Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival comes to a dramatical conclusion on Sunday as the track plays host to eight races, including four Grade 1s! In anticipation of what promises to be an unmissable card, our Irish expert has assessed the chances of all eight favourites – labelling them either a ‘banker’ or ‘blowout’. Check out their thoughts below, alongside an exclusive Betfair through the card offer.
PARTY CENTRAL – (12:45pm, Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle) 9/4
Subsequent Coral Cup Winner Heaven Help Us took this contest last year and this looks an equally competitive renewal.
PARTY CENTRAL heads the market for the powerful Elliott, Russell, and Bective Stud axis, with the mare coming into this on the back of a Punchestown Listed success.
An opening handicap mark of 121 looks workable, but that Punchestown form has received knocks since and whether the drop back to this distance is exactly what she wants remains up for debate.
Stablemate Glan should thrive in these circumstances and can pick up the pieces late on.
Verdict: Listed winner latest and opening mark workable but could be found wanting back over this trip. BLOWOUT
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GALOPIN DES CHAMPS – (1:20pm, Ladbrokes Novice Chase) 4/7
A Grade 1 winning novice hurdler last season, GALOPIN DES CHAMPS made an effortless transition to chasing when demolishing his rivals over course and distance over Christmas.
Whilst this represents a significant jump in class for Willie Mullins’ charge, it was promising to see the third, Floueur, go in at Fairyhouse last weekend (now rated 140) and Galopin Des Champs had him 38l behind.
Simply put, this 6yo falls firmly into the ‘could be anything’ category at this stage and arrives looking far less exposed than his main market rivals.
Stablemate Capodanno chased home the classy Bob Olinger at Punchestown last month and can provide Willie Mullins with a 1-2 in this contest, albeit he is expected to find Galopin Des Champs too strong should that gelding bring his A-game.
Verdict: Bolted up over course and distance over Christmas and open to any amount of improvement with that under his belt. BANKER
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CHACUN POUR SOI – (1:50pm, Ladbrokes Dublin Chase) 8/11
Willie Mullins and Rich Ricci have teamed up to land all four renewals of this Grade 1, with CHACUN POUR SOI taking the last two renewals, and he can bring up the hat-trick this afternoon.
The 10yo bombed out in the Tingle Creek on seasonal reappearance yet that wasn’t the first time he disappointed when having to travel over to Britain, and on his start prior to that he had demolished the classy Allaho at Punchestown.
Greaneteen renews rivalry with Chacun Pour Soi and looks the obvious danger, but he has 10lb to find on official ratings and it’s a concern that his record right-handed 6-10 far exceeds his 2-6 record on left-handed tracks like Leopardstown (with those victories coming at odds of 4/7F and 2/5F).
Verdict: Out of sorts last time but he has won the last two renewals of this race and will prove tough to stop if back to anywhere near his best. BANKER
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BLACKBOW – (2:25pm, Bulmers Secret Orchard Leopardstown Handicap Chase) 11/2
Willie Mullins has an exceptional record at the Dublin Racing Festival, and he sends out a trio of runners in this Grade A handicap chase, with both jockey bookings and bookmaker odds suggesting that BLACKBOW holds the strongest chance.
Albeit somewhat frustrating as a hurdler, Blackbow made an impressive start to life chasing when going in at Navan back in November 2020, and although 0-5 since he has run some fine races in defeat since, most recently when chasing home the in-form Dunvegan in the Dan & Joan Moore Memorial at Fairyhouse last month.
The concern for potential backers, however, is that he has been pushed up 5lb for that showing, and has a good record when fresh, so how much improvement can be expected on the back of it looks questionable.
The Shunter has the backform to land this, but may need his first start since July, so Max Flamingo rates the one to beat having contested a Grade 1 here on his last start.
Verdict: Close second last time but a 5lb rise demands more and he has tended to save his best form for when fresh. BLOWOUT
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HONEYSUCKLE – (3:00pm, Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle) 3/10
The likes of Zanahiyr and Saint Roi ran fine races in the Matheson here over Christmas and are expected to have been targeted at this since, but in truth, it is impossible to get away from HONEYSUCKLE, who has taken the last two renewals of this contest.
Henry De Bromhead’s superstar mare added the Champion Hurdle to her CV last spring and is already a skinny price to replicate that next month, but prior to that, she takes in the Irish equivalent, a race she won by no fewer than 10l a year ago.
It will need to take an underperformance of some magnitude, or a huge jump from one of these rivals, should Honeysuckle run to anywhere near that level this afternoon, and therefore she is simply impossible to oppose.
Verdict: Unblemished 13-13 under rules including the last two renewals of this contest and tough to see anything but her bringing up the hat-trick. BANKER
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SIR GERHARD – (3:35pm, Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle) 11/10
Willie Mullins has remarkably landed eight of the last nine renewals of this contest, most recently with subsequent Supreme Novices’ winner Appreciate It.
He has four hopefuls in his bid to enhance that record, with the market fearing last year’s Champion Bumper winner SIR GERHARD most.
This Cheveley Park owned 7yo made an impressive hurdles debut over track and trip in December, when pulling clear effortlessly to score by 8l.
This race was nominated as a potential target afterwards, and Sir Gerhard clearly has a great deal of ability, but this looks a big ask on just second hurdles outing coming up against horses who have achieved more than him, and the value play appears to be to take him on.
Both Three Stripe Life and My Mate Mozzie were narrowly held in this Grade last time out and whilst not as unexposed over hurdles as Sir Gerhard appear to offer better value at the prices.
Verdict: Impressive winner here in December but looks skinny enough considering that others have achieved more. BLOWOUT
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CARRAREA – (4:10pm, Liffey Handicap Hurdle) 11/2
A race where it has traditionally paid to run off a low weight, with nine of the last ten winners carrying 10st 10lb or less.
Getting in here off just 10st 1lb, CARRAREA bids to enhance that trend, and the 5yo certainly has the form to feature having finished third in an ultra-competitive Lingfield handicap hurdle last time out.
That run can be upgraded considering that the ground was likely a little softer than he truly cares for, and he actually gets in here off his Irish mark which is 6lb below the one handed to him by the British assessor.
Carrarea surely has races in him off this rating, but this looks a very competitive race, and it is a notable concern that the yard remains without a winner since November, so at the prices it should pay to oppose him.
Last season’s Fred Winter fifth Coltor bombed out upped to 3m here over Christmas, but he should do better back over this trip and his flat rating of 90 suggests that a hurdles mark of 127 is well within his compass, he looks the better bet at the prices.
Verdict: Surely well-treated off his current rating but the yard is on a long losing run and this looks an ultra-competitive affair. BLOWOUT
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PINK IN THE PARK – (4:40pm, Coolmore N.H. Sires Santiago Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race) 11/8
Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins runners dominate the betting for this often informative bumper, with Mullins’ PINK IN THE PARK topping the list.
This 5yo is exceptionally bred being by Walk In The Park out of a mare related to Champion Hurdlers Morley Street and Granville Again.
She was well supported for a Listowel bumper on debut in September and justified that support in good style, ultimately running out a 14l winner without having to come off the bridle.
Her powerful connections waxed lyrical about her after that victory, and whilst the form looks open to question, she visually looked out of the top draw and even at the prohibitive odds it looks best to keep her on side.
Verdict: Well-bred and could hardly have been more impressive when scoring at Listowel on debut, exciting prospect who looks worth keeping on side. BANKER
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