Leopardstown
National Hunt
Foxrock, south Dublin · six miles south of the city centre
Turf
Left-Handed
Galloping
Leopardstown also stages Flat turf racing. Read the Flat racecourse guide →
What is Leopardstown like as a jumps track?
Leopardstown is Irish racing’s great all-rounder — a wide, left-handed, galloping oval of about a mile and six furlongs in the Foxrock suburbs of south Dublin, staging around 22 meetings a year across both codes. Captain George Quin opened it in August 1888, having modelled it on Sandown Park, and its National Hunt programme now carries more championship weight than any other Irish track: the four-day Christmas Festival and February’s Dublin Racing Festival between them stage the bulk of Ireland’s winter Grade 1s.
Over jumps it is really two tracks. The chase course is the outer circuit — ten fences to a circuit, stiff but famously fair, with three of them coming close together in the back straight and a relatively short finishing straight once you turn in. The hurdles track is the inner circuit and a notably sharper test: seven flights to a circuit, tighter turns, and a premium on tactical speed, especially in the big festival fields.
The ground is fairly level by jumps standards — a gentle descent from around the ten-furlong pole — but the defining feature is the long, gradual rise through the home straight. It reads flat on paper and rides anything but. Races here are run at a genuine gallop from a long way out, and that combination of sustained pace and a climbing finish makes Leopardstown form a strong stamina reference for the spring festivals.
Charlie Swan, former champion Irish jump jockey — At The Races
Swan’s reading is the essential one. This is one of the fairest galloping tracks in these islands — hard-luck stories are rare — but the deceptive stiffness of the straight catches out horses ridden as if the finish were flat, and his point about being handier on the inner hurdles track in big fields is borne out by the running-style numbers further down this page.
The other thing to understand is the ground. Leopardstown drains exceptionally well and is known for providing a quicker winter surface than most Irish tracks — extremes of going are comparatively rare here, and the course waters selectively (with turf consultancy input on the chase track) to keep cushion in the ground through its busy December–February block. A mud-lover with form built in deep Irish winter ground is not guaranteed its conditions at Leopardstown, even at Christmas.
One misconception is worth killing at source: “modelled on Sandown” does not mean “rides like Sandown.” The two courses run opposite ways — Leopardstown left-handed, Sandown right — and Sandown is markedly more undulating. What they share is scale: long straights, sweeping bends, and a bias towards long-striding gallopers who can sustain a strong pace.
The Chase Course
- Circuit Outer oval, ~1m6f, left-handed, galloping — long run to the first bend, strong sustained gallops
- Fences 10 per circuit — stiff but fair and consistently ride well; three come close together in the back straight
- Finish Short finishing straight off the final turn — position at the home bend matters in chases
- Run Style 57.8% of chase winners since 2009 raced front or prominent
The Hurdles Course
- Circuit Inner track — notably sharper in character than the chase course, tighter into the turns
- Hurdles 7 flights per circuit; the second-last is where traffic problems tend to happen in big fields
- Run Style 62.1% of all hurdle winners since 2009 raced front or prominent — rising to 73% in non-handicaps
- Handicaps The pace edge fades to 47.7% in handicap hurdles — a genuinely different puzzle
Track & History
- Founded Opened 27 August 1888 by Captain George Quin, modelled on Sandown Park
- The name From the Irish Baile na Lobhar, “town of the lepers” — nothing to do with leopards
- Ownership Acquired by the Irish Racing Board in the late 1960s; promoted today under Horse Racing Ireland
- Redeveloped €3m makeover in 2013, then a further €12m rebuild across 2016–17
- Wartime RAF pilot Hugh Verity force-landed on the course in 1941, was interned, and escaped to England
When does Leopardstown race?
The Number That Matters
Leopardstown’s running-style numbers are unusually well documented for an Irish track. Across races since 2009, 57.8% of chase winners and 62.1% of all hurdle winners raced front or prominent. The standout figure is in non-handicap hurdles — the graded and maiden races that dominate the festival cards — where 73% of winners (101 of 137 qualifying races of eight-plus runners) came from the front end.
The equally important number is the one that breaks the pattern: in handicap hurdles the front/prominent share drops to 47.7%. Big, deep handicap fields at the festivals run to a different shape — strong early gallops set races up for closers in a way the smaller graded fields here do not.
Winners racing front or prominent — since 2009
▲ 73% of winners
▲ 62.1% of winners
▲ 57.8% of winners
─ 47.7% — edge fades
Read the bias with the track’s character in mind. This is a fair, galloping course — the numbers describe an edge, not a Chester-style geometry trap — and the long rise to the line punishes anything that gets to the front too soon without staying. On the sharper inner hurdles track, Charlie Swan’s advice to ride handier in big fields is the practical application: track position into the second-last is worth more there than on the wide chase course.
Which trainers and jockeys win most at Leopardstown?
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Win% | Places | Place% | A/E | P/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mullins, W P | 1300 | 257 | 19.77% | 506 | 38.92% | 0.88 | -341.14 |
| 2 Elliott, Gordon | 974 | 114 | 11.70% | 305 | 31.31% | 0.85 | -181.88 |
| 3 Bromhead, Henry De | 524 | 46 | 8.78% | 138 | 26.34% | 0.73 | -217.37 |
| 4 Harrington, Mrs John | 402 | 36 | 8.96% | 105 | 26.12% | 0.84 | -140.97 |
| 5 Meade, Noel | 352 | 32 | 9.09% | 87 | 24.72% | 0.81 | -120.15 |
| 6 O’Brien, Joseph Patrick | 276 | 32 | 11.59% | 91 | 32.97% | 0.99 | +31.74 |
| 7 Martin, A J | 324 | 21 | 6.48% | 94 | 29.01% | 0.72 | -117.75 |
| 8 Cromwell, Gavin Patrick | 267 | 18 | 6.74% | 63 | 23.60% | 0.73 | -117.62 |
| 9 Weld, D K | 82 | 17 | 20.73% | 36 | 43.90% | 0.93 | +14.70 |
| 10 Nolan, Paul | 214 | 16 | 7.48% | 53 | 24.77% | 0.86 | -54.25 |
| 11 Byrnes, C | 79 | 14 | 17.72% | 32 | 40.51% | 1.07 | -13.12 |
| 12 Mullins, Thomas | 165 | 13 | 7.88% | 34 | 20.61% | 1.12 | -40.00 |
| 13 Walsh, T M | 70 | 11 | 15.71% | 29 | 41.43% | 1.04 | -6.10 |
| 14 O’Grady, E J | 114 | 10 | 8.77% | 31 | 27.19% | 0.84 | -60.73 |
| 15 Murphy, C A | 101 | 8 | 7.92% | 17 | 16.83% | 0.80 | -65.51 |
| 16 Hanlon, John Joseph | 83 | 8 | 9.64% | 14 | 16.87% | 1.12 | -34.25 |
| 17 Mullins, Emmet | 71 | 8 | 11.27% | 20 | 28.17% | 0.85 | -18.69 |
| 18 Fenton, Philip | 31 | 8 | 25.81% | 16 | 51.61% | 1.49 | +7.78 |
| 19 Doyle, Miss Elizabeth | 80 | 7 | 8.75% | 20 | 25.00% | 1.04 | -23.00 |
| 20 Kiely, J E and Thomas | 68 | 7 | 10.29% | 18 | 26.47% | 0.78 | -8.50 |
leopardstown NH · Current trainers, since 2010
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Win% | Places | Place% | A/E | P/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Townend, P | 409 | 101 | 24.69% | 186 | 45.48% | 0.88 | -107.64 |
| 2 Kennedy, J W | 270 | 48 | 17.78% | 112 | 41.48% | 1.00 | -48.77 |
| 3 Mullins, Mr P W | 153 | 47 | 30.72% | 82 | 53.59% | 0.96 | -9.80 |
| 4 Walsh, M P | 363 | 46 | 12.67% | 118 | 32.51% | 0.89 | -82.51 |
| 5 Mullins, D E | 263 | 24 | 9.13% | 73 | 27.76% | 0.85 | -84.73 |
| 6 Slevin, J J | 177 | 15 | 8.47% | 44 | 24.86% | 0.90 | -9.82 |
| 7 Flanagan, S W | 206 | 13 | 6.31% | 49 | 23.79% | 0.71 | -68.59 |
| 8 Ewing, Sam | 84 | 11 | 13.10% | 19 | 22.62% | 1.37 | +44.69 |
| 9 Meyler, D | 140 | 10 | 7.14% | 27 | 19.29% | 0.87 | -64.09 |
| 10 Donoghue, K M | 160 | 9 | 5.63% | 31 | 19.38% | 0.60 | -103.37 |
| 11 O’Connor, Derek | 61 | 8 | 13.11% | 25 | 40.98% | 0.87 | +8.33 |
| 12 O’Regan, Denis | 145 | 7 | 4.83% | 25 | 17.24% | 0.61 | -90.65 |
| 13 O’Sullivan, Mr M J M | 73 | 7 | 9.59% | 13 | 17.81% | 1.03 | -2.50 |
| 14 Maguire, Mr F | 50 | 7 | 14.00% | 19 | 38.00% | 1.22 | +33.08 |
| 15 Hayes, Brian | 172 | 6 | 3.49% | 26 | 15.12% | 0.57 | -115.12 |
| 16 Burke, Jonathan | 53 | 6 | 11.32% | 8 | 15.09% | 1.19 | -7.77 |
| 17 Gainford, Mr J C | 48 | 6 | 12.50% | 13 | 27.08% | 1.92 | +8.25 |
| 18 Enright, P T | 145 | 5 | 3.45% | 28 | 19.31% | 0.50 | -107.62 |
| 19 O’Keeffe, Darragh | 133 | 5 | 3.76% | 21 | 15.79% | 0.51 | -64.75 |
| 20 O’Keeffe, Sean F | 116 | 5 | 4.31% | 23 | 19.83% | 0.66 | -68.00 |
leopardstown NH · Current riders, since 2010
Which sires do best at Leopardstown?
| Sire | Runs | Wins | Win% | Places | Place% | A/E | P/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Flemensfirth (USA) | 295 | 37 | 12.54% | 90 | 30.51% | 0.96 | -2.19 |
| 2 Stowaway | 154 | 28 | 18.18% | 60 | 38.96% | 1.29 | +14.11 |
| 3 Presenting | 323 | 26 | 8.05% | 78 | 24.15% | 0.71 | -108.74 |
| 4 Oscar (IRE) | 274 | 24 | 8.76% | 67 | 24.45% | 0.79 | -157.08 |
| 5 Beneficial | 275 | 22 | 8.00% | 68 | 24.73% | 0.87 | -16.85 |
| 6 Walk In The Park (IRE) | 187 | 21 | 11.23% | 48 | 25.67% | 0.73 | -101.70 |
| 7 King’s Theatre (IRE) | 186 | 20 | 10.75% | 50 | 26.88% | 0.94 | -32.07 |
| 8 Doctor Dino (FR) | 58 | 19 | 32.76% | 27 | 46.55% | 1.28 | +145.53 |
| 9 Milan | 244 | 16 | 6.56% | 58 | 23.77% | 0.61 | -130.16 |
| 10 Westerner | 165 | 14 | 8.48% | 42 | 25.45% | 0.79 | -59.11 |
| 11 Kayf Tara | 114 | 14 | 12.28% | 31 | 27.19% | 0.96 | -26.15 |
| 12 Jeremy (USA) | 100 | 14 | 14.00% | 32 | 32.00% | 1.12 | -21.48 |
| 13 Montjeu (IRE) | 71 | 14 | 19.72% | 27 | 38.03% | 1.12 | -33.73 |
| 14 Getaway (GER) | 123 | 12 | 9.76% | 28 | 22.76% | 0.99 | -15.70 |
| 15 Saint Des Saints (FR) | 79 | 12 | 15.19% | 31 | 39.24% | 0.81 | -31.90 |
| 16 Martaline | 90 | 11 | 12.22% | 25 | 27.78% | 0.88 | -43.75 |
| 17 Yeats (IRE) | 126 | 10 | 7.94% | 32 | 25.40% | 0.87 | +2.25 |
| 18 Fame And Glory | 116 | 10 | 8.62% | 29 | 25.00% | 0.87 | -64.62 |
| 19 Shirocco (GER) | 98 | 10 | 10.20% | 25 | 25.51% | 1.20 | +35.63 |
| 20 Kalanisi (IRE) | 81 | 10 | 12.35% | 23 | 28.40% | 1.49 | +14.33 |
leopardstown NH · Since 2010
Betting Angles
Front-runners are underrated in graded novice races
The 73% front/prominent figure in non-handicap hurdles since 2009 is one of the strongest documented pace reads in Irish racing. In small graded fields — exactly the races the Dublin Racing Festival and Christmas cards are built from — the horse controlling the gallop is the one to beat. Check the likely leader before you check the market.
Handicap hurdles are a different game
Front and prominent winners fall to just 47.7% in handicap hurdles. The big December and February betting handicaps are run at a proper gallop and regularly set up for closers. Do not carry the graded-race pace rule into a 20-runner Leopardstown handicap — the shape of the race changes completely.
Respect the hill in the straight
The long gradual rise to the line is the most under-priced feature of the track. Horses that travel sweetly into the straight and then empty are a Leopardstown speciality — favour proven stayers at the trip, and treat a strong-travelling non-stayer with suspicion however good it looks at the second-last.
Chase form and hurdles form are different tracks
The outer chase course is a wide galloping test; the inner hurdles track is sharper and more tactical. Course form here is only fully reliable when it comes from the same circuit — a horse that handles the chase track’s rhythm has proven nothing about the inner track’s tighter turns, and vice versa.
Winter ground rides quicker than the calendar suggests
Leopardstown drains fast and is managed to keep the surface safe rather than deep — extremes of going are rarer here than at most Irish winter tracks. Deep-ground grinders with form earned in heavy elsewhere often find conditions a shade too lively, while sound-surface horses keep their form through the winter festivals.
The Mullins factor at the festivals
Willie Mullins has won the Racing Post Novice Chase nine times, sent out his 2,000th career winner here on Boxing Day 2013, and has recorded a six-timer at a single Leopardstown meeting. His festival runners are priced accordingly — the value question is rarely “will Mullins win?” but “which of the stable’s runners is the right one?”
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating Leopardstown NH form as one form line. The outer chase course and the sharper inner hurdles track are genuinely different tests — check which circuit the form was earned on.
- Assuming December means deep ground. The track drains famously well and is watered to protect cushion, so it regularly rides quicker in winter than other Irish venues — mud form elsewhere does not guarantee conditions here.
- Trusting the going label on its own. Irish “yielding” is the recognised equivalent of British “good to soft”, so the terms do carry across — what does not is the ground beneath them, and this track drains better than most Irish winter venues.
- Backing front-runners blind in handicaps. The strong pace edge here is a graded-race and non-handicap phenomenon — in handicap hurdles the front/prominent share drops below half.
Leopardstown Racecourse FAQs
Is there a pace or front-running bias at Leopardstown over jumps?
Which way does Leopardstown race and what kind of jumps track is it?
What are the big National Hunt meetings at Leopardstown?
How does the going behave at Leopardstown in winter?
Which trainers and jockeys have the best Leopardstown jumps records?
Other Jumps Tracks
Punchestown
Ireland’s jumps HQ — the five-day festival finale.
Fairyhouse
Home of the Irish Grand National on Easter Monday.
Naas
Stiff left-hander — January’s Grade 1 novice form starts here.
Want the thinking behind National Hunt bets?
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The Trackside Companion is your day at the races, written to order — every race on your meeting’s card broken down, plus this track’s pace, angles and people distilled from the guide you’ve just read. Order at least a week before your raceday.
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