Irish racing is gearing up for one of its biggest weekends of the year, the Dublin Racing Festival, which takes place over two days at Leopardstown next weekend.

Now in its third year, there are eight Grade 1 races and €2.1m in prize money up for grabs across the two days as the best of the best on these shores take each other on one more time before heading for Cheltenham.

The PCI Irish Champion Hurdle tops the billing on Saturday, while the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup is centre stage on Sunday. The former will be all the more intriguing if Henry de Bromhead’s star mare Honeysuckle is declared to run. The six-year-old is unbeaten in six starts, having formed a strong relationship with Rachael Blackmore, and the pair looked imperious winning the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhousemost recently.

She could take on three previous winners of the race, Apple’s Jade, Supasundae and Petit Mouchoir, while the Willie Mullins-trained Sharjah will be a big threat also.

The Irish Gold Cup looks like an open contest and could see a bigger-than-usual field with Savills Chase winner Delta Work, Kemboy, Presenting Percy and Road To Respect among the big names. Previous winners Bellshill and Sizing John could also run.

Other star attractions on the weekend include the unbeaten Envoi Allen who has three options, Chacun Pour Soi who is set for the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase, Notebook who is in the ERSG Arkle Novice Chase and Faugheen who could run in the Flogas Novice Chase.

Defi confirms form

The weekend just gone was all about the Defi Du Seuil-Un De Sceaux rematch in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot, and it was the former, the British-trained seven-year-old, who came out on top.

Ridden by Barry Geraghty, Defi Du Seuil took advantage of a perhaps below par Un De Sceaux, who didn’t seem to go as fast as he can from the front for Paul Townend. The winner was impressive though, quickening up smartly to go right away from his old rival in the straight.

Willie Mullins had much better luck at Thurles on Sunday, recording a treble, with each winner impressive in their own right. Real Steel got the better of stablemate Footpad in the feature Grade 2 Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase and he could be a ready contender for the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham now. Elsewhere, the mare Elimay showed a terrific attitude to pull right away from her rivals in a Coolmore-backed Grade 2 mares’ novice chase. Prior to that Monkfish routed his rivals in what looked a good staying novice hurdle.