THE Dublin Racing Festival has rightly been hailed as a great success and has rapidly built up a tremendous following with two days of absolutely top class racing to enjoy. There are so many equine stars on show with eight Grade 1 races across the two days with quality racing throughout the cards. There will of course be plenty of Cheltenham Festival pointers and analysis during the weekend and beyond.
On Saturday it is very hard to see past the heavily odds on Chacun Pour Soi in the 1.05 Dublin Chase, even with Min and Notebook in the field.
On Sunday, Appreciate It should continue his winning ways in the 2.10 Grade 1 Novice Hurdle as should Monkfish, who is odds on in the 2.40 Grade 1 Novice Chase.
There are certainly plenty of punting opportunities throughout the weekend and I’m looking forward to all the Irish coverage as well as Grade 1 racing at Sandown on Saturday with the Scilly Isles and a tight looking Cotswold Chase, where Santini should come out on top.
There is also good racing at Wetherby on Saturday and Musselburgh over the weekend.
Enjoy!
Cheers
The Wine Tipster
Our man @TheWineTipster slams in Takingrisks at a huge 40/1!!! pic.twitter.com/xdQwZj7x7X
— Unibet Racing (@UnibetRacing) January 30, 2021
Saturday
1.05 Leopardstown – Novice Hurdle (Golden Cygnet) (Grade 1) 2m 6f
Gaillard Du Mesnil stamped himself as an exciting prospect when cruising to victory here last time out, with the form working out well as the second Mr Incredible has gone on to win easily since. This was his second start for Willie Mullins and Gaillard Du Mesnil can continue his smooth progression in a quality renewal.
Unibet 2/1 win
1.15 Sandown Handicap Chase 2m
Dolos almost picks himself, winner of this last year (when beating First Flow, form that looks even better now) and year before too. This is his Gold Cup and the drop back to two miles is ideal as he didn’t stay over longer at Cheltenham.
Unibet 9/4 win
1.50 Sandown Scilly Isles Novices Chase (Grade 1) 2m 4f
Dame De Compagnie for Unibet Ambassador Nicky Henderson is classy over hurdles and made a very good debut over fences at Ayr. She will progress, the step up in trip should be a big help and she gets a useful 5lb mares’ allowance.
Unibet 4/1 win
2.10 Leopardstown – Irish Arkle Novice Chase (Grade 1) 2m 1f
Franco De Port beat another of today’s rivals Darver Star on his last start, having won on his previous appearance. He looks the one to be chasing home his stable mate Energumene.
Unibet 8/1 each way
2.45 Leopardstown – Handicap Chase 2m 1f
The Shunter is having his first start since the November meeting at Cheltenham when winning the Greatwood Hurdle in good style. It is interesting here that he reverts to fences once again, having won easily over fences in September and then was fourth in a novice chase at Cork in November. The Shunter has won three of his five starts this season and can strike again.
Unibet 7/1 each way
2.55 Sandown – Handicap Chase 2m 4f
Alnadam (NB) hated it at Kempton last time but had in December skated up over this course and distance. That form that is working out very well (third, fourth, fifth all winners next time) and he looked progressive. Really acts on heavy and plenty to like about his chance here.
Unibet 7/2 win
3.15 Leopardstown – Irish Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m
The remarkable mare Honeysuckle (NAP) can make it ten wins from ten starts for the Henry de Bromhead team. On seasonal debut at Fairyhouse, Honeysuckle won the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle for the second successive year when beating Ronald Pump. This wasn’t her most eyecatching performance, yet she is bound to have come on plenty for that run and her trainer Henry de Bromhead has certainly being sounding positive. Once again, she looks to have too much in hand against main market rival Sharjah.
Unibet 5/4 win
Sunday
2.10 Leopardstown – Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m
Irascible (each way) for the Henry de Bromhead team looks the one to be on here to chase home favourite Appreciate It once again. Appreciate It beat Irascible by nine lengths here at Leopardstown over the Christmas period, with the latter really running on well from the last.
Irascible gave every impression that there is plenty more to come and he looks to have a great attitude. He looks a strong each way play.
Unibet 10/1 each way
2.40 Leopardstown – Handicap Hurdle 3m
The remarkable eight-year-old mare Ballyshannon Rose is going for a five timer, having started this winning sequence back in November off a mark of 87 and she starts today off 129. She was put up eight pounds for winning by a length and three quarters at Fairyhouse last time out in January and this is admittedly a much tougher assignment, yet there is definitely more to come.
Unibet 17/2 each way
Koshari for the Willie Mullins team looks overpriced and has an each way chance at minimum, having won comfortably at Cork on his first start since August 2018. This is a much bigger field and a more difficult proposition, yet is he clearly highly thought of as he was running in novice chases against the likes of Monalee and Kemboy back in 2018.
Unibet 14/1 each way
3.10 Leopardstown – Novice Chase (Grade 1) 2m5f
Asterion Forlonge has had two high profile falls on his last two starts, including last time out when coming down at the first when priced at 15/8 taking on Envoi Allen. Asterion Forlonge has bundles of talent as he showed at this meeting last year when winning a Grade 1 novice hurdle and he won his beginners’ chase with ease back in November. This talented individual has to be worth a small each way wager to chase home stablemate Monkfish.
Unibet 12/1 each way
3.40 Leopardstown – Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1) 3m ½f
Minella Indo (nap) can return to winning ways in what is a cracking renewal of the Irish Gold Cup after having a soft fall last time out here in at Leopardstown in the Savills Chase. Before that Minella Indo had looked very visually impressive with his smooth victories at Wexford and Navan. The RSA second to Champ has loads of class and can come out on top in a very classy renewal.
Unibet 6/4 win
