IT had all been going so well. The 2025 Dublin Racing Festival was delivering on so many levels leading up to one of the clashes of the season in Sunday’s Irish Champion Hurdle.

Galopin Des Champs put on a show for his legion of fans, Majborough, Ballyburn, Final Demand and Kopek Des Bordes proved that the future is bright for Willie Mullins’ team of novices, while Danny Mullins popped up with his usual DRF cameo thanks to Vischio and Solness. Even Gavin Cromwell did his part to break the Closutton stranglehold across the weekend too, recording a memorable treble.