The Dublin Racing Festival takes centre stage on the racing front this weekend as several Cheltenham Festival hopefuls strut their stuff at Leopardstown. We have no fewer than eight Grade 1 contests on offer from the Emerald Isle, but the Saturday afternoon British action isn’t too bad either.
Musselburgh stages one of the biggest Scottish National Hunt meetings, headlined by the Scottish Champion Chase. Meanwhile, down in Surrey, a field of Grade 1 Novices head to Sandown for the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase.
First run in 1964, this 2m4f contest takes its name from a local area most famous for a double roundabout, initially nicknamed the “silly islands” by locals. Standout names on the roll of honour include Gerri Colombe, Oscar Whisky, and three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Best Mate.
Ahead of the 2025 edition, seven remain in contention for the £100,000 contest, including an eye-catching entry from the yard of Willie Mullins.
Impaire Tough to Pass
Following a quieter-than-usual festive period, Willie Mullins has predictably wasted little time rediscovering the winning groove. Operating at an impressive 32% strike rate in January, the Closutton maestro has already amassed 10 Graded wins in 2025 and will have high hopes of landing another here.
Willie Mullins’ Graded Race Wins in 2025
| Date | Winner | Race | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26th Jan | Dancing City | Naas Novice Chase | Grade 3 |
| 26th Jan | Anzadam | Limestone Lad Hurdle | Grade 3 |
| 25th Jan | Aurora Vega | Mares Novice Hurdle | Grade 3 |
| 23rd Jan | Nick Rockett | Thyestes Handicap Chase | Grade 3 |
| 19th Jan | Appreciate It | Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase | Grade 2 |
| 12th Jan | Salvator Mundi | Moscow Flyer Hurdle | Grade 2 |
| 12th Jan | Lecky Watson | Novice Chase | Grade 3 |
| 5th Jan | Ile Atlantique | Novice Chase | Grade 2 |
| 1st Jan | Allegorie De Vassy | Mares Chase | Grade 3 |
| 1st Jan | Embassy Gardens | New Year’s Day Chase | Grade 3 |
Sporting the famous double green silks of Simon Munir & Isaac Souede, Impaire Et Passe was amongst the best in the business over hurdles, picking up Grade 1 wins in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle, and Aintree Hurdle. The early evidence suggests the son of Diamond Boy may be at least as good over fences. Two chase outings have yielded two wins, the most recent of which saw the six-year-old claim the Grade 1 Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick.
Impaire Et Passe also holds an entry in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Sunday afternoon. However, he would face the formidable obstacle of his 162-rated stablemate Ballyburn if tackling that assignment. In contrast, a mark of 154 makes him the highest-rated chaser amongst the Scilly Isles entries, suggesting he has solid claims of extending his record on British soil to four wins from as many starts.
No Shortage of Talent Amongst the Opposition
Gavin Cromwell’s Only By Night and Search For Glory from the Gordon Elliott operation complete the possible Irish challenge. However, the British trainers have kept this prize on home soil in 23 of the 25 editions since 2000 and are unlikely to go down without a fight. If there is a horse to upset the Mullins-trained market leader, the betting suggests it is most likely to be one of the following trio.
- Jango Baie – Having registered a sixth Scilly Isles win with Terrefort in 2018, Nicky Henderson is out on his own as the most successful trainer in the history of the event. The six-year-old Jango Baie looks set to fly the Seven Barrows flag in 2025. A Grade 1 winner over hurdles, having claimed the 2023 Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree, the good-looking bay made an electric start to his chase career when slamming the field in the SSS Super Alloys Novices’ Chase. This demands more, but he jumped brilliantly for a novice that day and may give the favourite something to think about
- Kalif Du Berlais – Sired by St. Leger winner Masked Marvel, this Paul Nicholls-trained five-year-old always looked like a chaser in the making. However, he was no slouch over hurdles, having picked up a big-race win in the Grade 2 Adonis Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton. Setting out over fences in 2024/25, he endured a nightmare start when suffering a heavy fall at Carlisle but has bounced back with successive wins at Newbury and Cheltenham. Held in the highest regard by his four-time Scilly Isles-winning trainer, the youngest runner in the field shouldn’t be dismissed lightly
- Handstands – This Ben Pauling star rocketed through the Novice Hurdle ranks in 2023/24, with the pick of his four victories seeing him conquer Jango Baie in the Listed Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon. In common with Kalif Du Berlais, Handstands was let down by his jumping on chase debut at Wincanton but has since landed back-to-back Grade 2 contests at Sandown and Ffos Las. This race was mentioned in the aftermath of that victory in Wales, and he adds to the strong home challenge
So, will the Irish raider add a fifth Grade 1 to his CV, or will the hosts hang onto the prize yet again? This race is set to start at 2:35 pm on Saturday.
