Willie Mullins usually dominates the Grade Ones at the Dublin Racing Festival and the 2025 edition is expected to be no different. Here's his rundown of the horses he'll be running in the major races at Leopardstown next month, and some quotes on horses who won't make the DRF.
*All quotes attributed to AtTheRaces*
Willie Mullins Dublin Racing Festival Stable Tour - Day 1 Runners
Irish Gold Cup
Galopin Des Champs
I'm delighted with how Galopin Des Champs has come out of the Savills Chase and I think we're all set for Leopardstown and another showdown with Fact To File. To me, Galopin was awesome. He has put in two huge performances in the Savills Chase. He just loves Leopardstown and hopefully he can do it one more time in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup.
Fact To File
Fact To File is good. JP and Mark are keen to take on Galopin Des Champs again, so I am sure all being well he'll do that. I think he will have to do something different. I'll leave that to Mark and see what he wants to do, he might have a different tactic up his sleeve, but we'll leave that until the parade ring before the race. He was a bit gassy alright, but horses go through the season and are less keen as they go throughout the season. He has options later in the season, but we're here to talk about the DRF.
Embassy Gardens
Embassy Gardens disappointed us a little last year in the National Hunt Chase. He loves galloping and jumping and Tramore worked out really well. Sean and Bernardine Mulryan don't have Fastorslow but now they might have another to take over as their one horse in this division this year. We're just a little worried about his second-half-of-the-season form last season, so we'll do a bit of soul searching before he runs next. I’ve heard it said that he might be best fresh, but I’m not so sure. Maybe I just need to keep him fresher at home and not train him as hard in between runs.
Paul Townend riding Galopin Des Champs win The Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown. (Getty)
Final Demand will lead the team for the Nathaniel Lacy. He was impressive at Limerick and we’re looking forward to him.
Sounds Victorious
He looks to be one for the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle.
Supasundae
Supasundae will step up in trip for the Nathaniel Lucy, he probably needs it. He pulls hard but we can put something on him to stop that happening. On his second run he will hopefully drop it a bit once the excitement has gone out of him. He’s rated 142 here and I think he could go a lot higher. I think he has a lot of improvement in him.
Jasmin De Vaux
I was a little disappointed with his run at Naas. He hasn’t jumped well enough on his last two starts, so I'm putting him in the longer race at the Dublin Racing Festival to give him more time to jump. If you look back at his point-to-point, he didn’t jump all that well that day either. We're schooling him and trying to give him confidence. You're always worried when a horse jumps like that, he might have a physical problem, but we can't find any physical problem that might be making him do that. We could put cheekpieces or blinkers on him, but we haven't done that yet. We'll give him time to learn.
Gannon's City Recovery and Recycling Centre Juvenile Hurdle
Lady Vega Allen
She impressed me hugely at Leopardstown. I think she could go all the way to the top. We were only looking to get a run into her to see what she was like, so for her to run so well says plenty about her. We saw Nicky Henderson's horse Lulamba winning very impressively in Ascot. I think with a 7lb allowance this filly could get into that area.
Saint Lucie
She won well at Punchestown. I was really taken with it. I wasn’t expecting it. I thought she was half decent, but her performance exceeded expectations. Knowing that she was only half ready that day, I’m very much looking forward to seeing more of her on the track.
Murcia
She disappointed me on her first start for us at Leopardstown. I’m thinking she might be more of a spring horse and there will hopefully be much better to come from her. She might be more of a Punchestown filly as she should enjoy spring ground.
Sony Bill
He’s a lovely horse and ran a nice race at Christmas on his first start for us. He had plenty of experience in France, which makes you wonder how much he’ll improve from that run and he’ll need to improve a lot based on what Lulamba did the other day.
Willy De Houelle
He has been disappointing so far based on how good his French form was. I haven’t given up on him and hope that he can show improvement through the spring.
Irish Arkle
Majborough
Majborough is in great order and looks like Arkle material. He handled Leopardstown very well, so we’re happy to go back there with him. I was very impressed with him. When you have a horse of that calibre, I don’t enjoy watching them as much, my heart is in my mouth watching him putting in those spectacular jumps. You’re waiting for the worst to happen!
Ile Atlantique
We’re going to let him run in the Irish Arkle and then we decide from there whether he goes to back to Fairyhouse or Aintree for the two-and-a-half mile races. He will be better at two miles on soft ground, but he doesn’t need it soft over further. He has a lovely action. We are happy to take on Majborough with him
Future Stars I.N.H Flat Race
Green Splendour
He is an intended runner in the Grade 2 bumper on the first day of the Dublin Racing Festival. He’ll have to improve, but Ruby rode him in a bit of work yesterday and was very happy with him.
Willie Mullins Dublin Racing Festival Stable Tour - Day 2 Runners
Irish Champion Hurdle
State Man
State Man goes to Leopardstown for the Irish Champion Hurdle. He didn't turn up and we were very disappointed at Christmas, but I would hope we can get him back to himself. We are happy with what he is doing at home. The winner put in some performance, I'd be delighted to have her in the yard here, do you hear that Michael (O'Leary)? It was a huge performance. I was watching in the stand, in awe of Brighterdaysahead. State Man just couldn't handle the pace, a bit like Lossiemouth when she went to Kempton. He disappointed us, but we’ll never knock a horse too much for one bad run. He’s still our number one contender.
Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth set off at about two-and-a-half or even three-mile pace and she did well to finish as close as she did. We’d been settling her all the time and she just couldn’t handle the pace because that is what we’d been teaching her. To me, the race was gone before she hit the first hurdle. She wasn’t competitive. I thought she ran well given what we’d been teaching her the last couple of years. We’ll sharpen her up at home. It will be different the next day.
Mystical Power
What can you do? I’d like to go up in trip with him, but we’ll have to see.
Paul Townend riding State Man (yellow) win The Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown. (Getty)
Ladbrokes Novice Steeplechase
Ballyburn
He will take his chance in the Leopardstown Ladbrokes Novice Chase. Looking at the pedigree he has and the fact he is a big stamp of a horse, he has stayer written all over him. Hopefully his attitude will let him stay, he will have to settle and do a few things better to stay the trip but that’s all part of him maturing. We found out there and then at Kempton at Christmas he couldn't jump at that pace. Sir Gino could be a superstar and maybe if he wasn’t there, he might have been ok at two miles, but it seems to be the case that he wants a longer trip.
Impaire Et Passe
Impaire Et Passe is a possibility for the Leopardstown Ladbrokes Novice Chase. The trip would suit him well.
Champ Kiely
He is likely to run in the Leopardstown Ladbrokes Novice Chase. He’s been in good shape since his run and should be capable of improvement.
Dublin Chase
Gaelic Warrior
Gaelic Warrior will be our main hope in the Dublin Chase. Jonbon will be a very hard nut to crack looking at him on Saturday, but maybe Cheltenham isn't Jonbon's favourite track and we are hoping it might edge our way. I know Gaelic Warrior might be a little better right-handed, but I wouldn't let that worry me too much. You try to straighten a horse up as best you can and hope that ability gets through. Some people go mad thinking about left-handed and right-handed.
El Fabiolo
El Fabiolo did a nice bit of work yesterday, but he hasn't been himself to my satisfaction this season. He's a little more difficult to train, but I hope to get a run into him and we'll see where we are at in the last quarter of the season. We've a few festivals to go to yet.
Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle
Kaid d'Authie
I think he’s a really good type of horse. He could be anything. He’s a horse I like a lot. He will go for the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle. That’s what is in my head at the moment, unless something changes. From the first day he came to the stable, some horses just hit you. Like the first day I saw Fact To File, the first day I saw Majborough, and Kaid d’Authie, they are just fine beasts that you’d want to buy and ride.
Kopek Des Bordes
He’ll more than likely run in the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle. I couldn’t understand why he jumped like he did last time, because he jumps very well at home. I have in my mind that there was another reason for that which I’ll change the next day. The headgear may make the difference.
Karafon
He won well at Clonmel and ran a solid race at Leopardstown. He should continue to improve and win more races.
Karniquet
He’s a nice horse, but he disappointed me at Christmas. He might want better ground.
This is a fantastic race. It’s probably worth more than any bumper in Britain or Ireland and we always aim for it. Based on her form at Fairyhouse, Future Prospect looks to be the one, but we have a lovely bunch for the race.
Paul Townend riding Gaelic Warrior (L) and Mark Walsh riding Fact To File (R) during The Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown. (Getty)
Not Running at the DRF
Anzadam
Anzadam is a very interesting horse and we are all looking forward to seeing just how good he can be. I’m trying to find an intermediate race for him, the Red Mills Hurdle or even the Limestone Lad at Naas on Sunday, maybe something like that. He’s in at the Dublin Racing Festival, but I’m going to have a look and see. There’s a nice race on Sunday he’s entered for. We had him as a juvenile and he hurt himself, he gave himself a bang somewhere and we couldn’t get him out. I was so disappointed. Even though we had Majborough in the Triumph Hurdle, Anzadam was right up there, so that’s the sort of company I’d put him with.
Salvator Mundi
I was very happy with him. I thought jumping the third-last, he had no chance, that he’d blown up. But he took a breather and to do what he did, to come back and beat them all, wow! After pulling as hard as he did and running his race, I thought I’d be quite forgiving of him, knowing how long it took us to get him ready, the fact that he blew up and will be much better the next day. And then he got his second wind and came out and beat them, so to me that was good enough, it was very good. He won’t run at the Dublin Racing Festival, his next run will be at the Cheltenham Festival. He jumps much better at home, he just pulled too hard, his head was into flying and not racing, so I’m not worried about his jumping, we think he jumps very well. There will be a lot stronger pace at Cheltenham and he can let fly then.
Dancing City
Three miles is more so his trip than the shorter distance of the Leopardstown Ladbrokes Novice Chase, so I’d say he’s more likely to go to Naas this Sunday.
Jade De Grugy
Jade is back in and going again. Hopefully we will have her ready for the rest of the season. I’m hoping we will have her back for Cheltenham.
Il Etait Temps
I’m not sure he’s going to get to run this season, which is disappointing. He had a little knee trouble and he was back in training, but it went wrong again. I’ve more or less pulled the plug on his season in my own mind, but there is a remote possibility that he could be back for the Punchestown Festival. That is the very best we can hope for at this stage.
Verdict
Willie Mullins' Top Chances:
Best Bet1: Galopin Des Champs Irish Gold Cup @8/11 at bet365 - 5 Units
Best Bet2: Majborough Irish Arkle @2/3 at Betgoodwin - 5 Units
Best Bet3: State Man Irish Champion Hurdle @2/1 at BoyleSports - 5 Units
Best Bet4: Ballyburn Ladbrokes Novice Steeplechase @10/11 at Unibet - 5 Units
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