The countdown is well underway to the 2023 Leopardstown Christmas Festival and the initial entries for the seven Grade 1 races and the valuable Paddy Power Chase at the four-day extravaganza were released this afternoon. The festival runs from St Stephen's Day, December 26 to Friday, December 29 and is certainly not to be missed.

DAY ONE: Racing Post Day, Tuesday, December 26

€100,000 Grade 1 The Racing Post Novice Steeplechase

A quite brilliant roll of honour with top-class performers Danoli (1996), Moscow Flyer (2001), Sizing Europe (2009), Douvan (2015), Min (2016) and Ferny Hollow (2021) among the previous winners of the Grade 1 The Racing Post Novice Steeplechase on the opening day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival and 16 horses make up the entry for the upcoming renewal. The impressive Navan winner beginners’ chase winner Facile Vega tops a Willie Mullins entry of seven which also includes Il Etait Temps, Gaelic Warrior and Sharjah. Gordon Elliott’s five entries includes American Mike and Found A Fifty, winners over fences at Navan and Down Royal respectively, while Gavin Cromwell has put both Letsbeclearaboutit and My Mate Mozzie, already dual winners over fences in the race with Henry de Bromhead’s Quilixios, the Limerick beginners’ chase winner and Sean Doyle’s Monbeg Park, a novice hurdle winner at the Punchestown festival in April also in the field.

DAY TWO: Paddy Power Chase Day, Wednesday, December 27

€200,000 Grade B Paddy Power Chase (Handicap)

There’s a massive €200,000 pot on offer for the Paddy Power Chase on the second day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival and there’s 51 horses bidding to emulate last year’s winner Real Steel, trained by Eric McNamara and ridden by his son Conor. Winner of the Kerry National, Desertmore House has been entered by Martin Brassil and he could clash again with the third horse home that day, the Mouse Morris-trained Foxy Jacks, a winner over the cross-country course at Cheltenham just last weekend. The Eoin Griffin-trained Jody Ted arrives as a leading contender after his runaway win at Limerick last month while Gavin Cromwell’s Limerick Lace, John McConnell’s Mahler Mission and the Paul Nolan-trained Joyeaux Machin are other notable contenders. Minella Crooner and Fakir D'alene are among a Gordon Elliott entry of 15 while Willie Mullins has a team of seven that includes Ha D’Or, James Du Berlais and Mr Incredible.

€125,000 Grade 1 Paddy's Rewards Club Steeplechase

The first of two Grade 1 races on the second day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival is the Paddy's Rewards Club Chase. The 2020 edition was a race to savour with Willie Mullins’ Chacun Pour Soi coming home ahead of Henry de Bromhead’s pair, Notebook and Put The Kettle On. In 2021, de Bromhead went a place better with Envoi Allen while Mullins landed the spoils once again last year with Blue Lord. This year the latter figures in the champion trainer’s eight entries that also includes last season’s top novice El Fabiolo, Dinoblue and Saint Roi. Henry de Bromhead has his recent Grade 2 Fortria Chase winner Captain Guinness, Maskada and Coeur Sublime in the race while Gordon Elliott could run both Fil Dor and Riviere D’etel and Nube Negra could fly the flag for Dan Skelton.

€100,000 Grade 1 Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle

The Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle is the first Grade 1 hurdle race of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, one of three over the four days. Willie Mullins won the race when it was first run as a Grade 1 in 2008 with Hurricane Fly and he has captured six of the last eight renewals, winning the race for four straight years from 2015 to 2018. Appreciate It (2020) and last year’s winner Facile Vega gave the champion trainer his most recent successes in the race and this time he has made 12 entries with Ballyburn, Ile Atlantique, Mystical Power and Tullyhill among them. Brighterdaysahead, Down Memory Lane, Croke Park and Stellar Story feature in a Gordon Elliott entry of 10 while An Tobar and Slade Steel are in the race for Henry de Bromhead, Encanto Bruno and Redstone could represent Gavin Cromwell, The Big Doyen is entered by Peter Fahey and Smooth Tom could take his chance for Andy Slattery. A most intriguing entry is the Noel Meade-trained Helvic Dream, winner of the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in 2021.

DAY THREE: Savills Day, Thursday, December 28

€175,000 Grade 1 Savills Chase

In a cracking 2021 renewal, Gordon Elliott’s Galvin just got the better of Henry de Bromhead’s subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard and the Willie Mullins-trained Kemboy to land the spoils. Last year, the Elliott-trained Conflated was a more decisive winner and he’s entered again along with recent big-race winners Gerri Colombe and Coko Beach with Farouk D'Alene completing the Cullentra entry of four. Willie Mullins has 11 entries to choose from including his most recent Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs, Allaho, Gaillard Du Mesnil, I Am Maximus, Stattler and Asterion Forlonge. A Plus Tard is there again for Henry de Bromhead who has also entered Envoi Allen. Martin Brassil’s Punchestown festival Grade 1 winner Fastorslow is another high-profile entry, with the Mouse Morris-trained Gentlemansgame, the Shark Hanlon-trained Hewick and Jonathan Sweeney’s Churchstonewarrior worthy of their place in an enthralling race. There are four British-trained entries in the early line up, Paul Nicholls has entered both Pic D’Orhy and Stage Star while Venetia Williams has entered L’Homme Presse and Dan Skelton could run Protekorat.

€150,000 Grade 1 Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle

The Christmas Hurdle is run in the memory of Jack de Bromhead once again. His father Henry has Ballyadam and Summerville Boy among the 12 entries. Last year’s winner Home By The Lee has been entered by Joseph O'Brien and stepping up to Grade 1 company for the first time could be the Paul Gilligan-trained Buddy One, so impressive when winning at Cheltenham recently. Gordon Elliott is responsible for five entries and his quintet includes Irish Point, Zanahiyr and Teahupoo while Willie Mullins has entered three, Sir Gerhard, Monkfish and Asterion Forlonge.

DAY FOUR: Matheson Day, Friday, December 29

€150,000 Grade 1 Matheson Hurdle

Willie Mullins won this race last year with the leading Irish-trained hurdler State Man and the six-year-old heads the total entry of 11. The champion trainer has also got Impaire Et Passe, Ashroe Diamond, Echoes In Rain, Vauban and Zarak The Brave in the race. Gordon Elliott has a strong entry of his own made up of Irish Point, Zanahiyr, Pied Piper and Fils D'oudairies while Bob Olinger, back to winning ways in the recent Grade 2 Railway Bar Lismullen Hurdle at Navan, is set to represent Henry de Bromhead.

€100,000 Grade 1 Neville Hotels Novice Chase

Subsequent Cheltenham Festival winner Gaillard Du Mesnil ran out an impressive winner of this race a year ago and his trainer Willie Mullins is responsible for seven of the 24 entries. Grangeclare West, Fact To File, Gaelic Warrior and this afternoon’s Thurles winner Klassical Dream are among the champion trainer’s typically strong hand. Gordon Elliott enjoyed a 1-2 in the race, with Fury Road beating Run Wild Fred, in the 2021 renewal and the Cullentra trainer has entered five horse with American Mike, Imagine and Cool Survivor among them. Flooring Porter and Perceval Legallois are exciting entries for Gavin Cromwell while the same can be said of Noel Meade’s Flanking Maneuver and Affordale Fury. Henry de Bromhead has four in the race with Quilixios and Heart Wood possibly leading his challenge while the experienced Joyeux Machin could represent Paul Nolan who has also entered Sandor Clegane. The Emmet Mullins-trained Corbetts Cross is another definite eyecatcher.

Tim Husbands, Leopardstown CEO, said: “It’s great to see such an array of home talent on display again, showing the importance of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival in the racing calendar. Leopardstown is such a popular destination for UK racegoers and it’s exciting that the top UK trainers are targeting the Savills Chase. A really buzzing Christmas crowd at Leopardstown will no doubt see some brilliant racing over the four days.”

Entries for the Leopardstown Christmas Festival can be viewed here - DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4