El Fabiolo the star attraction on Leopardstown’s Monday card
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Sun 1 Mar 2026
El Fabiolo will be out for Leopardstown redemption when he appears as the headline act in the QuinnBet Hurdle at the Dublin track on Monday.
Willie Mullins’ nine-year-old, who was once a Champion Chase contender, is a dual Grade One winner at the Foxrock venue, but his last couple of visits to the Irish capital have ended in disappointment.
El Fabiolo earned himself a shot at the Irish Champion Hurdle after successfully reverted to the smaller obstacles at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve, but having attempted to make all the running, he weakened to finish last of five behind the likes of Brighterdaysahead and stablemate Lossiemouth.
While that pair head to the Cheltenham Festival with high hopes of glory, El Fabiolo drops in class in a bid to claim a 10th career win.
Daryl Jacob, racing manager for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, said: “There wasn’t much pace on in the Irish Champion Hurdle so we set out and to make the running and he folded quite tamely after the second last, so maybe that run came a little sooner after Punchestown than we thought.
“We thought he was well after impressing at Punchestown and the Irish Champion Hurdle was well worth the roll of the dice. It didn’t work out and now we’re dropping back to calmer waters and hopefully he will be competitive.
“We think he’ll be fine on the (testing) ground and it shouldn’t be a worry to him – he’s a big, strong, powerful horse.”
El Fabiolo faces opposition from within his own stable in the form of impressive Tramore maiden winner Soir De Garde, who reappears from 323 days off the track, while the biggest danger on the form book comes from Gordon Elliott’s ever-consistent Maxxum, who sports first-time cheekpieces.
David Kelly’s Linden Arden and the Oliver McKiernan-trained No Looking Back complete the line-up.
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