Change of race order for Dublin Racing Festival

Following an industry review on how Leopardstown can build further on the success of the Dublin Racing Festival, the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup will switch to the Saturday with the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle moving to the Sunday when the fixture takes place next February.

With the revised running order, the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup will now be the second race to be run on the chase track over the weekend rather than the fifth, ensuring that the best racing conditions are provided for one of the most important chases in the Irish calendar. In addition, as the hurdle track is run on two different tracks for Saturday and Sunday, it will ensure fresh ground each day, with the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle the second hurdle race to be run on the Sunday.

With the revision of the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup to the Saturday, there has also been positive engagement with sponsors. As a result, the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase will be switched to the Sunday card.

Speaking on the changes, Leopardstown Racecourse CEO, Tim Husbands MBE, said:

"The race programme for Dublin Racing Festival has shown itself to be framed particularly well within the National Hunt calendar and we have been delighted with the strength in depth across the eight Grade 1 races and the seven other Black Type races since its inception. As always, Leopardstown will seek to deliver the very best track conditions for the weekend and hence the switch of the two feature races. We look forward to welcoming large crowds back to witness two unmissable days of top-quality National Hunt racing on February 5 and 6.”

The revised race programme will be as follows:

Saturday February 5

The Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle (Grade 1, 2m6f)

The Spring Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1, 2m)

The Irish Arkle Novice Chase (Grade 1, 2m1f)

The Glencullen Handicap Hurdle (Grade B, 3m)

The Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1, 3m)

The Matheson Chase (Grade B, 2m1f)

The Goffs Future Stars (C&G) INH Flat Race (Grade 2, 2m)

Sunday February 6

The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle (Grade B, 2m2f)

The Ladbrokes Novice Chase (Grade 1, 2m5f)

The Ladbrokes Dublin Chase (Grade 1, 2m1f)

The Leopardstown Chase (Grade A, 2m5f)

The Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle (Grade 1, 2m)

The Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle (Grade 1, 2m)

The Liffey Hurdle (Grade B, 2m)

The Coolmore N.H. Sires Santiago Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race (Grade 2, 2m)