Weekend Racing: Expert Panel on the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown

There are 15 races packed with quality at the Dublin Racing Festival – which one are you most looking forward to?

Ben Linfoot: Even though it’s a small field of four I’m really looking forward to the Irish Gold Cup on Saturday. Galopin Des Champs is a horse that fills the eye and he was superb in this race last year, paving the way for Cheltenham Gold Cup success. Old rival Fastorslow has beaten him twice against the odds, both times when the emphasis has been on speed, in a slowly-run tactical race at Punchestown and then over 2m3f and a bit in the John Durkan at the same track. This could be tactical again, but I think going anti-clockwise can help Galopin, although another former winner, Conflated, could get a freebie on the front end. Galopin bounced back with a big performance here at Christmas, but how revved up will Willie Mullins have him with Cheltenham in mind? It’s fascinating and I’m not sure it will be as straightforward as the odds suggest, for all that I’d love another dominant performance from the odds-on favourite.

Tony McFadden: It's disappointing how many of the Grade 1s are going to feature a long odds-on favourite, but the Ladbrokes Novice Chase on Sunday could be a cracker if Gaelic Warrior - who wasn't declared for Saturday's Irish Arkle - takes on stablemates Fact To File and Grangeclare West. Gaelic Warrior is the one to beat having created such a sparkling impression in his two starts over fences, including in Grade 1 company at Limerick over Christmas, but going left-handed for the first time in this sphere will ask a new question of him.

Matt Brocklebank: Loads to choose from, obviously, but if I could watch just one race it'd probably be the Ladbrokes Novice Chase over the extended 2m5f on Sunday. It's going to take plenty of winning but I genuinely believe Fact To File could be on the fast track to chasing stardom and if he steps up again from the brilliant win over Christmas then it's going to take a special performance to lower his colours. He's just as exciting as Il Est Francais in my view - maybe they'll meet in a Gold Cup one day but I won't hold my breath...

Galopin Des Champs or Fastorslow for the Irish Gold Cup?

Ben Linfoot: Well, I set myself up nicely for this question! It’s purely an odds thing, but I’d rather back FASTORSLOW at 3/1 than Galopin Des Champs at 4/9. I just think we are dealing with a horse that has beaten Galopin Des Champs twice when the emphasis has been on speed and it could end up that way again. Add into the mix that if Galopin is operating somewhere near his best here, and I’m talking 185+ on Timeform figures, then it would be asking something special of the horse to go and do that again at Cheltenham in six weeks’ time considering what he achieved at Christmas. A dip from the Savills Chase would not be too much of a surprise and with that in mind, I’m happy to take Martin Brassil’s horse at the prices.

Tony McFadden: Fastorslow came out on top the last couple of times he met GALOPIN DES CHAMPS in the Punchestown Gold Cup and John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase. However, it's no surprise that Galopin des Champs is a long odds-on favourite here as the form he showed when winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup last season and the Savills Chase in December mark him out as the outstanding performer in the division. With a Cheltenham Gold Cup defence on the horizon, it might be asking a lot for Galopin des Champs to reach the same heights he hit in the Savills Chase, but he has a fair bit of margin for error on the figures.

Matt Brocklebank: Three words would probably answer this question sufficiently although I wonder if it could be a little more nuanced than that. If I had a gun to my head with someone demanding I tell them the winner then I'd clearly say GALOPIN DES CHAMPS, but is he entitled to run just a little bit flat in comparison to the freakishly good effort in the Savills? Especially with the Gold Cup just around the corner. But anything like his best form should and most probably will be enough for the Mullins horse to make it 2-2 in this private mini-battle with Fastorslow, who has run three times at this track in the past and finished 10th, 12th and last of five.

What's your banker and is there a short-priced ‘big gun’ you’re keen to take on?

Ben Linfoot: I’m quite keen to take on Mullins’ Predators Gold in the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle that opens the meeting. I still think Mullins will win the race with LOUGHGLYNN, who was impressive in the Limerick novice hurdle that always works out well at Christmas. He looks a strong stayer and with the emphasis on stamina in this 2m6f and a bit contest he can come out on top under Patrick Mullins. As for a banker I’ll go FACT TO FILE in the Ladbrokes Novices’ Chase on Sunday. Even if he takes on Gaelic Warrior I think he could have the edge going left-handed.

Tony McFadden: BALLYBURN will perhaps want further than two miles to be at his very best but he should still prove too good for his rivals in Sunday's Grade 1 (13:40). He has a stout pedigree but showed a surprising amount of speed in bumpers last season, winning twice at Punchestown in the style of a top-notch talent. He came up short on his hurdling debut at Fairyhouse in December but that was probably down to a lack of sharpness, rather than lack of speed, and he was up against a promising rival who had race fitness and a previous outing over hurdles to call on. The form of Ballyburn's win in a two-and-a-half mile maiden hurdle here over Christmas is working out surprisingly well considering Ballyburn was in a completely different league to his opponents and he looks every inch a Grade 1 performer. As for one to oppose, you'll have plenty running for you if taking on STORM HEART in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle (13:50). Yes, he looked like an exciting prospect when bolting up on his hurdling debut at Punchestown in December but there are a host of lightly-raced and unexposed juveniles in opposition here who could take an even bigger jump forward.

Matt Brocklebank: BALLYBURN would be the recommended banker as he'll be perfectly happy back at two miles in Sunday's Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle, although I still think he'll be seen over the intermediate trip (Baring Bingham) come Cheltenham in March. I can't really oppose El Fabiolo or State Man so will loop back to the Saturday card and suggest we take on Predators Gold in the opening race. He might just lack the gears of stablemate I Will Be Baie, but the horse to be on is definitely Jessica Harrington's mare JETARA, who gets 7lb from the boys and brings stacks of experience into it as a second-season novice. She'll stay the trip and copes with any ground, while Rachael Blackmore isn't a bad stand-in jockey either.

Is there a handicapper on your DRF radar?

Ben Linfoot: THE BIG CHAP is the sort of unexposed handicap chaser to follow closely and he could be a bet in the Ryanair Handicap Chase over 2m1f on Saturday. He beat My Mate Mozzie earlier in the season and proved himself a horse that can have a big say in this sphere when second to the reopposing The Folkes Tiara at this track at Christmas. He went right at the last that day yet was closing on the winner at the line and a 3lb pull at the weights can help him reverse the form.

Tony McFadden: MAGICAL ZOE has a strong-travelling style that suggests she could be ideally suited by coming off a strong pace in a big-field handicap, so she looks interesting in the valuable two-miler (15:50) on Sunday's card. She shaped really well when a staying-on second in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last season, while she also ran creditably when runner-up to Irish Point on her latest outing at Down Royal in November, for all she was favoured by the weights in that Grade 3 event. An opening Irish hurdles mark of 137 could be lenient.

Matt Brocklebank: I'll be hovering over PANDA BOY's Grand National odds (40/1) when he runs in the three-mile handicap hurdle on Saturday (3.00) as it could set him up nicely for Aintree, but it's another discipline-switcher SO SCOTTISH who stands out in Sunday's Timeless Sash Windows Handicap Hurdle. He was sent off just 5/1 for the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham last time and, after taking a fall there, is able to run off a 13lb lower mark back over the smaller obstacles this weekend. His last run over hurdles was a nine-length maiden win over two miles on decent ground and this just looks yet another seriously shrewd move by his connections.

Domestically, we have the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase – what do you expect to unfold at Sandown?

Ben Linfoot: I think it’s a tight race and I wouldn’t rule any of them out. With that in mind the outsider of the lot NICKLE BACK is an interesting runner. Yes, he has to reverse Newbury form with Hermes Allen, but if he can just settle a tad better out in front he could be a very tough horse to peg back around this course. He will have to settle better to win this, but the nature of the track could help him do so and he’s certainly not out of calculations.

Tony McFadden: The Scilly Isles looks like a trappy race and I'm more interested in the following handicap hurdle (15:10). It's a competitive affair but ED KEEPER is a young stayer going in the right direction and he may well have been arriving here on a hat-trick had he not made a mistake at the final flight at Cheltenham on New Year's Day. He impressed with how smoothly he moved into contention at Cheltenham and remains with more to offer.

Matt Brocklebank: This has ended up being a pale imitation of the Grade 1s we'll be watching in Ireland this weekend but I was very much taken with LE PATRON at Sandown when last seen and don't see this trip being much of an issue. He's clearly blossoming and his form could hardly have worked out much better, with the Henry VIII second and third both winning Grade 2 events since.

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