Leopardstown Christmas Festival Predictions, Betting Tips and Schedule 2025

Leopardstown Christmas Festival Preview

The Leopardstown Christmas Festival is back, and we have four exciting days of races to enjoy. Each day features seven events, with festivities beginning on December 26th. The racing concludes on December 29th with the finale starting at 3:40 pm.

Every year, the best horses, trainers, and jockeys descend on Leopardstown for a multitude of big events. There are seven Grade 1 races across the four days, which begin on Boxing Day. To help you navigate the congested calendar, we have taken a closer look at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival schedule and runners. Keep reading to find some useful betting tips, predictions, and important race start times.

Leopardstown Christmas Festival Schedule

There are four days of racing taking place the day after Christmas at Leopardstown, including seven Grade 1 events. Most days start at around 12 pm Irish time, except for the final day of the festival. The first two days have the final race taking place around 3:30 pm, with the Christmas Festival Finale Flat Race scheduled to start at 3:40. Remember to mark your calendars for all the Grade 1 events, so you don’t miss any of the action in the run-up to 2026.

Day 1, Friday, December 26

Day 2, Saturday, December 27

Day 3, Sunday, December 28

Day 4, Monday, December 29

Novice Steeplechase Predictions and Betting Tips

Predicted Winner: Romeo Coolio

Our horse racing predictions lean towards Romeo Coolio to win the Novice Chase. The Grade 1 race features four-year-olds or older in an event with 11 fences and ten runners. Romeo has two runs in previous chases and has two wins. Trained by Gordon Elliot, and with odds at 4/7, betting against the clear favourite to win would be a mistake. If you are searching for better value, our online bookmaker has other races and markets available.

• Race Winner – Romeo Coolio: At 4/7, we expect the odds to fluctuate drastically between now and the start of the race. Getting Romeo Coolio anywhere near even money would be a great wager, especially in a novice field. We see one runner winning this race, and it belongs to Elliot.
• Each Way Bet – July Flower: When races have a clear favourite, each way betting becomes even more lucrative. July Flower, a horse trained by Henry De Bromhead, catches the eye. The 6-year-old also has two wins from two runs in the chase. July Flower has participated in over 16 Rules Races with 7 wins, 3 second-place finishes, and 2 thirds. It’s a fantastic option for anyone betting on the Leopardstown Christmas Festival in 2025.

Following 10mm of rain over the weekend, @LeopardstownRC (26-29 December) is soft, yielding to soft in places (Hurdle) & yielding, good to yielding in places (Chase – selective watering). Showers today & tomorrow, mainly dry thereafter.

— IHRB (@ihrb_ie) December 22, 2025

Paddy Power Rewards Club Chase Predictions and Betting Tips

Predicted Winner: Majborough

The first big race of day two has two clear frontrunners in the field. Our prediction is for Majborough to beat Marine Nationale on the day. Anyone using SP betting will notice that Marine Nationale is the favourite heading into the race. However, Majborough is from WP Mullins’ stable and has a fantastic record in Chase events. The 5-year-old has five starts, three wins, one second place, and one third place. Compare that to Barry Connell’s horse with seven runs and three wins, and this will come down to the wire.

• Race Winner – Majborough: This is our pick for the race winner in the Rewards Club Chase on day 2 of the Christmas Festival. While Marine Nationale has more experience, we feel Mullins’ runner can take centre stage and win on Saturday. This is a two-horse race in our eyes, and Majborough will be the winner even if both runners make the field.
• Each Way Bet – Captain Guinness: With 11 runners currently confirmed, betting each way has plenty of opportunities. There are some big names like Dinoblue and Found A Fifty, but our pick is a little risky. Captain Guinness is a 10-year-old with experience at all the major events in the horse racing season. With 40/1 odds, Captain Guinness represents a fantastic opportunity to secure large returns as we can see a top-three finish on day two.

Christmas Hurdle Predictions and Betting Tips

Predicted Winner: Teahupoo

While Ballyburn is the most likely according to the horse racing odds at our site, we can’t look past Teahupoo. The Gordon Elliott-trained horse is a hurdle specialist with 20 runs and 13 wins. It has a further three second-place finishes and one third, making it a standout in a congested field. At 7/4, Teahupoo represents a fantastic value in a competitive race.

• Race Winner – Teahupoo: Even though many will favour Ballyburn, trained by WP Mullins, our prediction is for Teahupoo to win this race. With 14 hurdles in the race, it suits the eight-year-old to the ground. Ballyburn is also an experienced runner with four wins from six hurdle events and is often jockeyed by P Townend, but we think it’s worth the risk.
• Each Way Bet – Bob Olinger: Anyone looking to maximise their stake should consider Bob Olinger for an EW wager. With 19 runs in Rules Races and a top-three finish in 17, it feels like a safe bet. At 8/1 and regularly jockeyed by Rachel Blackmore, a second-place finish is not out of the question, even with this field. Honesty Policy is the riskier option with odds worth over 25/1 at the time of writing. However, some runners might withdraw before race day, so wait until Sunday to place your bet.

Savills Chase Predictions and Betting Tips

Predicted Winner: Galopin Des Champs

Unsurprisingly, our horse racing prediction for the Savills Chase is for Galopin Des Champs. The reigning two-time champion of the event enters as the second favourite to win behind Inothewayurthinkin. We are siding with the Willie Mullins-trained horse to go down in history as a three-time winner of the Savills Chase. Plus, we expect the odds to swing as we approach race day.

• Race Winner – Galopin Des Champs: Betting on Galopin Des Champs to win this race for the third consecutive time seems like the right thing to do. While the gelding missed a third Cheltenham Gold Cup this year, it did become a three-time Irish Gold Cup winner in 2025. We see a special year ending with another huge victory for Mullins’ stable.
• Each Way Bet – Gaelic Warrior: With Galopin Des Champs and Inothewayurthinkin leading the field, we must look elsewhere for better value. Luckily, the field is stacked with pedigree and talent, leaving us with several options for a top-four finish. Our pick is for Gaelic Warrior to excel and secure second or third in the chase. With a record of six wins, two second places and one third in 10 chase events, we expect two WP Mullins’ horses in the podium positions.

🎄🐎 Another top-class line-up for the 28th & 29th at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival!

All set for two outstanding days of festive racing 🔥✨https://t.co/lpCqIhFWWJhttps://t.co/6mSF3bgFCZ pic.twitter.com/mjnLBqj7RB

— Leopardstown RC (@LeopardstownRC) December 18, 2025

December Hurdle Predictions and Betting Tips

Predicted Winner: Lossiemouth

As much as we want to pick an outsider, this event feels like a one-horse race. That’s not to discredit the field, as runners like Brighterdaysahead and Anzadam show true potential and promise over this distance. However, Lossiemouth is in a field of its own with 15 races in hurdle events and 12 wins. The 6-year-old, trained by Mullins, also has two second-place finishes to its name and is the most likely to win on the final day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.

• Race Winner – Lossiemouth: Betting on Lossiemouth to win in the December Hurdle feels like a no-brainer. Brighterdaysahead, trained by Elliot, is the closest rival in the field with seven wins from hurdle races. However, there can only be one winner, and we envision the combination of WP Mullins and P Townend crossing the line first in the last major event of the festival.
• Each Way Bet – Anzadam: The outsider worth betting on will change depending on who makes the field on race day. However, Anzadam is a real standout in a field stacked with winners. The Mullins-trained horse has only entered five hurdle races but has won four of them. The only race it entered without a win was a second-place finish. This will only be its third race of the calendar year, and we see a top-three finish incoming.