Watch: The Racehour Reviews Dublin Racing Festival, Plus A Bold Cheltenham Call

The Racehour - powered by Bet365 - returns once more, with this week’s episode dedicated to a full review of a thrilling 2026 Dublin Racing Festival. 

With Stephen Cass on his travels, Dean Ryan steps into the host’s chair to guide listeners through two high-octane - albeit delayed - days at Leopardstown.

He is joined by regulars Diarmuid Nolan and Tony Keenan, and the trio waste no time digging into the major talking points from a weekend packed with big performances, hard races and Festival-shaping moments. 

Strong opinions are formed, challenged and refined, as the panel assess which horses enhanced their Festival credentials with - and which may have left their best run at Leopardstown.

Leopardstown Highlights & Festival Fallout

The discussion begins with a race-by-race breakdown of the Dublin Racing Festival, as the panel analyse the standout winners and the performances that caught the eye. 

Diarmuid is particularly bullish on one novice chaser, expressing strong confidence that the horse could develop into a serious Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase contender come Cheltenham.

Tony, meanwhile, takes a more cautious view on some of the weekend’s heroes, pointing out that Leopardstown can be a demanding test and flags a number of runners who may have paid a price for their efforts.

Gold Cup Views & Looking Ahead To Cheltenham

Attention inevitably turns to the Cheltenham Gold Cup, where Dean makes his position clear - insisting that Fact To File is the one to beat in March. 

The panel debate the strength of the form coming out of Dublin and how it stacks up against potential British challengers still to show their hand.

Tony adds further nuance by highlighting which Dublin performances should be upgraded in the eyes of horse racing betting sites as the Festival picture continues to evolve. 

* Do you agree with what the guys had to say, or do you have some strong opinions of your own? Let us know in the comments below!