Joe’s best horse racing betting tips for Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival 2025 Sunday

Sunday at Leopardstown is all about the heavy hitters, with the Savills Chase taking centre stage.

It’s one of the biggest staying chases of the season, regularly pulling together the best Irish staying chasers and giving us a proper mid-winter form check at the top level.

Away from the feature, it’s another deep, competitive card where stamina, jumping and ground conditions all come sharply into focus. There are betting angles everywhere if you’re willing to dig in, and I’ve pulled together the key Leopardstown tips, trends and talking points to help you attack a cracking penultimate day of festival racing in Dublin.

Top Christmas Festival Leopardstown offer

Christmas Festival Leopardstown (Sunday) tips

• 12.10 Mighty Park – 10/3 with William Hill
• 12.45 Coyote Spirit 11/1 each way with Ladbrokes
• 1.20 Koktail Divin – 11/4 with Betfred
• 1.55 Ballyburn – 11/8 with bet365 NAP
• 2.30 Inothewayurthinkin – 13/8 with Ladbrokes NEXT BEST
• 3.05 Eclipse Chaser – 6/1 each way with Paddy Power
• 3.40 Bentraghhill – 5/2 with Ladbrokes

*odds provided are correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.

Joe’s best horse racing betting tips for Christmas Festival Leopardstown on Sunday (28th December)

Find my top tips for Sunday’s racing with odds from the best horse racing bookies below:

12.10 Savills Maiden Hurdle 2m4f150y

Willie Mullins and Mark Walsh teamed up with the winner of this last year in Kaid D’authie and they have another promising type in the shape of MIGHTY PARK.

This son of Walk In The Park bumped into Harry Lowes on debut in an Irish point to point and has since been snapped up by top connections. He starts off over 2 and a half miles and could be quite a smart prospect going forward.

Lazare De Star shaped well in defeat when runner-up on debut over hurdles at Navan. He has experience on side so should run well and does look the danger. Of the rest Le Moulin Rouge was an encouraging third at Wexford and is another to note.

Bet on MIGHTY PARK to win at 10/3 with William Hill

12.45 Mercedes Benz South Dublin Handicap Hurdle 2m4f150y

A huge field for this handicap hurdle so not easy to dissect. After much deliberation I have sided with COYOTE SPIRIT at a nice price.

He has shaped well on both starts this season and back up to 2 and a half miles looks a good move so I think he has more to come off his current mark. The yard are flying and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him well backed come post time.

The Nagger Reidy was only beaten a nose on reappearance at Galway and then backed that up with a good second at Naas so another run like that would see him bang there. Cornmarket arrives in winning form and is another in with a chance.

Bet on COYOTE SPIRIT Each way at 11/1 with Ladbrokes

1.20 Ballymaloe Relish Rising Stars Beginners Chase 2m5f70y

This can go the way of Henry de Bromhead and KOKTAIL DIVIN. He has only had two starts over fences and bumped into Romeo Coolio on chase debut before going down just 3 lengths at Punchestown.

He is entitled to improve again with more experience under his belt and could still be quite a nice horse for the season ahead.

Patter Merchant was only beaten a neck at Fairyhouse and if building on that could threaten but does look held by the selection. Kiss Will disappointed at short odds last time out but is another one to note if leaving that form behind.

 Bet on KOKTAIL DIVIN to win at 11/4 with Betfred 

1.55 Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m7f80y

• 11 of the last 12 winners were aged between 5 and 7
• 8 of the last 12 winners were favourites or joint favourites
• 9 of the last 12 winners won on their last run before
• 10 of the last 12 winners were rated 150 or higher

I’m pleasantly surprised BALLYBURN isn’t shorter as I thought he was desperately unlucky not to beat Teahupoo at Fairyhouse. Another yard and he would have won but he was given a lot of ground to make up and just got going too late.

This trip and track will suit better and I think he’ll convincingly reverse the form before going on to win the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Teahupoo still needs to be feared as he appreciates this longer trip as well and is so hard to knock. The rest look up against it but Bob Olinger would be interesting if taking his chance.

He obviously beat Teahupoo at the Cheltenham Festival when last seen and goes well fresh so the lack of a run wouldn’t be too much of a concern but either way the favourite is the one to beat.

 Bet on BALLYBURN to win at 11/8 with bet365 

2.30 Savills Chase (Grade 1) 3m100y

• 12 of the last 12 winners were aged between 6 and 8
• 8 of the last 12 winners were in the top 3 in the betting
• 3 of the last 12 winners won on their last run before
• 10 of the last 12 winners were rated 163 or higher

Galopin Des Champs was an awesome winner of this race last year but he had a run under his belt having finished third in the John Durkan.

He lacks a run this time around and that could give the advantage to INOTHEWAYURTHINKIN who obviously beat him in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He was fifth behind Gaelic Warrior in the John Durkan on return and was never put in the race just given a spin to get fit. He should be spot on now and I expect him to take a lot of beating.

Last year’s winner is still the danger as he has so much ability and should have done plenty at home to get fit. Fastorslow hasn’t won since beating Galopin Des Champs at Punchestown but has a bit to prove now but shouldn’t be ignored.

Gerri Colombe makes his return from 421 days off the track and I’ll be interested to see how he runs too with an eye to the future.

Bet on INOTHEWAYURTHINKIN to win at 13/8 with Ladbrokes 

3.05 Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle 2m7f80y

I don’t think the deep ground suited ECLIPSE CHASER at Navan last month. He looked good beating Jacovec Cavern prior to that and that form has been well advertised since.

If he can bounce back he could have a big shout in this and is a nice each way price. There is a lot of pace on and hopefully he will tuck in just off the speed and have the box seat to pounce.

Sysko has run well on both of his last two starts and if finding further improvement could be a big player. He is unexposed so should have more to offer yet. Son Of Anarchy looked good at Punchestown and is another one with strong claims of getting involved.

 Bet on ECLIPSE CHASER Each way at 6/1 with Paddy Power 

3.40 Forest Fest Flat Race 2m34y

We don’t know a great deal about these so no strong opinion but I can see BENTRAGHHILL going well for Mullins. He was only beaten 3 lengths on debut at Fairyhouse and has since joined top connections. He clearly has a lot of potential and the betting should prove informative.

Lemmy Caution shaped well when fifth at Navan and if coming forward from that could be a danger. City Of Cork was down the field on debut over hurdles at Navan and catches the eye in a bumper here so is another one to note but a place is probably his best chance given the promise of the market principals.

 Bet on BENTRAGHHILL to win at 5/2 with Ladbrokes 

My top tip for Sunday’s racing at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival

The day very much revolves around BALLYBURN for me as I’m mega confident he can reverse form with Teahupoo. He looks a great double with INOTHEWAYURTHINKIN in the Savills Chase as he should come on significantly from that reappearance run and Galopin Des Champs lacks match practice.

Bet a Win Double on BALLYBURN and INOTHEWAYURTHINKIN at 11/2 with bet365

About the author

Joe Norris

I’m Joe Norris, co-founder and Director of GetYourTipsOut (GYTO), which I launched in 2009 to provide daily sports betting tips, with the main focus on horse racing. Over the years, I’ve earned a reputation for offering reliable and profitable tips, which led to being named “Best Sports Betting Tipster” in 2023. Alongside my work at GYTO, I also contribute predictions to platforms like Oddschecker, allowing me to share my insights with a wide community of sports enthusiasts and bettors.

Find Joe on X: @JoeNorrisGYTO

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