Four runners at the Dublin Racing Festival whose ante-post prices are worth watching for the Cheltenham Festival in March.
The Dublin Racing Festival in Leopardstown will host two days of top-class jump racing this weekend, with no fewer than Grade 1 races to look forward to, as well as highly competitive handicap hurdle, chase, and bumper races.
The betting odds for certain runners this weekend, who are intended to make the trip to the Cheltenham Festival in March, are likely to change. Here are four horses to look out for at the Dublin Racing Festival, with clues for Cheltenham in mind.
Predators Gold
- DRF Race - Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle (13:20 Saturday)
- Cheltenham Target – Baring Bingham (Ballymore) or Albert Bartlett
The Dublin Racing Festival kicks off with this 2m6f Grade 1 contest for the novices, the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle (13:20). The Willie Mullins-trained Loughglynn is unbeaten in two starts over hurdles, and his trainer saddles four runners in total for the opener.
However, stable jockey Paul Townend has opted to ride Predators Gold. His presence on this five-year-old could prove significant, and he was last seen finishing second in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle over two miles.
Find out why Predators Gold is fancied by Andy Holding for Cheltenham.
This bumper winner at the Punchestown Festival last year made a nice introduction to his hurdles campaign when successful at the same track in November over 2m3f and looked set to go close in a Grade 1 race at this track over the Christmas period but made a mistake at the final hurdle and finished six and a half lengths adrift of Caldwell Potter at the line.
This will be the longest trip he has faced up against horses who are already proven at the distance, but clearly Paul Townend feels as though this is his best chance of taking the opener, and the man himself rarely makes the wrong choice.
Currently available at 16/1 for both the Baring Bingham (16/1 best price on Betfred) and Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, an impressive victory this weekend might see him go favourite for either of those events.
Marine Nationale
- DRF Race - Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase (14:25 Saturday)
- Cheltenham Target – Arkle Chase
The most exciting two-mile novice chaser is Marine Nationale, who concluded last season with an impressive victory in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and is a warm favourite to remain unbeaten by taking this weekend’s Grade 1 Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase (14:25).
Barry Connell’s star performer made a breathtaking comeback on his chasing debut over course and distance last month, where he jumped and travelled with serious conviction and strolled to an eight and a half-lengths success without coming out of second gear under Michael O’Sullivan.
This seven-year-old is a 4/6 favourite to land the Irish version in March and a 4/9 favourite to claim a third Grade 1 race this weekend. Facile Vega is his main threat, who I have tipped for Cheltenham at an each-way price, but the former will be hard to beat, granted a clear round. He has superstar material written all over him.
Nothing short of another impressive win here could see him become one of the shortest priced favourites for the Arkle in March (currently 4/6 on BetMGM).
Fact To File
- DRF Race - Ladbrokes Novice Steeplechase (13:10 Sunday)
- Cheltenham Target: Turners or Brown Advisory
There is an excellent turnout for the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Novice Steeplechase (13:10), and the horse who stands out is Willie Mullins’ Fact To File. This classy bumper horse from last season finished runner-up in the Champion Bumper at last year’s Cheltenham Festival and was unexpectedly sent straight over fences in November instead of a hurdles campaign.
Even though he met with defeat on his chase debut when second behind American Mike, he utilised that experience to good effect by returning an impressive 17-length winner on his next start over this course and distance over the Christmas period.
That form has serious depth to it, as he left previous Grade 1-winning hurdlers well behind, such as Zanahiyr and Minella Cocooner.
That impressive display earned him a crack at this race, and Willie Mullins has spoken very highly of this horse by describing him as a horse who has everything to reach the top.
He has two options at the Cheltenham Festival, which are the Turners and the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. If he were to succeed this weekend, I have a strong suspicion that the 5/1 for the Brown Advisory (Betfair) won’t last and he will become the favourite.
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Ballyburn
- DRF Race - Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle (13:40 Sunday)
- Cheltenham Target: Supreme or Ballymore
The Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle (13:40) has the makings to be a cracker, where many Supreme Novices’ Hurdle credentials are put to the test.
Farren Glory is one of my ante-post tips for that race. If he wins, then his 14/1 odds for the Cheltenham Festival opener will collapse. However, most eyes will be on Willie Mullins’ Ballyburn.
Despite suffering a shock defeat on his hurdles at Fairyhouse last month when second to Gordon Elliott’s Firefox, he made amends in superb style at this track over the Christmas period when scoring by 25 lengths over the 2m4f distance.
This will be his biggest test to date as he drops in distance, but he is a warm order to take spoils as bookmakers have him as the current EVENS favourite.
He is the 4/1 favourite for the Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle (Ballymore), but if successful this weekend, he is likely to enter the picture for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
He is the 5/1 second favourite on Ladbrokes at the moment behind stablemate Mystical Power, but there’s every chance he will be installed as the favourite if he can justify favouritism here. The bookmakers and punters think he will be extremely hard to beat.
