Sunday brings day two of the Dublin Racing Festival, alongside the Edinburgh National at Musselburgh. We’ve got four cracking Sunday horse racing tips lined up, serving up serious value from both courses across the afternoon.
Sunday Horse Racing Tips – ‘Talk The Talk’ to Walk the Walk
Our horse racing tips for Sunday are split between Ireland and Scotland, as both Leopardstown and Musselburgh provide good opportunities. Some of the top bookmakers in the business have provided our odds, including bet365 and Ladbrokes.
These are the best prices going into the weekend, however the advice is to look for a ‘best odds guaranteed’ bookmaker and place your bets on Sunday morning. This helps you to get the best price, even if one of our horses were to drift in the market.
| Race | Horse | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:40 Leopardstown | Talk The Talk | 9/4 | Ladbrokes |
| 1:55 Musselburgh | Pure Carbon | 3/1 | William Hill |
| 2:10 Leopardstown | Majborough | 7/4 | bet365 |
| 3:05 Musselburgh | Forged Well | 6/1 | Betfred |
| £1 Yankee Bet Returns | Min £8.94 | Max £619.50 | William Hill |
Odds correct at 15:15 GMT on 30/01/26. Odds subject to change.
TALK THE TALK, 1:40 Leopardstown – 9/4 with Ladbrokes
This is the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle, a Grade One event run over two miles. The favourite here is Talk The Talk, trained by Joseph O’Brien, the general 8/1 third favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. Conditions are different to what’s expected in five weeks’ time, with the weather perhaps responsible for him drifting to 9/4.
For us, the ground isn’t a concern. It could be that the market drift came because of his fall in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle five weeks ago. That was merely a blip, and had it not been for that stumble, he’d be coming here already a Grade 1 winner.
He can take this at the expense of Ballyfad (Gordon Elliott), and the Willie Mullins pair of The Reverend and King Rasko Grey.
PURE CARBON, 1:55 Musselburgh – 3/1 with William Hill
We have a decent little two-mile chase on Edinburgh National day, and our top three are spread right out on ratings, which is unusual for a handicap. Right at the top of our list is Pure Carbon, who’s travelling a long way from Lambourn with Harry Derham.
Having won nicely at Huntingdon in November, the seven-year-old unseated his rider when next seen, having been inconvenienced early in the race. There’s no reason at all that he couldn’t have gone on to justify 5/4 favouritism that day. If he did, he’d have been rated at least 122 now and he’s still improving, so his real mark of 115 is a gift.
Koukeo is the market leader and can go OK, but he ran just 15 days ago and isn’t as well treated in the handicap as the selection. Aeros Luck is the other to mention, representing Berwickshire’s Sandy Thomson.
MAJBOROUGH, 2:10 Leopardstown – 7/4 with bet365
This is the Dublin Chase, a proper Grade One over two miles, and a race that will seriously shape the Champion Chase market. Last season’s Cheltenham hero Marine Nationale is the highest-rated horse in this race. Barry Connell’s stable star has been drifting all week however, as it’s not thought that the softening underfoot conditions are entirely to his liking.
The one backed against him is Majborough (Willie Mullins), and he gets our vote as well. Though a beaten favourite twice, a closer look at his form gives confidence ahead of this event.
While beaten at Cork in early December, he did still improve on his previous effort. He was then sent off at 6/4 favourite to win a maiden Grade One at Leopardstown over Christmas, but suffered a bit of bad luck in running. Considering that he was only beaten three lengths that day, and he is the big improver in the field, it’s possible he is now ready to show that he’s the best of this bunch.
One other thing to consider; while the ground conditions are a factor, if you’re going along with us in backing Majborough for this race, look at the ante-post odds for Cheltenham. Marine Nationale is just 11/8 for the Champion Chase, with Majborough as big as 5/1. If we’re right about him here, he won’t be 5/1 for long.
FORGED WELL, 3:05 Musselburgh – 6/1 with Betfred
Our last bet of the weekend comes in the gruelling four-mile Edinburgh National. As you’d expect from a ‘National’, this is a very competitive handicap chase, but not one that’s impossible to solve.
Rock My Way (Joe Tizzard) is always well backed for these events, but there’s some evidence to suggest that he needs things a little easier. Backing Cadell (Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore) comes with risks, but he could be worth a place at a nice price if he stays on his feet, while Sandy Thomson’s Grozni can also show up well.
The potential improver in the field is Forged Well, trained by Martin Todhunter. He’s having what is only his fourth chase start on Sunday, but he won very well at Musselburgh just under six weeks ago over three miles, giving a great impression in the process.
