Leopardstown, Thursday 23 July 2026 — Tips & Preview

Leopardstown, Thursday 23 July 2026 — Tips & Preview

Three races on the Leopardstown card catch the eye today, with a pair of Group 3s for two-year-olds headlining proceedings. Good ground suits horses who travel through their races cleanly, and on a card dominated by juveniles, early pace and how these fillies and colts handle 7½ furlongs will be the key factor. Glorious Goodwood is less than a week away, so connections with something smart will be keen to get a black-type run on the board here before the big one in West Sussex.

Worth flagging: Aidan O’Brien’s yard sits at just 3/41 over the last fortnight at Leopardstown, which is well below his long-run 20% strike rate at the track. His runners today are prominent in the market but that recent form dip deserves respect. Joseph Patrick O’Brien, by contrast, has been in cracking nick with 19/58 runners finding the frame in the same period. That’s the yard to follow today.

5:33 — Irish EBF Median Sires Series Fillies Maiden (7½f)

Twelve fillies go to post in what looks a competitive enough maiden, but the market has spoken and it’s hard to argue. Churchill Bond is the most interesting runner from a trainer angle. Paul Twomey returns 26% wins at Leopardstown over the long run, A/E of 1.11, which tells you he gets his horses here for a reason and he’s not shy of landing a touch. Churchill Bond heads the market at 7/4 with Boyle Sports and Betfred going 15/8, which is fair for a yard that knows this course.

The danger is Sea Of Rain at 2/1 with Boyle Sports. She’s had four runs, posting 4-2-2-3 in terms of finishing positions, and is clearly consistent and improving. Jim Bolger’s yard is quiet over the last two weeks but Sea Of Rain’s form line is the most solid in the race. She looks the main threat to the market leader.

Selection: Churchill Bond at 15/8 (Betfred). Twomey’s Leopardstown record is the edge here, and W J Lee knows this track. If she’s ready to win, this is the spot.

6:08 — Saudi Cup Silver Flash Stakes, Group 3 (7½f)

With Alpine Wedding a non-runner, this becomes a seven-runner Group 3 and the market is already polarised around two fillies. Alpha at 4/11 with Boyle Sports and Betfred is the Aidan O’Brien jolly ridden by Ryan Moore, who wins 32% of his rides at Leopardstown over the long run. But again, the yard’s recent 14-day form (3/41) gives pause. At 4/11 the margin for error is zero.

Green Empress Each-Way at 3/1 with Boyle Sports and LiveScore Bet is the more interesting proposition. Trained by Joseph Patrick O’Brien, whose yard is red-hot right now, Green Empress runs for Dylan Browne McMonagle, one of the best young pilots in Irish racing. She’s placed both times she’s run (form figures 2-2), she clearly handles this trip, and on Good ground she should travel well enough to threaten. Joseph O’Brien running two horses in this race (Blonde Over Blue at 8/1 is the other) and having McMonagle on this one rather than Sheridan tells you which one the yard prefers.

At 3/1 against an even-money shot, Green Empress represents the value in the race. With only two places paid, an each-way bet is only viable if you’re truly confident on the place, but at that price a win-only play makes solid sense. If Alpha has an off day, this filly is right there.

Selection: Green Empress at 3/1 (Boyle Sports, LiveScore Bet). Joseph Patrick O’Brien’s form over 14 days makes her yard the one to be with, and the market price is generous against a favourite from a below-par yard.

6:43 — Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes, Group 3 (7½f)

Six colts, two from Aidan O’Brien, two from Joseph Patrick O’Brien, and two 50/1 shots from Robson De Aguiar whose yard has gone 0/12 in the last fortnight. The De Aguiar runners can be ignored at those prices.

Aix La Chapelle at 8/11 heads the market for Aidan O’Brien with Ryan Moore aboard. He’s a winner on debut (form: 1) and Moore’s course record is excellent. But the yard’s recent slump makes laying this at 8/11 a real consideration if you’re that way inclined.

The value angle is Folsom Blues at 5/2 (Boyle Sports, Betfred, LiveScore Bet), trained by Joseph Patrick O’Brien with Dylan Browne McMonagle in the saddle. He won on debut and then ran third, suggesting he’s consistent and competitive at this level. The yard is firing on all cylinders and McMonagle’s partnership with the yard has been productive. At 5/2 versus an 8/11 favourite from a cold stable, this is where the bet is.

Nail House at 12/1 is also Joseph Patrick O’Brien-trained and won on debut, but the stable’s first string here is clearly Folsom Blues given McMonagle’s booking.

Selection: Folsom Blues at 5/2 (Boyle Sports, Betfred, LiveScore Bet). Hot yard, in-form jockey, solid form line, and a price that flatters compared to what Aidan O’Brien’s recent numbers deserve.

Today’s NAP

Folsom Blues — Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes (6:43, Leopardstown)
Odds: 5/2 — Boyle Sports (others: 5/2 Betfred, 5/2 LiveScore Bet)

Joseph Patrick O’Brien has been the form yard at Leopardstown this past fortnight with 19/58 runners, and Folsom Blues gets Dylan Browne McMonagle in the saddle rather than the lesser-fancied Sheridan on stablemate Nail House. Good ground is fine for a colt who has already shown he can compete at Group level, and at 5/2 you’re getting a fair price against a market leader whose trainer has cooled significantly of late. This is the angle the market is underpricing today.