Best Dublin Racing Festival Bets: The Panel's Selections For Leopardstown

The Dublin Racing Festival takes place this weekend at Leopardstown, where some of the best horses in training show their credentials for this year's Cheltenham Festival.

Eight Grade One races are up for decision, and Willie Mullins will be looking for a repeat of his clean sweep of the top-level races 12 months ago.

There are also a number of competitive handicap races on offer across the weekend, giving punters plenty of chances to find big-priced winners.

Here, The Panel have studied the race card to find three of the best bets to have with horse racing betting sites on Saturday and Sunday.

Dublin Racing Festival Best Bets

• The Panel Pick 1: Saturday 13:50: Sainte Lucie - 1pt Win - 9/4 With William Hill
• The Panel Pick 2: Sunday 14:10: Marine Nationale - 1pt Win - 4/1 With BetVictor
• The Panel Pick 3: Sunday 15:20: State Man - 1pt Win - 7/4 With Bet365

Saturday 13:50 Leopardstown: Sainte Lucie 1pt Win

In recent years, this juvenile hurdle race has proved to be a good guide to the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Two winners of this race in the last four renewals have gone on to win at Cheltenham, while the other two also ran in this Grade 1 before winning at the festival in March.

That could prove to be the case again this year, with some of Ireland's top juveniles involved.

There is little to separate the top three in the odds offered by betting sites, but Sainte Lucie looks like a solid choice.

Like many of Mullins' young horses, we are still unsure how good the Rich Ricci-owned mare could be.

An easy winner on debut for Mullins at Punchestown, there is likely to be much more to come from her.

She will need to improve to get the better of Hello Neighbour here, but carrying 7lb less with the mares' allowance, she must have a great chance at 9/4 with William Hill.

Sunday 14:10 Leopardstown: Marine Nationale 1pt Win

This Grade 1 contest is likely to go one of two ways.

Either Gaelic Warrior returns to his best and runs away with it, or he disappoints again and leaves it for one of his rivals to pick up the pieces.

If it turns out to be the latter, I fancy Marine Nationale to be the one who can take advantage.

Gaelic Warrior is something special when at his best, but he has been slightly disappointing in his last two runs, and his tendency to jump to his right could be a problem at this track.

Marine Nationale, the 2023 Supreme Novices winner, has also been disappointing since being sent chasing, but he certainly has the talent to win this if the favourite is not himself.

Barry Connell's charge is currently the 4/1 second favourite with betting apps including BetVictor.

Sunday 15:20 Leopardstown: State Man 1pt Win

Another race where we need the favourite to fail.

Lossiemouth is the worthy market leader and, in truth, the likely winner, but it is worth giving her stablemate, State Man, a chance at the odds.

It is likely to be a straight shootout between the two Mullins' stars, and the hope is that State Man can return to the level of performance that saw him win last year's Champion Hurdle.

He has been beaten by the impressive Brighterdaysahead twice this season, and he will need to bounce back to his best to win here.

He is currently priced at 7/4 with Bet365 to see off his stablemate.

Elsewhere At The Dublin Racing Festival

The standout spectacle at Leopardstown this weekend comes on Saturday.

Galopin Des Champs is bidding to become the first horse since Florida Pearl to win three Irish Gold Cups in a row.

This is before he heads to Cheltenham to attempt to achieve the same feat in the Gold Cup at the festival.

Ballyburn is another that racing fans will be excited to see in action. 

The Brown Advisory Novice Chase favourite will be hoping to get over his trouncing at the hands of Sir Gino at Kempton over Christmas.

He steps up in trip again on Sunday which could help him see off his market rival Impaire Et Passe.