Architect Tips looks at two races from the Dublin Racing Festival with the biggest Cheltenham implications, as Vauban bids to shake up the Triumph Hurdle market.
Pied Piper the rightful Triumph Hurdle favourite, for now
It was great to see Pied Piper return a breathtaking winner of the JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial last weekend and, based upon that performance, he’s probably the rightful favourite for the opener on the final day of the meeting, for now.
But the complexion of the ante-post market might look a bit different if Willie Mullins’ highly regarded Vauban, who was a half-a-length second to Pied Piper on hurdles debut, can enhance the strength of the form and land this weekend’s Grade 1 Racing TV '12 Per Month This Weekend Only' Juvenile Hurdle (13.35pm) by getting the better of Gordon Elliott’s’ unbeaten Fil Dor.
Market Movers likely from mouthwatering contest
The Unbeaten hurdler Fil Dor will bid to extend his unbeaten record to three in a first step up to Grade 1 company but the Willie Mullins-trained prospect Vauban, who caught the eye on debut, stands in his way, while the likes of Ben Siegel, Icare Allen and The Tide Turns add further spice to this mouthwatering contest.
Without a shadow of doubt, whoever can land the spoils will shorten for the Triumph Hurdle next month and I’m hoping Vauban, the current 6/4 favourite for this weekend and my ante-post selection for the Festival, can be that horse to get his head in front.
Blue Lord vs Riviere D'etel in potential Arkle dress rehearsal
The Grade 1 Patrick Ward & Co Solicitors Irish Arkle Novice Chase on the opening day of this weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival on Saturday (14.10pm) is shaping up to be quite a treat.
Reputations for a potential trip to the Cheltenham Festival are firmly put on the line, such as the anticipated showdown between the first and third favourite for next month’s Arkle at Cheltenham - Blue Lord and Riviere D'Etel.
Willie Mullins is responsible for nearly three parts of the field (four of the six initial participants) and his main hope will be favourite Blue Lord, who has looked good over fences to date in winning both starts, but he hasn’t beaten anything of serious quality yet and he’ll do extremely well to concede 13lbs to Riviere D'Etel.
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The latter has developed into a top-class chaser with only one defeat in her chasing career, which came at the hands of Ferny Hollow in the Racing Post Novice Chase at Christmas.
She made the winner pull out all the stops that day and it doesn’t appear that she’ll face anything of his calibre in this weekend’s event as the going might be on the quick side for both Willie Mullins’ other two representatives - Saint Sam and Haut En Couleurs.
I think she could be a good bit of value at a general 11/4 for this and, while it’s not a race I’ll be getting heavily involved with, it should provide further clues to what we might expect in less than six weeks’ time at the main event of the two-mile novice chase division.
