Dublin Racing Festival (Day 2) Preview - 02/02/25
- JN Value Betting
- Feb 1
- 6 min read
BEST BETS:
SAVANTE - 12:40 LEOPARDSTOWN - 17/2 (WILLIAM HILL) - 0.5PTS E/W (5 PLACES)
SEARCH FOR GLORY - 14:45 LEOPARDSTOWN - 15/2 (WILLIAM HILL) - 0.5PTS E/W (5 PLACES)
MCLAUREY - 15:50 LEOPARDSTOWN - 7/2 (WILLIAM HILL) - 1PT E/W (5 PLACES)
Day 2 of the Dublin Racing Festival looks set to play out much like day one, with Willie Mullins having the favourite in all of the Grade 1 races, following on from his clean sweep 12 months ago. The Master of Closutton could 'only' muster three out of the four Grade 1s on the opening day, with Final Demand, Majborough and Galopin Des Champs all claiming victory. The other went the way of Gavin Cromwell and Hello Neighbour who landed the Juvenile Hurdle, and look set to fly the flag for Ireland in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in five weeks time.
Before Mullins looks to claim all four Grade 1 races on the day, we kick off with a Listed Mares' Handicap Hurdle over 2m 2f where British raider Queens Gamble looks set to be of warm order for the shrewd Harry Derham stable. Queens Gamble finished runner-up in the Gerry Feilden at Newbury on her stable debut and has been put up 4lbs for that, taking her to the head of the weights here. The Irish challenge looks set to come by way of yep, you guessed it Willie Mullins and Straight Home who looks unexposed following three solid handicap runs this season, culminating in a two and a half length victory at Clonmel last time out. I was drawn to SAVANTE at the prices, this six year-old was travelling strongly when brought down Novices' Handicap Hurdle here over Christmas, with the eventual winner lining up later on in the card here. Should Savante have stayed on her feet last time out, she looked sure to lay down a strong challenge and off a 1lb lower mark here, and Conor Stone-Walsh claiming 5lbs, I think she looks set for a big run and am happy to take the 17/2 on offer, with 5 places available.
SAVANTE - 12:40 LEOPARDSTOWN - 17/2 (WILLIAM HILL) - 0.5PTS E/W (5 PLACES)
A string of five graded races then follow the opener, with the Grade 1 Labrokes Novices' Chase up first where Ballyburn looks set to take all the beating over a more suitable trip than when last seen being beaten by Arkle favourite Sir Gino at Kempton. Ballyburn looks to have turned his attention to the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase over 3m at the Cheltenham Festival, but will have to negotiate this en route. The absence of a 2m 4f Novices' Chase at Cheltenham has forced the hand of many into campaigning over either 2 miles or 3 miles with their novice chasers, and following a heavy defeat over the inadequate distance, Ballyburn looks set for the 3 mile division. This looks to be the perfect stepping stone on his way to Cheltenham. However, he will have to defeat stablemates Impaire Et Passe and Champ Kiely, who have both impressed over the larger obstacles this season.
Attention then turns to the novice hurdling division where once again Willie Mullins looks to win this race for the twelfth time in just thirteen years and he saddles both the top two in the market, Kopek Des Bordes and Kaid d'Authie. The former won well last time out over course and distance, despite a shoddy round of jumping, that will need to improve if he is to claim this Grade 1 prize. The runner-up to Kopek Des Bordes has won since, giving a boost to his form and showing the raw ability that he possesses. The main challenge to Mullins claiming this Grade 1 is by way of Bleu De Vassy for Gordon Elliott, who was last seen when finishing runner-up to Romeo Coolio in the Grade 1 here at Christmas, and improvement on that form will see Elliott's charge go close.
Next up is the Grade 1 Dublin Chase, which has been run just seven times previously. The seven runnings have produced just four winners, for three owners and just one trainer. That of course, being Willie Mullins who looks to maintain his 100% record in the race, and once again he has the top two in the market in Gaelic Warrior and El Fabiolo. The latter is looking to win the race for a second consecutive year. However, he is yet to taste success since landing this 12 months ago. His jumping seems to have deserted him in his two subsequent runs, when being pulled up in the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival before going down to Jonbon in the Celebration Chase at Sandown - albeit, that appears to be a home game for Jonbon. Gaelic Warrior was last seen when finishing runner-up to Solness in a Grade 1 here at Christmas and he looks set to go well on softer ground and with the benefit of a previous run.
A Grade 3 Handicap Chase over 2m 5 1/2f is up next where Grade 1 winning trainer Gavin Cromwell looks set to saddle the favourite with Backtonormal a novice chaser who makes his handicap debut here up in trip and looks relatively unexposed in comparison to the majority of the field. The Noel Meade trained Pinkerton was third in a Listed Chase here over Christmas behind subsequent hurdle winner Percival Legallois, and looks set for another consistent run - however, he may just bump into one or two unexposed types here. My eyes were drawn to Search For Glory for Gordon Elliott. Much like the favourite, Search For Glory is a novice over fences and brings graded form to the table behind Stellar Story and Impaire Et Passe. Elliott has landed this prize twice in the last eight years, both times with a novice (A Toi Phil - 2017 and The Goffer - 2023). The handicapper could have let Search For Glory off lightly here, so am happy to take a punt at the prices.
SEARCH FOR GLORY - 14:45 LEOPARDSTOWN - 15/2 (WILLIAM HILL) - 0.5PTS E/W (5 PLACES)
If you weren't sick of the sight of Willie Mullins landing Grade 1 prizes by now, you look certain to have to endure one more as he saddles four of the five runners in the final Grade 1 of the festival, the Irish Champion Hurdle. Two time winner State Man faces off with stablemate Lossiemouth, to lay down their challenge to Constitution Hill just five weeks out from the Champion Hurdle. Mullins has maintained that State Man is his main contender for the Champion Hurdle, despite suffering two defeats at the hands of Brighterdaysahead, and this appears to be the case with Paul Townend choosing the ride on State Man over Lossiemouth. The ground looks set to suit the mare, and the market has here the 4/5 favourite with State Man priced at 5/4. This looks set to be a great race, and will give us an idea of the main Irish challenge when it comes to the two-mile hurdling division.
The final handicap of the festival is a Listed Handicap Hurdle over two miles where Emmet Mullins trains the JP McManus owned McLaurey and heads the market at 7/2. He won a Limerick maiden hurdle last time out, and looks absolutely thrown in off a mark of 120, with jockey Mark Walsh being forced into a weight of 10st 2lbs. He was behind James's Gate who he opposes again here, however, he is now 16lbs better off than that rival and could easily reverse the form based on that evidence. Emmet Mullins is no stranger to landing prizes such as this with an unexposed type, and I am happy to take the 7/2 on offer here, as this could be a lot shorter come post time.
MCLAUREY - 15:50 LEOPARDSTOWN - 7/2 (WILLIAM HILL) - 1PT E/W (5 PLACES)
The two-day festival concludes with the Grade 2 Mares' National Hunt flat race where Future Prospect is the short-priced favourite for Willie and Patrick Mullins. She cruised to a nine-length success on her rules debut at Fairyhouse and is the pick of the Mullins quartet based on jockey bookings. Amen Kate is next in the market who beat Carrigmoornaspruce by seven and a half lengths on her sole start, with the latter winning both her subsequent starts. Amen Kate appears to bring the most substantial form line into the race, and I would be surprised to not see her go off shorter than the 4/1 she currently is. On three of the four occasions that Willie Mullins has landed this race, he has done so with the stable 'second string' and he runs Bambino Fever here with Jody Townend on board who has tasted success twice already in this race - including last year when winning with Fleur Au Fusil.
