You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident youâre betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Padel At Leopardstown Golf Launching Spring 2026 Handicap Hurdle Preview
Ran during the Dublin Racing Festival at the Leopardstown racecourse, this Handicap Hurdle is run over two miles, in which each runner faces a total of eight hurdles. The inaugural running was in 1969, a race in which Fred Rimell trained Normandy was successful.
Off You Go wins in 2018 & 2019 made him just the fourth runner to win back-to-back renewals, Comedy of Errors (1973-74), Fredcoteri (1983-84) and Redundant Pal (1989-90) being the others.
For sponsorship purposes, the 2026 renewal of the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle will hold the title of 'Padel At Leopardstown Golf Launching Spring 2026 Handicap Hurdle'.
Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Information:
- Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Past Winners
- Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Jockey Statistics
We also have a dedicated Leopardstown tips page that will cover this race as well as all of the other races on the day of the race. See which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Races Covered during the Dublin Racing Festival section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2023 when the race had an over-round of 133%. The race in 2008 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 161%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle, the over-round has been 148%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ148 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Trend Analysis. With the field now finalised, we have the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Trend Shortlist, which is created using the listed trends.
These are the top three quickest-run Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle races over the last 20 renewals:
- Ice Cold Soul (3:42.30) in 2017
- Gilgamboa (3:48.60) in 2014
- Off You Go (3:49.00) in 2019
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 4 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +7.17. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 3:42.30 was set by Ice Cold Soul in 2017, trained by Noel Meade and ridden by Sean Flanagan, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2006 when Studmaster won in a time of 4:14.80 for trainer Mrs John Harrington, who booked Tommy Treacy in the saddle.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won, along with the age & weight of the horse. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 4:02.60 | McLaurey (IRE) 6yo 10-2 3/1F | Mark Walsh Emmet Mullins (IRE) |
| 2024 4:04.40 | Lord Erskine (IRE) 11yo 10-1 40/1 | Darragh O'Keeffe H Rogers (IRE) |
| 2023 3:54.60 | Gaelic Warrior (GER) 5yo 11-12 10/11F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2022 4:05.30 | Call Me Lyreen (IRE) 6yo 11-4 20/1 | Davy Russell Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2021 4:04.10 | Drop The Anchor (IRE) 7yo 10-5 8/1 | Simon Torrens (5lbs) P A Fahy (IRE) |
| 2020 3:53.00 | Thosedaysaregone (IRE) 7yo 9-12 7/1 | Kevin Brouder (3lbs) C Byrnes (IRE) |
| 2019 3:49.00 | Off You Go (IRE) 6yo 11-5 8/1 | Mark Walsh C Byrnes (IRE) |
| 2018 4:02.50 | Off You Go (IRE) 5yo 9-10 6/1 | Mark Enright C Byrnes (IRE) |
| 2017 3:42.30 | Ice Cold Soul (IRE) 7yo 10-2 20/1 | Sean Flanagan Noel Meade (IRE) |
| 2016 4:08.90 | Henry Higgins (IRE) 6yo 10-10 16/1 | Robbie Power Charles O'Brien (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle have been based:
- IRE: 20 winners with an additional 59 placings from 486 runners
- GB: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 6 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 1 runner
Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Trainer Statistics
There are two leading trainers in the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle over the last 20 renewals, with both W P Mullins and C Byrnes, who have both won the race three times. W P Mullins winners have been with Final Approach (2011), Abbey Lane (2013) and Gaelic Warrior (2023). C Byrnes winners have been with Off You Go (2018 & 2019) and Thosedaysaregone (2020). Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle. A J Martin has sent a total of 26 runners to the race without recording any wins, whilst Henry De Bromhead has sent out 17 without a winner.
Here are the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals for trainers who have entries in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| W P Mullins | 70-3-15 | -44.09 | -22.98 |
| C Byrnes | 13-3-5 | +11.00 | +7.13 |
| Gordon Elliott | 34-1-8 | -13.00 | -5.04 |
| H Rogers | 3-1-1 | +38.00 | +23.00 |
| A J Martin | 26-0-9 | -26.00 | -1.64 |
| Henry De Bromhead | 17-0-3 | -17.00 | -10.12 |
| Martin Brassil | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | -1.75 |
| P J Rothwell | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
| Gavin Cromwell | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
| Denis Gerard Hogan | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
| Philip Fenton | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Mark Walsh, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Gilgamboa (2014), Off You Go (2019) and McLaurey (2025). The only other jockey to have recorded multiple wins in the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle is Sean Flanagan (2 wins).
Here are the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals for jockeys who have rides in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Walsh (A Dream To Share) | 13-3-3 | +11.00 | +3.13 |
| Sean Flanagan (Lord Erskine) | 9-2-3 | +63.00 | +41.38 |
| Darragh O'Keeffe (Pinot Gris) | 7-1-3 | +34.00 | +24.00 |
| Jack Kennedy (Bowensonfire) | 8-0-3 | -8.00 | -2.93 |
| J J Slevin (Aint Got Wings) | 8-0-1 | -8.00 | -5.50 |
| Keith Donoghue (Hello Neighbour) | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
2026 Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): PU, (8, 10, 20), F, 2, 10, 7, 26, 3, 3, 10, 11, 8, 11, 5, 5, PU, 6, 1, (2, 4), 1
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Off a break of 15 - 69 days
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Highest Won is not G1/LST/Cl2
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Ran in 1 - 10 races (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Ran in 1 - 5 races (Season)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Fewer than 3 races (Course)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Carried 126 - 167lbs (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Achieved an RPR of 121+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Not on GS/FM/SLW/STD-SLW/STD/FS (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Ran over 2m - 2m4f (LTO)
- 19 / 20 (85%) - No bigger than 50/1 (Career)
- 19 / 20 (87%) - Won by at least ½l (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (88%) - No older than a 8yo
- 18 / 20 (47%) - Within the first 10 of the market
- 18 / 20 (53%) - No bigger than 20/1
- 18 / 20 (71%) - Not fallen (Career)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Leopardstown racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over ÂŁ6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Trend Shortlist
Leopardstown will host the 2026 renewal of the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle, which will be run at 3:52 pm on Sunday, 1st February 2026, and these are the runners who perform best based on the trends, along with the trainer and jockey and their record in the race (Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP):
- 15/15 I Started A Joke (5/2)
- C Byrnes (13-3-5 +11.00 / +7.13)
- Sean Bowen (0-0-0 0.00 / 0.00)
- 15/15 Sea Of Sands (14/1)
- W P Mullins (70-3-15 -44.09 / -22.98)
- TBA (0-0-0 0.00 / 0.00)
Others: A Dream To Share (14/15), Murcia (14/15), Putapoundinthejar (14/15), Sainte Lucie (13/15), Balko dAnge (13/15), Kotkito Bello (13/15), Bunting (13/15), Hello Neighbour (13/15), Blue Lemons (12/15), Zillow (12/15), Bowensonfire (11/15), Pinot Gris (11/15), Tatateo (11/15), Aint Got Wings (10/15), Kimi De Mai (10/15), Kalix Delabarriere (10/15), Sony Bill (9/15) and Lord Erskine (6/15).
*Trainer & Jockey numbers are Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP, Runners, Odds and Trends Passed/Failed correct at the time of posting (11:53 am Friday 30th January 2026), if no odds were available at the time of posting, then forecasted odds are used.
Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +71.91, is when runners ran in a Class 4 when last winning.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 4 career places over the trip, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-82.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle is Fairyhouse; there have been a total of 7 winners of this race who ran at Fairyhouse last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Leopardstown; there have been a total of 6 winners of this race who ran at Leopardstown last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 19 winners from a total of 455 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 38 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle; that stallion, Presenting, has produced 2 winners (2019,2018).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle despite multiple attempts:
- Oscar (0 Wins from 16 runners)
- Montjeu (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Kings Theatre (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Turtle Island (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Alhaarth (0 Wins from 6 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Pennys Bill in 2009, winning for Miss Elizabeth Doyle at odds of 50/1 under the guidance of Sean Flanagan. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 2 winning favourites in the race. Ahead of the 2026 Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
Route to the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - McLaurey Limerick - 1st of 17 (7/4) | Keith Lynch Memorial Maiden Hurdle |
| 2024 - Lord Erskine Navan - 6th of 11 (13/2) | Navan Handicap Hurdle |
| 2023 - Gaelic Warrior Clonmel - 1st of 6 (1/14) | Munster Hurdle |
| 2022 - Call Me Lyreen Leopardstown - 12th of 18 (11/2) | Paddy Power "Ive Had More Vaccines Than Nights Out" Handicap Hurdle |
| 2021 - Drop The Anchor Fairyhouse - 3rd of 13 (4/1) | Fairyhouse Winter Festival Listed Handicap Hurdle |
| 2020 - Thosedaysaregone Punchestown - 6th of 11 (20/1) | Happy New Year From Tote Handicap Hurdle |
| 2019 - Off You Go Fairyhouse - 8th of 21 (9/2) | Fairyhouse Winter Festival Listed Handicap Hurdle |
| 2018 - Off You Go Limerick - 1st of 7 (10/11) | Shavings.ie Handicap Hurdle |
| 2017 - Ice Cold Soul Leopardstown - 12th of 20 (12/1) | Paddy Power "You Beauty" Handicap Hurdle |
| 2016 - Henry Higgins Fairyhouse - 5th of 15 (20/1) | Fairyhouse Winter Festival Listed Handicap Hurdle |
Races Covered during the Dublin Racing Festival
Remember to head over to the Leopardstown predictions page to see which runner the racing tipsters are supporting in the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle, and don't forget we also cover the following races at the Dublin Racing Festival.
| Races - Day 1 (Saturday) | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Cygnet Novice Hurdle | Final Demand (IRE) 6yo - 11/8 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| Irish Arkle Novice Chase | Majborough (FR) 5yo - 8/11 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| Irish Gold Cup | Galopin Des Champs (FR) 9yo - 1/2 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| Spring Juvenile Hurdle | Hello Neighbour (IRE) 4yo - 85/40 | Gavin Cromwell Keith Donoghue |
| Races - Day 2 (Sunday) | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Dublin Chase | Solness (FR) 7yo - 6/1 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien Danny Mullins |
| Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Chase | Backtonormal (IRE) 7yo - 11/4 | Gavin Cromwell Conor Stone-Walsh |
| Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle | McLaurey (IRE) 6yo - 3/1 | Emmet Mullins Mark Walsh |
| Irish Champion Hurdle | State Man (FR) 8yo - 5/4 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| Ladbrokes Novice Chase | Ballyburn (IRE) 7yo - 8/13 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle | Kopek Des Bordes (FR) 5yo - 4/5 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
Other Principal Races at the Leopardstown Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Leopardstown racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in September (Irish Champions Festival)
- Champions Juvenile Stakes
- Irish Champion Stakes
- Matron Stakes
- Petingo Handicap
- Solonaway Stakes
- Sovereign Path Handicap
