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2027 Dublin Racing Festival 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.
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
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Leopardstown tips on the day of the race. Do they agree with the runners on the trend shortlist, or are they predicting other runners? 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 147%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £147 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 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.
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 3 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +4.67. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2027 Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Ice Cold Soul, trained by Noel Meade and ridden by Sean Flanagan, who set the fastest winning time in the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle. That runner won the race in a time of 3:42.30 in 2017. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Charles O'Brien and jockey Robbie Power with Henry Higgins who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 4:08.90 in the 2016 renewal.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 4:08.50 | Bowensonfire (FR) 6yo 11-4 10/1 | Jack Kennedy Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 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) |
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 479 runners
- GB: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 5 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). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle is Gordon Elliott (2 wins). Multiple trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle. A J Martin (0-27), Henry De Bromhead (0-18), E J O'Grady (0-14) and Thomas Mullins (0-13) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple runners to the race.
Here are some of the top Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (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 | 77-3-17 | -51.09 | -24.97 |
| C Byrnes | 14-3-6 | +10.00 | +6.85 |
| Gordon Elliott | 35-2-9 | -3.00 | +1.21 |
| Noel Meade | 26-1-1 | -5.00 | -12.50 |
| Mrs John Harrington | 18-1-4 | -7.00 | -1.25 |
| Miss Elizabeth Doyle | 5-1-2 | +46.00 | +30.88 |
| Robert Tyner | 5-1-1 | +12.00 | +6.00 |
| P A Fahy | 5-1-1 | +4.00 | +1.00 |
| H Rogers | 4-1-1 | +37.00 | +22.00 |
| Emmet Mullins | 3-1-2 | +1.00 | +1.01 |
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). Other jockeys who have recorded multiple wins in the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle are Paul Townend (2 wins) and Sean Flanagan (2 wins). There is one jockey who has not had the best of times in the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle; Danny Mullins has ridden 12 runners in the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (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 | 14-3-3 | +10.00 | +2.13 |
| Paul Townend | 14-2-5 | -5.09 | -3.49 |
| Sean Flanagan | 10-2-3 | +62.00 | +40.38 |
| Phillip Enright | 10-1-3 | +7.00 | +9.50 |
| Jack Kennedy | 9-1-4 | +2.00 | +3.32 |
| Darragh O'Keeffe | 8-1-3 | +33.00 | +23.00 |
| Mark Enright | 6-1-1 | +1.00 | -1.25 |
| Simon Torrens | 4-1-1 | +5.00 | +2.00 |
| Kevin Brouder | 2-1-1 | +6.00 | +3.38 |
| Brian Hughes | 1-1-1 | +12.00 | +7.50 |
2027 Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): (8, 10, 20), F, 2, 10, 7, 26, 3, 3, 10, 11, 8, 11, 5, 5, PU, 6, 1, (2, 4), 1, 2
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 (69%) - Carried 129 - 167lbs (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Off a break of 15 - 69 days
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Ran in 1 - 10 races (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Fewer than 3 races (Course)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Achieved an RPR of 121+ (Season)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Carried 127 - 165lbs (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - In a field of 6 - 22 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Furthest ran 2m½f - 3m
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Ran over 2m - 2m4f (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Not on GS/FM/SLW/STD-SLW/STD/FS (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Ran in 1 - 5 races (90 Days)
- 19 / 20 (88%) - No older than a 8yo
- 19 / 20 (88%) - Won by at least ½l (Last Win)
- 18 / 20 (48%) - Within the first 10 of the market
- 18 / 20 (52%) - No bigger than 20/1
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 £6,000 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.
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Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +67.91, is when runners ran in a Class 4 when last winning.
❌ 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 0-79.
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 447 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 15 runners)
- Montjeu (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Kings Theatre (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Alhaarth (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Turtle Island (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. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters.
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 |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Bowensonfire Leopardstown - 1st of 17 (3/1) | National Maternity Hospital Foundation Handicap Hurdle |
| 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 |
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 | Doctor Steinberg (IRE) 6yo - 7/4 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| Irish Arkle Novice Chase | Romeo Coolio (GB) 7yo - 4/9 | Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy |
| Irish Gold Cup | Fact To File (FR) 9yo - 9/2 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| Spring Juvenile Hurdle | Narciso Has (FR) 4yo - 1/1 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| Races - Day 2 (Sunday) | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Dublin Chase | Majborough (FR) 6yo - 2/1 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Chase | Backmersackme (IRE) 7yo - 14/1 | Emmet Mullins Sean Bowen |
| Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle | Bowensonfire (FR) 6yo - 10/1 | Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy |
| Irish Champion Hurdle | Brighterdaysahead (FR) 7yo - 11/4 | Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy |
| Ladbrokes Novice Chase | Kaid dAuthie (FR) 6yo - 5/1 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle | Talk The Talk (FR) 5yo - 3/1 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien J J Slevin |
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
