11/10 |
| Majborough | 5/2 | ||
| Solness | 4/1 | ||
| Dinoblue | 10/1 | ||
| Irish Champion Hurdle | 2m | Lossiemouth | 5/4 |
| Brighterdaysahead | 6/4 | ||
| El Fabiolo | 8/1 | ||
| Anzadam | 8/1 |
*Odds correct as of 14:00 26/01/2026
We often see value in certain well-known betting strategies, such as using the ante-post markets to get bigger prices. Another angle is to keep tabs on the king of all Irish trainers, Willie Mullins. We’ve got more top info on who he is planning to send to Leopardstown.
Willie Mullins Dublin Racing Festival Entries for 2026
Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins really is a force of nature. Over the past seven years, he’s landed 47 Dublin Racing Festival winners, including no fewer than 34 Grade One’s. At the Dublin Racing Festival 2026, Mullins is once again represented by dozens of quality runners.
His three-time Irish Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs is favourite to win the race for a fourth time and he’s among nine Mullins entries. He’s 10 years old now however, and a better alternative from this yard may be Fact To File. In the Irish Champion Hurdle, Mullins has five entered, including Lossiemouth who is the pick of them.
Mullins has pencilled in four for the Dublin Chase, two of which represent owner JP McManus. Majborough is the main hope, though Dinoblue wouldn’t be far behind. Look out for a much more targeted Irish Arkle, in which Mullins has just two. They are Kopek Des Bordes and Kargese, first and third in the market.
| Race | Day | Number of Mullins Entries |
|---|---|---|
| Novice Hurdle | Sat | 8 |
| Juvenile Hurdle | Sat | 5 |
| Handicap Hurdle | Sat | 3 |
| Irish Arkle | Sat | 2 |
| Irish Gold Cup | Sat | 9 |
| Handicap Chase | Sat | 3 |
| INH Flat Race | Sat | 1 |
| Mares Handicap Hurdle | Sun | 2 |
| Novice Chase | Sun | 8 |
| Novice Hurdle | Sun | 9 |
| Dublin Chase | Sun | 4 |
| Handicap Chase | Sun | 17 |
| Irish Champion Hurdle | Sun | 5 |
| Handicap Hurdle | Sun | 11 |
| Mares INH Flat Race | Sun | 3 |
You can find odds on all of Willie Mullins’ upcoming runners at any of our top-rated online horse racing bookmakers.
More About Leopardstown – Dublin Racing Festival 2026
When thinking of Dublin Racing Festival betting, remember to keep in mind the course at Leopardstown. This is one of the best tracks in Ireland, presenting a true test to all runners. Left-handed, Leopardstown is galloping rather than sharp in nature with wide bends, placing the emphasis on stamina.
The best online bookies will consider this, but you can still find value when you believe a horse may not truly see out the trip. Races will be run at a true pace on what is set to be yielding ground, so look out for a combination of sheer ability, a willingness to win and ability see out the distance.
The Punterspage Final Say
In terms of getting value, look out for the best promo codes and deals available to you in advance of the meeting. Follow our Dublin Racing Festival tips, and keep a sharp eye on the Willie Mullins battalion heading to Leopardstown.
On that point, remember to watch for any changes in the betting. Even when Mullins does win, it’s not always with his apparent first-choice horse. Look elsewhere too, as other trainers, most notably Gordon Elliott, will also be sending strong teams for the weekend.
Dublin Racing Festival FAQs
Bookie opinions will vary, but bet365 often has outstanding prices on the fancied horses.
A number of our bookies offer free bets as part of their welcome deals, including bet365, BetVictor and William Hill.
Galopin Des Champs, the same horse who has won it for the past three years.
Mullins has 90 initial entries. His Galopin Des Champs, Lossiemouth, Kopek Des Bordes and Majborough are all among the favourites to win.
The Dublin Racing Festival is run across Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1.