Dublin Racing Festival 2026: Dublin Chase race analysis and preview  

Leopardstown racecourse plays host to the Dublin Racing Festival this weekend, with two days of elite racing set to take place. 

Renowned horses and potential stars of the future will go head-to-head in 15 races, including eight Grade One contests. 

One such race is the Dublin Chase, in which runners will negotiate 11 scheduled fences as part of their two-mile trip around Leopardstown. 

The field is headed by defending Champion Chase winner Marine Nationale, who is looking to bounce back from his second-placed effort in this race last year. 

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Unlucky loser

Owner/trainer Barrie Connell’s gelding trailed Solness by half a length, to miss out on winning his first Grade One steeplechase.

Though he would later do so at the Cheltenham Festival, where he won the Champion Chase by 18 lengths, maintaining his unbeaten record at the festival.

His runs since the aforementioned race have seen Marine Nationale win the Champion Chase at Punchestown and – in his only run so far this season – finish second in a Grade One race at this course, in December. 

Solness came out on top again in that race, but Marine Nationale was an unlucky loser – given that he forfeited at least 10 lengths early in the race, after almost unseating rider Sean Flanagan.

Unbelievable form

Last week, Connell told Racing TV: “He came out of the race in unbelievable form, he was entitled to be a little bit tired after the race, given the amount of ground he made up.

“We did a little bit with him at The Curragh on Saturday and he’s as good as he ever was, better.” 

When asked if the plan was to head to the Dublin Racing Festival next time out, Connell replied: “100%, if he jumps a clear round, that’s all he has to do.”

Solness is looking to defend his title in this race and is priced at 4/1 to one to do so. 

A victory would see him win four from four Grade One races at Leopardstown since December 2024, when he won the same race he won last month.  

Special ride

Speaking after his most recent race, his trainer Joseph O’Brien said: “Whether he is as good as the bare form here remains to be seen, but we’ll enjoy today anyway. 

“It was a special ride from JJ. We said we’d go wide and get the best of the ground. He got into a great rhythm and jumped fantastic.”

On his decision to supplement Solness for the race, O’Brien added: “I probably should have had him in it in the first place, but the race closed before he ran very well in Graded company [when second in the Fortria] at Navan, so it was since then he looked like he was competing at this level.”

Solness defeated Marine Nationale again in that effort, but couldn’t lay a glove on him at Cheltenham or Punchestown.

Champion trainer Willie Mullins has four horses entered into this race – two of which run in the colours of owner JP McManus. 

Disappointed

Majborough is the shortest of that pair and he will have to overturn the form from two weeks ago, when finishing third to Solness and Marine Nationale, if he is to land his 5/2 odds. 

The second favourite was once again let down by his jumping in that race, as he was at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, when a beaten favourite in the Arkle. 

Mullins admitted prior to his most recent run that he was “disappointed” with errors made in his first run back this season, which ended in a second-placed finish behind Found A Fifty, before adding “there are question marks over his jumping”.

He will be joined by mare Dinoblue in representing both Mullins and McManus in this season’s Dublin Chase. 

She arrives here off the back of winning four of her five races since finishing fourth to the aforementioned horses, at this course, in December 2024. 

Three of her four wins since have all came in Graded events for mares, whilst her other one came in a mares Listed race. 

Big relief

Dinoblue is out at 10/1, whilst multiple Grade One winning stablemate Energumene is out at 16’s having not hit the highs of victory in four runs since beating Dinoblue in December 2024. 

Others in the race include Mullins’ fourth representative Il Etait Temps, who fell in the Clarence House on his latest outing just two weeks ago, when trying to win six races in a row. 

In the aftermath, Mullins said: “The team at Ascot looked after him very well. 

“Thankfully, he got up and they were very happy with him when they got him back into Closutton as he was straight into his feed, looking bright and alert.

“We’re all very pleased about that, obviously it’s a big relief as when they stay down it’s a huge worry, but he was so well looked after by everyone.

“I’m delighted for the owners and everyone at the yard that he got up and he’s in one piece.

“He lives to fight another day.”

Romped to victory

He was the favourite for the Champion Chase at Cheltenham, having romped to victory in the Tingle Creek on his second run this season. 

However, bookies have now pushed him out to 8/1 to win Day two’s feature contest, a price which will tumble should he come out on top here. 

Rounding off those priced with a chance is trainer Henry De Bromhead’s Quilixios (14/1) and Found A Fifty, who is priced at 16/1 for trainer Gordon Elliott. 

The action gets underway at 2:10pm on Sunday February 1, with live coverage shown on Racing TV. 

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