Despite only three runners in the two-mile contest, it had a thrilling finish, with the Gordon Elliott-trained favourite just holding off Kargese (2/1) from the Willie Mullins yard.

Kargese, under Paul Townend, took the field around and was gaining at her jumps, with Romeo Coolio losing some lengths.

4-9F Romeo Coolio, for Jack Kennedy and Gordon Eliott, just held on at the line to repel a renewed effort from Kargese in the Goffs Irish Arkle@LeopardstownRC #DublinRacingFestival #rtesport
@rte2 & @rteplayer pic.twitter.com/4yiwTuCZ7H

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 2, 2026

The mare led into the home straight and it looked as though she was on her way to victory, as the Jack Kennedy-ridden favourite seemed to be struggling.

Romeo Coolio soon fought back, and took the lead, but the mare was not going to go down without a fight and battled all the way to the line, being denied by a neck at the winning post.

The outsider, Downmexicoway (22/1), under Seán O’Keeffe, was third all the way around and collected €15,000 for completing the course.

Jack Kennedy, Gordon Elliott and the winning connection react to Romeo Coolio's 'gutsy' victory in the Goffs Irish Arkle@LeopardstownRC #DublinRacingFestival #rtesport
@rte2 & @rteplayer pic.twitter.com/nnraYjmlam

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 2, 2026

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Doctor Steinberg gives Mullins opening Grade 1 success

The opening Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle got favourite backers off to a successful start as the even-money market leader, Doctor Steinberg, powered to an eight-length victory.

Ridden by Paul Townend, the six-year-old chestnut son of Doctor Dino asserted approaching the final flight of hurdles as the runner-up Kazansky failed to make an impression in the final furlong.

The second, ridden by Jack Kennedy for trainer Gordon Elliott, had a further six lengths to space over Love Me Tender, from the same yard as the winner, back in third.

Doctor Steinberg stayed superbly to land the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Good start to the day for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend returning as 7/4f

Watch live now on @rte2 and @rteplayer https://t.co/b2OI4OoWVJ pic.twitter.com/LniOLJ8wrs

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 2, 2026

Narcisco Has takes Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle

Willie Mullins quickly doubled up in the second Grade 1 of the afternoon, the Gannon’s City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle over two miles.

On paper, it looked like a rematch between Narcisco Has and Mange Tout, and much of the contest it looked like being so.

With Mark Walsh on the race favourite, Narcisco Has (evens favourite), the JP McManus-retained rider lead the field for most of the journey.

Jack Kennedy and Mange Tout, from the Gordon Elliot stable, remained prominent, while the eventual runner-up Selma De Vary (17/2) watched the action from towards the back of the pack.

With Narcisco Has asserting before the last hurdle, Selma De Very went second, while Mange Tout began to fade slightly.

The French-bred Narcisco Has stayed on strongly in the run in to claim the win from the Rich Ricci-owned Selma De Vary, with Mange Tout (15/8) crossing the line third.

Narciso Has (Evens) toughs it out in front in the Gannon's City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle to make it two from two for Willie Mullins. Mark Walsh in the saddle.

Watch live now on @rte2 and @rteplayer https://t.co/b2OI4OoWVJ pic.twitter.com/mi7Y1EotQz

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 2, 2026

Romeo Coolio holds off Kargese in Arkle thriller

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Trained by Gordon Elliott, the Gigginstown House-owned seven-year-old daughter of Kapgarde tracked the race leader, El Fabiolo, for most of the race.

The Jack Kennedy-ridden Brighterdayshead then took the lead two furlongs from home. She was soon followed by odds-on favourite Lossiemouth, who had been in third position throughout.

Brighterdaysahead began to exert her dominance as she soon powered clear on entering the home straight.

Paul Townend was showing worrying signs on the Willie Mullins-handled Lossiemouth but kept on one-paced and failed to land a blow on the winner.

BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD

The Irish Champion Hurdle goes the way of @gelliott_racing and @jackkennedy15.#DRF pic.twitter.com/VETq91vWqD

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 1, 2026

The post Brighterdaysahead lands Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Kaid D’authie wins Novice Chase

The French-bred Kaid D’authie took the Ladbrokes Novice Chase before Majborough completed the double an hour later in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase.

Kaid D’authie, winner of a beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse on New Years Day, stepped up to the highest level this afternoon to run out a four and a quarter length victor over Western Fold, with Final Demand a disappointing eight lengths further back in third.

The winner was positioned in second throughout most of the contest before taking the lead three out. The six-year-old gelded son of Choeur Du Nord was briefly challenged by the eventual runner-up, Western Fold, inside the final furlong. He stayed on well as the Gordon Elliott challenger ran on one-paced.

The disappointment of the race was the 30/100 favourite, Final Demand, the mount of Paul Townend. The Willie Mullins-handled son of Walk In The Park made no impression in the closing stages and was a well-beaten third.

The NEW kid on the block

Kaid d’Authie is much too good for his rivals in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Novice Chase for Willie Mullins and Mark Walsh.

Final Demand trails in last of the finishers #DRF | @LeopardstownRC pic.twitter.com/6huUeQpWrV

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 1, 2026

Magical Majborough

Majborough (2/1) dominated the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase over two miles and one furlong as he completed the Walsh. McManus, Mullins Grade 1 double success.

Prominent from flag fall, the French-bred six-year-old son of Martinborough jumped well throughout the race before progressing clear two out.

The market leader Marine Nationale (5/4 favourite) chased the winner in vain in the home straight, but could not match the power and accuracy of the winner.

Majborough was a highly impressive 19-length winner, with the Barry Connell-trained Marine Nationale taking second by a head from Found A Fifty (10/1), ridden by Jack Kennedy.

Full replay and reaction: Willie Mullins hails Majborough as poetry in motion @LeopardstownRC | @Race_iQ

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 1, 2026

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The seven-year-old, partnered by Lisgoold jockey Paul Townend for trainer Willie Mullins, previously won the Celebration Chase at the track, a win which helped Willie Mullins claim a second British Jump trainers’ championship last April.

9-length winner

This afternoon, Il Etait Temps travelled strongly throughout the race having taken the lead from the J.P. McManus-owned Jonbon (3/1) three out.

The gelded son of Jukebox Jury then moved clear for an easy nine length victory to give Mullins a second win in the race after Un De Sceaux in 2016, with the victor of the race the past two seasons, Jonbon, having to settle for the runner-up spot this time.

L’Eau du Sud (7/2) was a further nine lengths back in third for Dan and Harry Skelton.

Living up to all the promise

Successful jockey Paul Townend said of the Hollywood Racing and Barnane Stud-owned winner:

“He is tiny, but he answered every question I asked of him today. I feel silly for not picking him so many times in his career now! He is living up to all the promise he showed as a young horse and went through the race really easily today. He is so relaxed now, and you can do what you want with him. In years gone past, you’d be afraid to ask him for a jump because you’d set him alight and you wouldn’t get him back.

”Willie always has a plan, and he’ll tell us what he wants to do”

What next for Il Etait Temps? Rishi chats to the winning owner pic.twitter.com/u3MgyFLLVb

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) December 6, 2025

Nicky Henderson, trainer of runner-up Jonbon, said post-race:

“When the winner beat us here last year it was at the end of a long season, but today proves that over two miles he is a sharper horse than we are. You have to be tempted to look at going over further with him now. But let’s just see. Nothing is in and nothing is out.

Dan Skelton, trainer of third-placed L’Eau du Sud, stated:

“I don’t think we were at our best today, but I am very happy. We’ll have to get him super fresh, and he’ll go straight to the Champion Chase now – we’ll try and have him in the form he was in for the Shloer at Cheltenham.”

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Carrying the colours of Joe and Marie Donnelly, the Paul Townend-ridden winner came home to loud cheers from the packed stands at the Co Kildare venue.

Prior to the Grade 1 contest, the presence of former champion hurdler Constitution Hill (8/13 favourite) added spice to the race, and the reigning Cheltenham Champion Hurdler of 2025 Golden Ace was also in the six-runner field.

Paul Townend set out in front on the son of Doctor Dino and dictated the fractions throughout the two-mile contest.

With Golden Ace (14/1) and Lorcan William, and Kargese (15/2) and Danny Mullins tracking the leader, eyes turned to Constitution Hill as his rider James Bowen asked for an effort before two hurdles out.

With State Man increasing the tempo, and ultimately his lead, the Nicky Henderson-trained Constitution Hill soon looked in trouble and began to fade.

Townend and State Man were lengths clear heading to the final hurdle, with their only serious danger in front of them.

The Closutton inmate was given time to jump the final flight, and eventually ran out a four and three-quarter length winner over the mare Golden Ace, trained by Jeremy Scott.

State Man’s stable mate, Kargese, with Danny Mullins aboard, was next home, a length and a quarter behind the runner-up.

Ian Donoghue’s Break My Soul (125/1) was fourth, 18 lengths behind Kargese, with another three and a quarter lengths further back to race favourite Constitution Hill.

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Carrying the double green silks of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, the French-bred was a first winner at this year’s festival for jockey Paul Townend, when taking the Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle.

In what looked like a clash between the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle winner from the Cheltenham Festival and the Grade 1 Turners’ Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree, Honesty Policy (5/2), the latter kept on well in the dying stages of the race to win.

Though Jasmin De Vaux bumped the Gordon Elliott-trained runner in the run-in, the Closutton-handled runner had a half length in hand at the line in the Channon Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle.

Andy Slattery’s Fleur In The Park (17/2) was a further six lengths behind in third, under rider Cian Quirke.

It was relief for winning jockey Paul Townend, who lost his irons in the home straight, to finally visit the winner’s enclosure at this year’s Punchestown Festival.

“Always good to get one on the board,” the Lisgoold rider admitted. “You’d have hoped for one yesterday with good rides. We’d to wait a while today to get it and I nearly threw that one away as well!”

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The Closutton trainer’s winners included the three Grade 1 races on the card.

Kaid D’Authie (9/4 favourite) and Mark Walsh was the first Mullins winner on Wednesday. The J.P. McManus-owned French-bred won the Louis Fitzgerald Hurdle by three and a half lengths.

Kaid D’Authie had pulled up on his most recent racetrack appearance, in the Grade 1 Turners’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last month.

Three Grade 1 victories

In the first Grade 1 of the afternoon, Jasmin De Vaux (13/8 favourite) brought up the Closutton-handled double, and gave stable jockey Paul Townend his first winner of the 2025 Punchestown Festival.

The next Grade 1 on the card was a win for Townend’s sister, Jody, as Bambino Fever (11/8 favourite) completed the Cheltenham-Punchestown champion bumper double.

Galopin Des Champs (5/6 favourite) was most impressive – a 22 length winner – in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup. The son of Timos was a fourth winner on the card for Team Mullins.

James Du Berlais (7/1) and J.J. Slevin completed the Willie Mullins five-timer with success in the Grade 3 Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase.

Crucial winner for John Shinnick 

Glanworth, Co Cork jockey John Shinnick closed the gap in his quest for the conditional jockeys’ championship with success on 9/1 chance Thisistheway.

Owned and trained by the Lattas in Wexford, the daughter of Doyen was a length and a quarter victor over the fast finishing Littlefoot (80/1) and Conor Stone-Walsh.

The Tom Mullins-trained, Danny Mullins-ridden Coral River (6/1) was a further three lengths back in third.

Shinnick is now only one winner behind leader Tiernan Power Roche in his bid to succeed Danny Gilligan as champion conditional rider come Saturday afternoon.

British-trained winner

David Pipe continued the success of the British trainers as he won the Adare Manor Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle with Thanksforthehelp (14/1).

Carrying the colours of the race sponsor, J.P. McManus, the Gavin Brouder-ridden eight-year-old grey came late to claim a two and a half-length success from race favourite Ballysax Hank (5/1), with a further three and a quarter lengths back to Stay Gold (20/1) in third.

The Declan Queally-trained and ridden Carrigmornaspruce (11/2) took the concluding Grade 3 Weatherbys GSB EBF (Mares) IMH Flat Race.

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It continued the excellent form on Friday of both Willie Mullins and Paul Townend, as he claimed the race by two and a half lengths from the Irish-trained favourite The Big Westerner (9/2f).

The Henry de Bromhead-handled Darragh O’Keeffe-ridden runner-up was two and a half lengths adrift of the winner, with the Irish-bred Lucinda Russell-trained Derryhassen Paddy (10/1) and Derek Fox another four and a half lengths behind.

“This lad takes a bit of warming up, he’s not the most straightforward, but he’s a classy individual,” Paul Towend admitted post race.”He showed that here last year – that was a huge pick from Patrick and I said, ‘If he picked him last year, I couldn’t leave him behind this year.’

“I think a lot of it is just confidence with him and just getting into a rhythm – I thought there would be plenty go forward – and ride him for class.”

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