Beginning on Boxing Day and concluding on 29th December, the Leopardstown Christmas Festival is packed with quality contests. As always, the big guns of the Irish training fraternity are expected to dominate proceedings, with runners from the yard of Willie Mullins high on the Christmas betting list of many punters.
Having claimed four of the six Grade 1 prizes in 2023, Mullins may have been disappointed to see that total slip to just one in 2024. With leading fancies in all six top-level events, Mullins has an excellent chance of bettering that tally in 2025:
Racing Post Novice Chase – 26th December
With six wins in the past 10 years, Mullins has been the man to beat in the opening Grade 1. The Mrs J Donnelly-owned Salvator Mundi tops the Mullins entries in 2025. A Grade 1-winning hurdler, he started at 1/7 on his chase debut but finished second to stablemate Kappa Jy Pyke. He may have needed that outing, but he will need to take a big step forward here. The hat-trick-seeking Westport Cove will be the second Mullins entry.
The horse to beat on this season’s form is Gordon Elliott’s sole representative, Romeo Coolio. Two from two over fences, he ran away with the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase last time but did finish behind Salvator Mundi in the pair’s most recent clash over hurdles.
Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase – 27th December
Mullins had four entries in this Day 2 event, but much of the attention centres around the return of the Queen Mother Champion Chase hero. A sensational 18-length winner of the Cheltenham Festival contest, Marine Nationale followed up in style at Punchestown before heading into his summer break. If in the same form, the Barry Connell runner will be hard to beat, but he managed only third in the 2024 edition.
If Marine Nationale isn’t quite at his peak, Mullins is best placed to take advantage. The soon-to-be 12-year-old Energumene is a class act, and Dinoblue is a talented mare, but Mullins’ best chance lies with the five-year-old Majborough. But for a juddering error at the second last, this JP McManus-owned runner would surely have won the 2025 Arkle. Putting that setback aside, he rounded off 2024/25 with a sensational display at Punchestown. However, those jumping errors returned when second on his comeback at Cork, and he is likely to need a clean round in this field.
Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle – 27th December
Counting Appreciate It, Mighty Potter, Facile Vega, and Caldwell Potter among the recent winners, this is one of the hottest novice hurdles of the festive period. It is also a race that has been dominated by Mullins and Gordon Elliott, with the duo winning each of the past 10 editions between them.
The betting suggests Mullins holds the aces in 2025, with Le Divin Enfant and Love Me Tender occupying two of the top three positions in the market. Of that duo, Love Me Tender is potentially the most exciting, having won his three starts to date by a combined total of more than 32 lengths.
Christmas Hurdle – 28th December
Running under the same title as the Boxing Day contest at Kempton, the Leopardstown Christmas is held over almost a mile further than the English version. Given those demands, the race attracts runners with an eye on the Stayers’ Hurdle rather than Champion Hurdle glory.
With four wins, Mullins lies one behind all-time leader Gordon Elliott, and we look set for a classic clash between the training titans in 2025. Separated by only a nose in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle in November, Teahupoo and Ballyburn lock horns for a second time. Defending champ Home By The Lee and Stayers’ Hurdle winner Bob Olinger are others to note in a cracking contest.
Savills Chase – 28th December
Gold Cup credentials are under the microscope in a race which counts A Plus Tard and Galopin Des Champs among the recent winners. This 3m½f contest rivals the King George as the classiest staying chase held over the festive period.
This year, Mullins is represented by the 2023 and 2024 winner Galopin Des Champs, who bids to join the legendary Beef Or Salman as the only three-time winner of the race. With Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File set to clash in the King George, Galopin Des Champs may be joined by stablemates Champ Kiely and Lecky Watson. Gavin Cromwell’s Cheltenham Gold Cup king Inothewayurthinkin heads the betting and is expected to improve for his comeback outing in the John Durkan Memorial Chase.
December Hurdle – 29th December
Mullins has saddled the winner of 11 of the past 15 editions of this two-mile hurdle, and is the hot favourite to improve that record in 2025. Following a 19-length stroll on her comeback in the Morgiana Hurdle, Lossiemouth is the pre-Christmas favourite for the 2026 Champion Hurdle. She’s odds on across the board to claim this pot but faces a formidable rival in the shape of Brighterdaysahead. This Gordon Elliott star fluffed her lines at the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals but had previously produced a staggering performance to win the 2024 edition of this by 30 lengths.
With not one, but two Christmas Festivals to look forward to, the festive period is the gift that keeps on giving for racing fans. Given the wealth of talent at his disposal, it would be no surprise to see Mullins celebrating winners on both sides of the Irish Sea.