Officials hoping almost 35,000 people will again pile into Leopardstown for Dublin Racing Festival

Last year’s inaugural St Brigid’s Bank Holiday helped secure record Dublin Racing Festival crowd figures and Leopardstown officials are hoping for a similar weekend bounce this time.

Almost 35,000 people piled through the gates at the Foxrock track in 2023, a 40 per cent boost on any of the five previous DRF’s. Although Leopardstown can technically cater for up to 20,000, the course’s chief executive is keeping fingers crossed for repeat figures this time.

“It will be incredibly busy, but I don’t think we’ll hit the 20. I’m not that comfortable with the 20 anyway, from a customer experience point of view. If we can hit what we hit last year, I’ll be absolutely delighted.

“This is the second year of the bank holiday and some people are definitely making a weekend of it. There is definitely a bit of a bounce, and the UK market has held up really well too,” Tim Husbands said.

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Up to 28 per cent of festival racegoers in 2023 were from the UK and similar numbers are expected again despite just three cross-channel-based runners lining up over the two days.

Horse Racing Ireland, which operates Leopardstown, revealed in its 2023 statistics a one per cent drop (1.24 million to E1.23 million) in overall racecourse attendance from the previous year.

However, it pointed out that festival crowd figures have remained strong and there will be massive interest in Sunday’s Leopardstown action where the Willie Mullins steamroller could prove irresistible.

The champion trainer’s horses top the betting for all four top-flight races including with State Man attempting to repeat last year’s victory in the E200,000 Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle.

Ireland’s top’s two-miler proved much too good for his stable companions Impaire Et Passe and Echoes In Rain here at Christmas and the only new element in the race is Bob Olinger.

Henry De Bromhead’s enigmatic runner, once billed as racing’s next superstar, boosted his flagging reputation with a pair of victories earlier this season but is dropping back to the minimum trip.

Natural speed shouldn’t be an issue for Bob Olinger but beating up inferior opposition at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day is one thing; getting past a talent as substantial as State Man looks quite another.

Ballyburn is another likely Mullins hotpot in the Tattersalls Novice Hurdle but it’s over fences where the trainer’s grip appears particularly vice-like.

Captain Guinness is the only non-Mullins horse in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase and even if El Fabiolo’s occasionally erratic jumping catches him out, Dinoblue’s 7lb sex allowance helps make her an obvious alternative.

Sent straight over fences after a good bumper career, JP McManus’s horse has looked a natural over fences

All evidence, including how the Christmas Grade One winner Grangelcare West is an apparent stable third string, suggests the big novice chase will be a Mullins benefit.

If he wasn’t going lefthanded then Gaelic Warrior would be unopposable for many. However, he has exhibited his preference for right-handed tracks before and that nagging doubt has to be banished against really good opposition.

Grangeclare West put up the most substantial performance of his career when proving too good for Corbetts Cross at Christmas, but it is mostly reputation upon which Fact To File’s claims are based.

Sent straight over fences after a good bumper career, JP McManus’s horse has looked a natural over fences. Any wayward tendencies from Gaelic Warrior could see Fact To File solidify that reputation in style.

The McManus team has seven hopefuls in the E150,000 handicap hurdle including last season’s Grade One winner Zenta. She reverts to flights from a disappointing effort over fences and might prove a blot off a mark of 138. Magical Zoe is another smart mare likely to be in the mix.