Through-the-card tips on day one of the Dublin Racing Festival
Four Grade Ones will be run at Leopardstown on Saturday 3rd February
Predators Gold, Il Etait Temps and Path D'Oroux feature in our selections
Expired
Leopardstown races. (Getty)
The 2024 Dublin Racing Festival begins on Saturday and viewers have got a fantastic card to enjoy on Irish Gold Cup day.
Four Grade Ones will be run on Saturday, along with a couple of strong handicaps and the Future Stars Flat Race. Here are our best betting tips on day one of the Dublin Racing Festival.
Since this Grade One was upped from 2m4f to 2m6f in 2018, it's become a key pointer towards the Albert Bartlett. Loughglynn looks tailormade for that three-mile contest at the Cheltenham Festival. I Will De Baie and Stellar Story also hold Albert Bartlett entries, while Jetara could head onto either the Mares' or the Mares' Novices' Hurdle following her run on Saturday.
PREDATORS GOLD (13/8) has been entered in all three novice hurdle races at Cheltenham and he's the only runner in this field who looks to have the class to challenge in the Baring Bingham, or even the Supreme. Paul Townend's mount looked very good on his hurdles debut at Punchestown and ran a stormer when second to Caldwell Potter in the two-mile Grade One over Christmas - in a race where Willie Mullins' other runners couldn't cope with the rain-softened ground.
Stepping up in trip will certainly help Predators Gold, who might have caught Caldwell Potter had he not made a terrible error at the final flight. There's no doubt in my mind that the favourite is the classiest horse in this contest. Compared to some of Willie's other favourites during this meeting, Predators Gold offers decent value at 13/8.
1:50pm Leopardstown - Spring Juvenile Hurdle Tips
As I've mentioned in my Cheltenham Festival ante-post tips series, I feel like Kala Conti's victory over Christmas has been underestimated. Gordon Elliott won't be massively represented in the Grade Ones this weekend, so the fact that she runs has to be seen as a plus. Kala Conti does, however, have five Willie Mullins runners to contend with on Saturday, and it doesn't pay to side away from Ireland's Champion Trainer during the DRF.
Of Willie's entrants, the one I'm most interested in backing is BUNTING (10/1). A winner on the flat during his time in France, Bunting ran out a comfortable winner on his hurdle debut at Limerick, despite a lack of rhythm over his obstacles. Mullins has had 40 days to sharpen Bunting's jumping up for this assignment and Brian Hayes' mount has plenty of ability. He'll be my each-way selection, in what looks to be an open contest.
Marine Nationale took to fences like a duck to water here at Leopardstown in December and his current price of 4/9 is fully warranted. Facile Vega, and not Gaelic Warrior, will be Willie Mullins' first-string in this contest, with Grade One winner Found A Fifty representing Gordon Elliott.
IL ETAIT TEMPS (20/1), meanwhile, can be backed at lengthy odds of 20/1. An outstanding winner of the Grade One novice hurdle at this meeting 12 months ago, Danny Mullins' mount jumped well when winning on his chasing debut at Thurles and gave Patrick Mullins a fright - quite literally - when attempting to upset Gaelic Warrior in the Grade One at Limerick over Christmas.
Willie Mullins' seven-year-old jumps well and clearly loves the track here at Leopardstown. I'm not crazy about the first-time tongue-tie, especially when Il Etait Temps hasn't struggled to see out his races. Willie Mullins knows what he's doing, though, and those odds are too tempting for me to pass up. I'll be backing Il Etait Temps each way, and maybe in the "betting without Marine Nationale" market.
Danny Mullins riding Il Etait Temps clear the last to win The Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown. (Getty)
3:00pm Leopardstown - Handicap Hurdle Tips
JOYEUX MACHIN (25/1) is a horse I've always been fond of. Paul Nolan's charge has impressed at times over both hurdles and fences, but seems better suited by the smaller obstacles. On his last start over hurdles, Joyeux Machin ran up to an RPR of 144 when thrashing some decent rivals at Wexford back in the spring, and saw out three miles well when second to Minella Crooner on his penultimate chase start.
Horses as high as Joyeux Machin is in the weights haven't got a stellar record in this handicap, though, so I'm also going to have a punt on the nicely-weighted BLACK BAMBOO (33/1), who ran well when sixth under top-weight in the two-mile handicap hurdle here at Leopardstown on Boxing Day.
John Murphy's novice has previously shown good form over longer distances, finishing just five lengths adrift of the classy High Class Hero in a maiden at Galway in August, before breaking his duck with a comfortable victory at Cork. Murphy has applied a hood to Black Bamboo for the first time and Danny King's mount will be much happier over this sort of distance.
If you plan on watching any of Saturday's races from Leopardstown via a mobile or tablet, then check out our Irish Gold Cup Live Stream page.
4:10pm Leopardstown - Ryanair Handicap Chase Tips
I've successfully backed both Solness and Madara this season and it pains me to side against the two. However, PATH D'OROUX (7/2) has really upped his game over fences in recent starts and could be very hard to beat carrying just 11-1.
After four fairly poor efforts to kick off his chasing career, Path D'Oroux sparked into life here at Leopardstown over Christmas. Gavin Cromwell's seven-year-old was still cantering when The Folkes Tiara jumped across him at the final flight of the Racing Post Handicap Chase, sending Keith Donoghue crashing to the ground.
Path D'Oroux had no answer to Hunters Yarn on his most recent outing in a Beginners Chase at Leopardstown, but jumped nicely and kept on past Firm Footings in the closing stages to finish second. With Donoghue opting to partner defending champion Final Orders, Sean Flanagan deputises aboard Path D'Oroux and I'm hoping he can guide the market leader to his first victory over fences.
4:40pm Leopardstown - Future Stars Flat Race Tips
No bet for me in the last. The fact that last year's winner and Champion Bumper hero, A Dream To Share is allowed to run in a "Future Stars" contest is an absolute joke. Redemption Day shouldn't be running either. Jalon D'Oudairies is being saved for Cheltenham. I doubt I'll even bother to watch.
Verdict
Saturday's Top Tips at Leopardstown.
Best Bet1: Predators Gold 1:20pm Leopardstown @13/8 at QuinnBet - 15 Units
Best Bet2: Path D'Oroux 4:10pm Leopardstown @7/2 at bet365 - 10 Units
Best Bet3: Il Etait Temps E/W 2:25pm Leopardstown @20/1 at BoyleSports - 5 Units
Best Bet4: Black Bamboo E/W 3:00pm Leopardstown @33/1 at bet365 - 5 Units
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