Preview of Dublin Racing Festival
Paul Townend and Galopin Des Champs at Willie Mullins' yard in Closutton Photo: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
One of the Premier meetings in the Irish Jumps racing calendar arrives this weekend with the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown - a top-class warm-up ahead of the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Day one of the DRF kicks off on Saturday with a belting seven-race card, with four Grade 1 contests on the slate with the feature race being the Irish Gold Cup chase at 3.30pm.
Read below to discover the latest tips and a full preview of day one of the DRF courtesy of BoyleSports, who offer the latest horse racing odds.
The action kicks off at 1.15pm with the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle, the first Grade 1 outing on the day and 12 runners will take on the two-mile and six furlong trip around Leopardstown. It’s hard to look past Final Demand in the opener for Closutton powerhouse Willie Mullins, an impressive winner of a maiden hurdle at Limerick when last seen back in December and Final Demand is taken to get the better of stablemate Supersundae in the opener, second in the Grade 1 Lawlor’s Of Naas Hurdle last time out.
The second Grade 1 of the day comes hot on the heels of the first with the two-mile juvenile hurdle up next on the card (1.50). This could be a Mullins-dominated race again with Sainte Lucie and Lady Vega Allen two of the four entries for the powerhouse yard. Saint Lucie could well be the one to side with, the mount of top jockey Paul Townend, a winner of a juvenile hurdle at Punchestown 32 days ago having been recruited from the French ranks.
A Listed handicap hurdle in class one over the three-mile trip marks race four on day one of DRF (2.25) and a massive 26 runners looks set for the off in a typically competitive renewal of this race. At a price, Glen Kiln could be one to keep an eye off the back of an impressive display at Navan for trainer Michael Bowe, who left the impression a longer trip could be even better suited for this six-year-old after his Navan win. The Mullins-trained meeting of the waters simply cannot be ignored however, well adrift of the re-opposing Perceval Legallois in a handicap chase here just before Christmas but should be stronger for that run back over hurdles off what looks a very lenient mark of 112.
The Irish Arkle Novice Chase marks race five on the card and is the third Grade 1 of the day at Leopardstown (2.55). Majborough for the Mullins yard will be very tough to beat here, the Triumph Hurdle winners the Cheltenham Festival last year who made a winning start over the bigger obstacles at Fairyhouse in a beginners chase as an even-money favourite back in December. Stablemate Ile Atlantique roared back to form when landing the Grade 2 novice chase at Naas earlier this month and rates the next best.
€142,500 is up for grabs to the winner of the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup Chase at 3.30pm and superstar chaser Galopin Des Champs is back to defend his crown. The outstanding nine-year-old and dual Cheltenham Gold cup winner looked very much back to his best when battering his rivals into submission at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival, including the re-opposing Fact To File, who is back for another crack here but may not have enough to prevent his stablemate landing a third straight win in this race. King George hero Hewick was as good as ever when second in the Champion Chase at Down Royal and is one away from the Mullins brigade to have a look at for a place, while the Henry De Bromhead-trained Monty’s Star could be another to fill the places in this belting ten-runner renewal.
The action continues at 4.05 with a Listed handicap chase over the two-mile trip with preference heading the way of Midnight It Is for the Gavin Cromwell yard, one win from two this season and a good third at Fairyhouse 321 days ago for the in-form yard so looks the way to go here.
Finally, ten runners will head to post for the Grade 2 bumper to bring day one of DRF to a close at Leopardstown. Gordon Elliott has seemingly kept his big guns in their box for Cheltenham this year but he does have the £300,000 Jukebox Jury gelding He Can’t Dance in this bumper, a winner without too much fuss on debut at Navan when last seen a couple of months ago that should be too strong for his rivals here.
Leopardstown selections - Saturday (via Sporting Life)
1.15 - Final Demand
1.50 - Sainte Lucie
2.25 - Glen Kiln
2.55 - Majborough
3.30 - Galopin Des Champs
4.05 - Midnight It Is
4.35 - He Can’t Dance
