Liam Firkin has a play for the Dublin Racing Festival which he is also tipping for success at Cheltenham in March.
Dublin Racing Festival Preview
1st February – 13:40 Leopardstown - Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle
Cheltenham Festival Target: Turners Novice Hurdle
KING RASKO GREY is the horse that I I think is open to lots of improvement and think he will be campaigned towards the Turners Novice Hurdle and has been clipped in today with his form over Christmas having been franked today. Following that win Andy Holding kindly offered some insight to his speed figures and his performance was very encouraging on those ratings for his first run of his career, and it would appear when looking back through his limited form albeit only in a Bumpers, it’s working out extremely well.
The Punchestown Bumper Form Line
In the 2m3f bumper at Punchestown at the end of last season, King Rasko Grey finished in second ahead of Conman John (5th) who over hurdles is twice a winner and placed 3rd of 7 in the Albert Bartlett Grade 2 at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day whilst conceding 3lbs to the first and second and was only beaten a short-head and a neck.
Espresso Milan
But it doesn’t stop there, Espresso Milan was also finishing behind him in that Bumper (7th) who showed he had the class to win over 2m and then for me, he firmly stamped his mark on The Albert Bartlett picture when winning at Navan in the same race that was used as a stepping stone for Monkfish who went on to score in the staying novice race on the Friday at the 2020 Festival.
Sticktotheplan
The final horse worth noting that came out of this bumper is Sticktotheplan who was 13L behind King Rasko Grey and has won a Listed race at Galway before winning a Grade 2, The Persian War for Olly Murphy.
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Why Bumper Form Matters
Many may throw stones at Punchestown Bumper form lines and I can appreciate that stance to a degree but I’d just point them to the 2m Bumper from the 2023 festival:
1st - Ballyburn - Turners Novice Hurdle Winner
2nd - Dancing City - Albert Bartlett Third Place
3rd - Slade Steel - Supreme Novice Hurdle Winner
Maybe the exception and not the rule but…not too bad, eh!
King Rasko Grey has made a good start to his career over hurdles and I think there’s much more to come from him. The limited form we have backs that up and for me and I could see him winning over the 2m trip at The DRF and then as Ballyburn did himself, moving up in distance to run in The Turners where it would appear a far less competitive field at this moment in time and the way he went about his victory at Limerick would suggest to me that he would get further than 2m but if showing the class edge that I think he could have, then that would be enough to see him back up that win at The Dublin Racing Festival.
I’m going to take a chance he has that class edge and I’m going to play him for Cheltenham as well as this weekend at the DRF as a 4/1 shot.
Selections
Tattersalls Novice Hurdle
KING RASKO GREY – 1.5 Pts Win @ 4/1
Turners Novice Hurdle (Cheltenham)
KING RASKO GREY - 1 Pt Win @ 20/1
