Alex Hammond answers five questions in her latest blog with the Dublin Racing Festival in the spotlight.
Which Cheltenham Trials Day winner would you be sweetest on to double up at the Festival?
Maestro Conti is now 8/1 with Sky Bet to win the Triumph Hurdle and he did his claims no harm in winning the Finesse Hurdle on what proved to be a mixed day for his trainer Dan Skelton. This lad got the team off to a flyer with their first runner of the afternoon and The New Lion was also on the scoresheet in an unsatisfactory International Hurdle, with Grey Dawning suffering a defeat in the Cotswold Chase in the race before. I’m not sure I’d be sweet on Maestro Conti as such at the Festival, but he looks to have a bright future and goes into the race having done nothing wrong so far.
And was there a beaten horse from Prestbury Park that went straight into the notebook?
Maybe Minella Yoga who was third to Maestro Conti. His trainer Paul Nicholls needs some potential stars to look forward to, and this horse looks to have scope and ability to be a long term prospect for the former multiple champion trainer. It’s worth noting that he beat his elder Act Of Innocence at Newbury on his previous start (in receipt of plenty of weight) and that form looks strong and he’s one for the long term rather than necessarily for the big festivals this time round.
The Irish Gold Cup is the focal point at the DRF - can Galopin Des Champs rise again on Saturday?
He’s dangerous to write off on Saturday even given his defeat in the Savills Chase on his return over Christmas. His record at Leopardstown is superb with seven wins from nine starts and the Mullins stable were operating at a much lower strike rate than usual when he was beaten back in December. That month the wins to runs percentage was just 14% and at the time of writing in January it’s 33%. He will equal the record of the legend that was Florida Pearl if he wins this race for the fourth time, although he would be the only horse to win on four consecutive years, and trainer Willie Mullins has won the race an incredible 14 times.
Are you Lossiemouth or Brighterdaysahead in Sunday's Champion Hurdle?
At the prices and on the ground (which was flooded earlier in the week) I’m taking a chance on Anzadam who is 6/1 with Sky Bet. He has his quirks but is clearly talented and its possible a test on this ground will favour him. He obviously has work to do to beat the two mares at the top of the market but in this sort of ground you can get unusual results. The wonderful Lossiemouth is 8/11 which is too short for me and Brighterdaysahead is a 15/8 shot. Let’s roll the dice and hope for a turn up.
Give us one novice and one handicapper who could be worth keeping an eye on.
The novice is easier than the handicapper. I’m keen on Romeo Coolio in the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase on Saturday but as I’m writing this column, I hear that his main market rival Kopek Des Bordes will not run in this two mile one furlong Grade 1 so he’ll be no price sadly. I do think that he’ll make this a real test though, but it won’t be as challenging for him to win as it first looked. To add some value, I’ll throw Western Fold into the mix as a novice to follow. He’s up against the might of Final Demand in Sunday’s 2m 5 ½ furlong novice chase, so life won’t be easy, but he’s held in high regard by trainer Gordon Elliott, has bags of experience, and he won’t lack for stamina. He’s an 8/1 shot to turn over the 4/11 favourite.
The handicapper I’ll highlight is A Dream To Share who is entered in Sunday’s two mile handicap hurdle for trainers John and Thomas Kiely. This horse was top class in bumpers winning at the Cheltenham festival and at Punchestown. He went into the wilderness after that but gained a win in a flat maiden two years later last summer. He’s now had five runs over hurdles but showed more last time over two miles three furlongs at Punchestown and the return to two miles should suit this weekend. For a horse rated 101 on the flat he should be capable of operating off his hurdles rating of 124. He’s 8/1 with Sky Bet.
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