Leopardstown has passed a crucial second inspection on Sunday morning, meaning racing goes ahead as planned on day two of the 2026 Dublin Racing Festival.
After the disappointment of Saturday’s abandonment due to waterlogging, confirmation that today’s card is on has been greeted with obvious relief by trainers, owners, and racegoers alike.
Course Inspection And Ground Update
An 8am inspection was called at Leopardstown to determine whether the track had recovered sufficiently from the heavy rain that wiped out Saturday’s programme.
Clerk of the course Paddy Graffin walked the track and delivered the news everyone wanted to hear: “the track has passed its inspection, we’re fit to race, and racing today goes ahead.”
He added that “the rain gods have been good to us”, with conditions stabilising enough overnight for racing to proceed safely.
Graffin outlined the latest going update, confirming that the hurdles track is still heavy with “loose, sloppy ground” but crucially “not holding in any way”.
He also advised that the chase track is officially soft. That means horses will still face a proper test, but the surface is considered safe and consistent enough for top‑class action.
Sunday’s Card: Irish Champion Hurdle And Dublin Chase On
With the inspection passed, Sunday’s eight races, including four Grade 1 races, will now take place as originally scheduled.
The feature is the Irish Champion Hurdle at 3.20, where star mare Lossiemouth takes on Brighterdaysahead again in what is widely billed as the highlight clash of the meeting.
Their Leopardstown rematch had been hanging on the outcome of this morning’s inspection, so confirmation that it goes ahead is a major boost for the festival.
Earlier on the card, the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase at 2.10 sees Marine Nationale line up against Majborough and Solness in a deep two‑mile contest with serious Queen Mother Champion Chase implications.
Elsewhere, high‑profile Mullins runners such as Final Demand and Talk The Talk also take their places on a card that now looks set to deliver the kind of top‑class action the weekend was built around.
| Time | Race | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 12:40 | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy And Maureen Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle (Listed Race) (4yo+) | 2m2f |
| 1:10 | Ladbrokes Novice Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+) | 2m5½f |
| 1:40 | Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) (5yo+) | 2m |
| 2:10 | Ladbrokes Dublin Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+) | 2m1f |
| 2:45 | O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Handicap Chase (Grade 3) (5yo+) | 2m5½f |
| 3:20 | Timeless Sash Windows Irish Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo+) | 2m |
| 3:52 | Padel At Leopardstown Golf Launching Spring 2026 Handicap Hurdle (Listed Race) (4yo+ 0–150) | 2m |
| 4:27 | Coolmore N.H. Sires Los Angeles Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race (Grade 2) (4–6yo) | 2m |
Saturday’s Card And Monday’s Rescheduled Races
Saturday’s washed‑out programme, including the Irish Gold Cup and Goffs Irish Arkle, has already been moved to Monday, and that plan remains in place.
Graffin confirmed that he has not yet fully assessed the separate hurdles ground intended for Monday’s rescheduled card and that an update on those conditions will come later today “when I look at that in daylight.”
The chase ground used today will effectively act as a live test of how well the track is holding up under racing after the week’s severe weather.
The result is an unusual three‑day structure for the Dublin Racing Festival: Sunday’s action goes ahead as planned, while Monday becomes an extra Grade 1 day, headlined by the Irish Gold Cup and other races originally slated for day one.
It is not the shape anyone envisioned at the start of the week, but it at least preserves the majority of the programme.
Relief All Round – And A Cautious Eye On Tomorrow
Today’s confirmation has restored a sense of normality after 24 hours of uncertainty.
For racegoers, it means plans for Irish Champion Hurdle day can proceed; for connections, it allows carefully‑timed preparations to be put into action rather than put back yet again.
There is still a note of caution, however. Leopardstown’s team will monitor how the ground rides today and will reassess conditions for Monday once they have seen how the track copes with a full afternoon of racing.
Graffin’s promise of an update later on Sunday about tomorrow’s card underlines that the weather story isn’t completely finished yet, even if the immediate crisis has eased.
For now, though, the key point is simple: the second inspection has been passed, day two of the Dublin Racing Festival is on, and fans can finally focus on the horses – Lossiemouth, Brighterdaysahead, Marine Nationale, Majborough, Solness, Final Demand, Talk The Talk and the rest – rather than on the clouds.
BETFRED
