Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown

What it is

The Dublin Racing Festival, known to most racegoers simply as the DRF, is a two-day National Hunt meeting held at Leopardstown on the southern edge of Dublin. It was first run in 2018, when several of Leopardstown's big winter races were gathered into one weekend, and it has quickly become one of the most important fixtures of the Irish jumps season.

The appeal is simple: eight Grade 1 races across two afternoons, four on each day. Horse Racing Ireland describes the 2026 edition as carrying over €2 million in prize money across 15 races. Because it falls roughly six weeks before the Cheltenham Festival, it is widely seen as the key Irish trial for March, and a good number of British racing fans make the trip over for it.

The festival usually lands on the last weekend of January or the first weekend of February. In 2026 it ran on Saturday 31 January and Sunday 1 February. Leopardstown has already published the 2027 dates: Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 January 2027, which leads into the February bank holiday weekend.

The big races

Saturday is built around the Irish Gold Cup, a Grade 1 steeplechase over about three miles. The other Saturday Grade 1s in 2026 were the Irish Arkle Novice Chase (about 2m1f), a Grade 1 juvenile hurdle over two miles, and a staying novice hurdle over about 2m6f that opens the weekend.

Sunday's centrepiece is the Irish Champion Hurdle over two miles. It shares the card with the Dublin Chase, a Grade 1 two-mile chase first run in 2018 and upgraded to Grade 1 from 2019, plus a Grade 1 novice chase over about 2m5f and a Grade 1 novice hurdle over two miles. Race sponsors change from year to year, so the names on the racecard may carry a different company prefix.

You do not need to follow form to enjoy it. Pick up a racecard, learn a few names, and head to the parade ring before each race to see the horses up close.

Beyond the racing

Leopardstown puts on live music before and after racing across the weekend, plus food stalls and bars throughout the enclosure. Gates usually open two hours before the first race. There is a free luggage store in a marquee beside the main turnstiles, which is handy if you are coming straight from the airport or heading home that evening, and a cloakroom on the ground floor of the grandstand with phone charging.

Getting there

Leopardstown is about six miles south of Dublin city centre, and the course is well set up for visitors without a car.

• Luas: the Green line runs from the city centre to Sandyford in about 20 minutes. A free shuttle bus runs from the Sandyford stop to the course before and after racing.
• Extra shuttles: for the big festivals Leopardstown adds shuttles from Blackrock DART station and Heuston station, and has also listed Naas town centre and the Red Cow Luas stop. Times are confirmed close to the meeting.
• Bus: the 114 from Blackrock DART stops at the main gate, and the E1 and E2 routes serve the N11, about a 15-minute walk away.
• From the airport: Aircoach route 700 runs from both terminals to Leopardstown. Get off at the last stop, at the Clayton Hotel. Allow about an hour.
• By car: parking is free. The racecourse advises using Junction 15 off the M50 (Carrickmines) and parking in Car Park G to avoid the queues on the Leopardstown Road, and warns of heavy delays at Junction 14. Free shuttles run from all the car parks.

Where to stay

The simplest options are around Sandyford, Leopardstown and Foxrock, within easy reach of the course, or in Dublin city centre with the Luas doing the work. Dún Laoghaire and Blackrock are pleasant seaside alternatives with DART links. Leopardstown also sells race and stay packages, which it advertised from €166 per person for the 2027 festival, including hotel, breakfast, admission and transport. Book early: it is a busy weekend in Dublin.

Tickets and tips

• Buy online in advance. Leopardstown sells General Enclosure tickets online and at the gate, with online prices usually cheaper. There are student, OAP and 15 to 17 year old rates.
• Children under 14 go free when accompanied by a paying adult, and a carer accompanying a disabled racegoer is admitted free (contact the racecourse in advance).
• Premium Level tickets give an unreserved seat on the third floor of the grandstand, which is worth considering on a cold day.
• Dress for February. There is no formal dress code, but it is an exposed track in mid-winter: warm layers, a waterproof and comfortable shoes are the smart choice.
• Betting on course: you will see bookmakers in the betting ring and Tote windows around the enclosure. Neither is necessary to enjoy the day. If you do bet, set a limit you are comfortable losing, and if gambling stops being fun, free support is listed by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland.

New to racing? Our first day at the races guide covers the basics, and National Hunt vs Flat explains what makes a jumps meeting different. For what comes next in the season, see the Irish racing calendar, or look ahead to the Fairyhouse Easter Festival and the Punchestown Festival.