Dublin Racing Festival Tips Day 1: Best bets for Saturday at Leopardstown

Dublin Racing Festival Tips Day 1

The Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown is now established as the first major festival of the spring. Two cracking days of action are set for Ireland's capital on Saturday and Sunday, with no fewer than eight Grade 1 races in store.

Here's our race-by-race look at Day 1 of the DRF, which runs from 13:20-16:40 on Saturday afternoon and which is headlined by the Irish Gold Cup at 15:35.

13:20 - Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle (Grade 1, 2m6½f

Straight in with Grade 1 action for the staying novice hurdlers. Predators Gold found only Caldwell Potter too strong in a 2m Grade 1 here at Christmas on testing ground.

His earlier Punchestown wins gives rise to the idea he'll relish this trip. He is the mount of Paul Townend for Willie Mullins, who also saddles Dancing City, I Will Be Baie and Loughglynn.

The last-named beat re-opposing Gordon Elliott inmate Stellar Story at Limerick in December over this sort of trip.

The mare JETARA is improving all the while this season and has won her last three, including a Grade 3 here over 2m4f on testing ground at Christmas.

She could find even more over this trip and Jessica Harrington has secured Rachael Blackmore's services.

With the 7lb allowance from the geldings, this Walk In The Park mare may be the answer in a tricky opener.

Selection: Jetara

13:50 - McCann Fitzgerald Spring Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1, 2m)

That man Willie Mullins accounts for six of the 11 runners in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle and is bidding for his seventh race win and third on the spin.

Gala Marceau stunned a luckless Lossiemouth 12 months ago in this.

The Closutton mob are completely unexposed and hard to rank. Storm Heart won as he pleased on New Year's Eve at Punchestown, though the form is probably not strong.

Paul Townend sticks with him, which is a clue in itself, but fellow French imports Bunting and Highwind also scored pleasingly first-time-out for Ireland's champion trainer and will have more to come.

Majborough won a valuable contest at Auteuil last spring and debuts now in the colours of JP McManus, so there's serious depth to the Mullins posse.

Gordon Elliott's Kala Conti won a Grade 2 here at Christmas and is progressing, but Joseph O'Brien has a fine record in this race and INTELLOTTO created a good impression in his December C&D score.

He should be some value now upped in grade.

Selection: Intellotto

14:25 - Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase (Grade 1, 2m1f

The possible MARINE NATIONALE versus Gaelic Warrior showdown did not materialise and, surely, the way is clear now for Barry Connell's unbeaten star to land this en route to the Cheltenham Festival once more.

He oozed class over C&D at Christmas and sets a high bar.

Facile Vega was very disappointing here in December as Found A Fifty won a poor Grade 1 with Sharjah in third and so Il Etait Temps - winner at this meeting last year - might gather up the pieces for second.

Selection: Marine Nationale

15:00 - Race And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle (Listed, 3m½f)

The first of the cavalry charges.

Gaoth Chuil won over shorter here at Christmas but NINE GRACES was staying on well at the line for Mikey O'Sullivan and is now 6lb better off for that half-length defeat.

The mare should go well and it could be a big 45 minutes or so for her connections.

Canal End will be popular under Mark Walsh, but BLACK BAMBOO won a Cork maiden hurdle (2m4½f) in good style in October and likely found two miles here at Christmas on the sharp side as he was sixth of 23 on his handicap bow off this mark.

Now Hooded, this trip could see him improve and he's a big price.

Selection: Nine Graces

Each-Way: Black Bamboo

15:35 - Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1, 3m½f)

Just four runners and all eyes on the latest instalment of the GALOPIN DES CHAMPS vs. Fastorslow anthology.

Martin Brassil's charge leads the way at 2-1 for now, but so impressive was the reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup kingpin in his Savills Chase score here at Christmas that he's surely going to level up now.

Conflated was backing out when he unseated in that same contest, so the big two probably have this between them.

Selection: Galopin Des Champs

16:10 - Ryanair Handicap Chase (Listed, 2m1f)

Final Orders remains 6lb higher than the mark he won this from last year and hasn't been firing over fences for a while.

THE FOLKES TIARA won over C&D in December and is only 3lb worse off with the runner-up, The Big Chap, as the lock horns again now.

Henry de Bromhead's charge has scope for better still and his Punchestown third behind Dinoblue back in April serves notice this mark of 130 is in his wheelhouse.

Selection: The Folkes Tiara

16:40 - Donohue Marquees Future Stars I.N.H. Flat Race (Grade 2, 2m)

That rarest of happenings here as A Dream To Share aims to win this bumper for the second year running.

He won the Champion Bumpers at Cheltenham and Punchestown afterwards and is 5-5.

Plans to go hurdling were shelved in the autumn after a setback and, while he won this after a break last year, he's not 12/1 this time and could be vulnerable in a field laced with potential.

The Yellow Clay is another second-season bumper horse for Gordon Elliott, while Jeroboam Machin is noted for Emmet Mullins.

His uncle, meanwhile, saddles five and they all have something to recommend them.

Joystick won here over 2m4f in December and drops in trip but, at the prices, impressive Limerick winner HENS TOOTH is a speculative pick for the champion trainer.

Selection: Hens Tooth