Dublin Racing Festival – Copybet
The Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown has become one of the most popular meetings in the calendar and the two-day jamboree is set to dominate the racing scene this weekend as some of the Emerald Isle's brightest talents put the final touches to their Cheltenham Festival preparations for March.
County Final – Leopardstown
Being able to act on the prevailing ground is going to be crucial and Eric McNamara's COUNTY FINAL can lay claim to a close-up second in a 2m7f Grade 2 novice event at Limerick on his most recent start on heavy ground.
That was just his fifth run over hurdles. He won a Navan maiden (2m3f, yielding) in September by a wide margin and has been second in both runs since.
The first and third from his Punchestown handicap debut over 2m½f in November both won impressively next time and that Limerick run shows his stamina for this test.
A handicap mark of 128 could be significantly underestimating his ability and conditions are optimal here with owner JP McManus' retained rider Mark Walsh taking over in the saddle for the first time.
King Rasko Grey – Leopardstown
The Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle on Sunday looks a belter with 12 runners declared and a host of emerging talents from top yards involved.
Amongst them is KING RASKO GREY for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend, in the same ownership as Galopin Des Champs.
He showed promise in two bumpers a year apart and was back from another break when winning a Limerick maiden hurdle (2m, soft to heavy) at Christmas.
The €250,000 purchase won that race in good style despite an untidy jump at the final flight. There's plenty of room for improvement and conditions clearly won't be a barrier.
Stellar Story – Leopardstown
A field of 13 is set to contest the Irish Gold Cup and three-time winner Galopin Des Champs is favourite to go in again, despite being third behind re-opposing Affordale Fury and I Am Maximus in the Savills Chase over course and distance at Christmas.
The Willie Mullins-trained superstar was lacking a run going into that contest and should be much sharper now, so he's a worthy favourite.
Conditions at Leopardstown are going to be attritional and will take some getting but STELLAR STORY for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud is one runner that will relish the flying mud.
Four of his five career wins under Rules have come on soft/heavy going and he has twice this season run well in Grade 1 company on faster ground than optimal.
He sports a tongue-tie and blinkers for the first time and could run a big race at a fancy price under Danny Gilligan.