Ben Linfoot answers 10 key questions ahead of the inaugural Dublin Racing Festival

What is the Dublin Racing Festival?

Irish Champions Weekend has been such a success on the Flat it’s not really a surprise that a similar concept has been developed in the National Hunt sphere.

Traditionally Leopardstown host the coral.ie Hurdle card the third weekend in January, with the Irish Champion Hurdle taking place the weekend after that.

The Irish Gold Cup card has previously been run the second weekend in February, so, effectively, the Dublin Racing Festival is a streamlined merger of the three meetings, all wrapped up in a tasty two-day Grade One extravaganza.

With €1.5million of prize-money on offer and three new races added to the programme, the inaugural running of the DRF has attracted widespread praise for the emphatic re-jig.

The timing is crucial. The first weekend in February is perfectly positioned between the festive racing programme and the Cheltenham Festival, with still six weeks to go until the action at Prestbury Park gets under way.

And organisers have been rewarded with some superlative entries. It really is a meeting to get excited about.

But why are there so few British-trained runners entered?

Ruby Walsh made a valid point on Racing UK about travel and the logistics and the costs involved with taking horses across the Irish Sea.

It’s a pretty small pool of top-class horses that could realistically challenge the best of the Irish, too, and, make no mistake, the very best of the home contingent are running this weekend.

But you can’t help but think some British trainers might be missing a trick here. With ample recovery time before the Festival and some serious prize-money up for grabs, it’s a shame that only a handful of representatives will challenge the Irish runners.

There is an all-about-Cheltenham element to this. It is a shame. But it is the first year of the new meeting. These things take time to develop. Hopefully next year we’ll see more British hopefuls travel over and that they help the meeting to grow.

It is only a minor gripe. The cards have hardly suffered for the lack of overseas challengers given the strength in depth of the home team. But, on the Flat, Irish Champions Weekend has been a real success thanks to its appeal to overseas runners.

It is with hope, but not anticipation, the DRF will receive the same boost given time.

Which Faugheen will we see in the Irish Champion Hurdle?

Onto the racing and where to start but Faugheen and the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle on the Saturday.

The rumour mill was in full flow after his tame effort in the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown on December 29, where he was pulled up after weakening quickly three from home.

Was it a wobble, a nobble, a flounce or a bounce? Whatever it was, it wasn’t Faugheen The Machine, that’s for sure. If it taught us anything, it’s that horses aren’t machines – even when it’s their nickname.

On his best form, Saturday’s rivals won’t see which way he goes. He’s a genuine mid-170s hurdler at his very best and there doesn’t look to be a rival against him that could achieve a number anywhere near that this weekend.

But could you back him after last time? I’m not sure I could. There has to be a possibility that his setbacks have caught up with him and he’s not the horse he once was.

If that’s the case it brings Melon, Defi Du Seuil and Mick Jazz right into the equation. You would think Supasundae needs a pace burn-up, an unlikely scenario, to get involved.

But this revolves around Faugheen. You couldn’t rule out last time being a blip, you couldn’t rule out Willie Mullins getting him back to something like peak form quickly.

Yet when it comes to putting down cold, hard cash, I’m just not sure I could rely on this Machine revving into top gear. As much as I’d love to see it, for the Champion Hurdle’s sake.

SKY BET ODDS: Irish Champion Hurdle: Faugheen 11/8, Melon 9/4, Defi Du Seuil 9/2, 10/1 BAR. Prices correct at 1930 GMT on 01/02/2018

Our Duke in the Irish Gold Cup, to bet or not to bet?

A similar dilemma awaits punters in the Unibet Irish Gold Cup on Sunday.

Our Duke wouldn’t be quite so far ahead of his rivals as Faugheen is at his best, but that Irish Grand National romp, off a mark of 153, is a piece of form his Irish Gold Cup rivals have failed to match.

Of course, that was over 3m5f. He’s a very strong stayer. It’s what marks him out as a viable Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup contender. But, three miles? His stamina could well come into play, but, considering he’s returning following a setback, he’s one to take on this weekend for my money.

At three miles, he doesn’t have the best form. Djakadam and Outlander do.

The former was poor last time, a mistake three out knocking the stuffing out of him, but he wasn’t the only Mullins runner to disappoint at Christmas. He’s usually a very consistent horse and three miles around Leopardstown should, in theory, be right up his street.

It wasn’t to be last time, but he ran well here when third to Outlander in the 2016 Lexus Chase, keenness in the early stages not helping his chance that day.

If he were to bounce back to his best he’d be in with a shout, but I marginally prefer Outlander on Sunday due to his exceptional Leopardstown record.

His form figures at the track are 11113 including two Grade One wins in the Flogas and the Lexus. His third came in the latest renewal of the latter race, now called the Leopardstown Christmas Chase, which was a good effort on the back of being bogged down in the Haydock mud in the Betfair Chase.

With no Road To Respect to contend with on Sunday, he can further improve his exceptional track record.

What does Samcro running in the Deloitte tell us about his Cheltenham target?

I’ve pretty much avoided the C-word so far. The racing this weekend is so good in its own right, we don’t need to mention the C-word, not yet.

But Samcro running in the Deloitte over two miles is a fascinating development. Does this mean he could run in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham after all?

Ante-post punters certainly think so. When he wasn’t declared for the 2m6f Grade One that opens up the meeting, more on that race later, Samcro’s Supreme price nosedived on Oddschecker.

A sea of blue next to his name, he’s as short as 3/1 with the Non Runner No Bet bookies now and generally 6/1 elsewhere.

Is Gordon Elliott seeing if he’s got the speed at the highest level for two miles? It looks that way from the outside. It’s certainly an interesting development.

A son of Germany, there are similarities with his sire’s most famous son, Faugheen. Mullins learnt about his optimum distance during his novice hurdling season, running him over as far as three miles at Limerick in December before dropping him back to 2m5f for the Neptune at the Festival.

It wasn’t until Punchestown in late April that he tried him over two miles, the astonishing result ringing the Champion Hurdle alarm bells for the first time.

With Samcro, it seems Elliott is keen to learn if he has the pace for a speed test much earlier on in his novice season. If he passes this test, his most fearsome yet, like he has his others at a slightly lower grade, the Supreme comes right into the reckoning.

Are you are Yorkhill man or a Min man, man?

I am very much a Min man. Ask me at the Cheltenham Festival and things would likely be different. But, with the Coral Dublin Chase in mind, it’s all about Min for me.

Firstly, it’s fantastic that these two stablemates are taking each other on now, six weeks before Cheltenham. This is a real coup for the inaugural DRF.

But Yorkhill, he has too many questions to answer. All of his best form is in the spring, particularly at the Cheltenham Festival and he’s looked a difficult ride on occasions, too, including last time when his jumping was sketchy, to say the least.

It looks a good move dropping him in trip following the failed experiment over three, but this is a pretty severe drop to 2m1f. There’s very little evidence it’s what he wants and, even though a Champion Chase challenge has been stated as the preferred route, it wouldn’t be a surprise if his optimum trip was the intermediate one.

A Ryanair Chase diversion wouldn’t be a shock with him, but Min looks an out and out two miler. He wasn’t at his best over Christmas, but he still ran much better than some high-profile stablemates and it should be remembered that was only his second run in a year.

Given how Mullins campaigns his horses, you expect improvement from Min after his Leopardstown demotion last time. He was keen that day, doing too much too soon, but if he just settles a little better significant improvement should be forthcoming.

He can beat Simply Ned within the rules this time and, in what looks a two-horse race (Special Tiara needs better ground than this, doesn’t he?) on paper, he very much looks the bet at around 5/2 against his odds-on stablemate.

SKY BET ODDS: Irish Arkle: Footpad 4/7, Petit Mouchoir 5/2, 12/1 BAR, Prices correct at 1930 GMT on 01/02/2018

Is Footpad a vulnerable favourite in the Irish Arkle?

I don’t think so. He’s just looked so good in two novice chases so far. A slick and quick jumper, he’s improved his form significantly for seeing a fence, so arguing that Petit Mouchoir was a slightly better hurdler seems pretty futile.

PM was a slightly better hurdler, though. He beat Footpad in last year’s Irish Champion, so we know he likes this time of year and this track, while he upheld that form at Cheltenham when the pair finished third and fourth respectively in the Champion Hurdle.

He also looked quick over his fences himself on his chasing debut at Punchestown, but that was back in October. A setback has meant he’s been off the track since and that could be crucial when the heat is on in the Irish Arkle this weekend.

Footpad was electric on his chasing debut and he stepped up on that form at this track in the Grade One Racing Post Novice Chase over Christmas. Petit Mouchoir will have to be some tool to beat him after nearly four months off on that evidence.

It’s another fantastic horse race. Another one where it’s refreshing to see two high-profile horses in the division bang heads before Cheltenham. But in this one, I couldn’t take the favourite on. The market looks to have got this dead right.

Is 2m6f enough of a stamina test for Fabulous Saga in the G1 opener?

The Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle that opens the meeting really is a fascinating start to the two days and I can’t wait to see Fabulous Saga in action.

He has looked a serious galloper from the front since the tongue-tie was applied and he ran a crazy race at Limerick last time when he justified 8/13 favouritism in unlikely fashion.

Again, he attempted to make all, but when he was headed two out by Burren Life victory looked unlikely. Five or six lengths down, he traded at 25/1 in-running on Betfair, but he rallied impressively to win going away by almost four lengths.

On that evidence, the drop to 2m6f is a concern. The Albert Bartlett looks the only race for him at the Festival and even then you’d think he’d need a strong gallop and a fair amount of rain to have a chance.

But, that Limerick form is the best on offer in this. And that Limerick race has produced four Cheltenham winners in the last decade, it’s always worth keeping an eye on.

Tactically, too, he could be at an advantage. He looks the only one likely to lead. They won’t want to give him too much rope, that’s for sure, and his presence in this makes for a really intriguing start to proceedings.

Is Monalee’s last-time out fall of major concern ahead of the Flogas Novice Chase?

Having an ‘F’ next to your name ahead of a Grade One novice chase is far from ideal, but with Monalee I think it’s less of a concern.

He jumped really well on his chasing debut at Punchestown and he was similarly excellent over his fences in the Grade One Neville Hotels Novice Chase, won by Shattered Love, until he crashed out midway through the Leopardstown race on December 29.

That was a heavy fall and Henry de Bromhead said he got a bit of a kicking afterwards, too, so it remains to be seen if he suffers in the confidence department following that nasty experience.

Hopefully he won’t, as he looked a natural over fences, like so many do from his yard, until not taking off in time at the 10th when last seen.

We know he has the class after his Albert Bartlett second and the promise he showed over fences in one-and-a-half novice chases ensures he remains a well-fancied 7/1 chance (best odds) for the RSA Chase.

The Flogas Novice Chase has proven a good launchpad for that race in seasons past, think Cooldine, Bostons Angel and Lord Windermere, and Monalee could well get back on track for a crack at the RSA with a fluent round of fencing this weekend.

What horse is on your radar for the Coral Hurdle?

Boherbuoy. I love this horse’s form.

An impressive winner on his first start over hurdles at Sligo last July, he improved for the switch to handicaps when running a mighty race in the Ladbrokes Ireland Handicap Hurdle at Listowel on September 14.

Settled in the rear by Mark Enright, he cruised through the field looking the likely winner as they entered the home straight, but, if anything, he got there too soon and had to settle for third in the end behind Lagostovegas and Davids Charm.

The trio were nine lengths clear of Swamp Fox, a horse that franked the form when winning the Naas November Handicap on the Flat two months later.

It’s not the only form boost the race has had, either, as the winner Lagostovegas ran a huge race in third in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket, while the runner-up, Davids Charm, won the valuable Grade A Bar One Racing Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse on December 3.

That is strong form and Boherbouy has been saved for this since, bar a run out on the Flat at Dundalk to keep him ticking over on December 22. That was over 10 furlongs and his last-place finish is of little significance with Saturday’s race in mind.

Likely to be held up again, he could well be a hostage to fortune in this big field. But, at 25/1, considering that Listowel form and how lightly raced he is, I’m prepared to take a chance.

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