WHAT a weekend of racing to look forward to with the Dublin Racing Festival featuring eight Grade 1 races with a host of stars on show. On Saturday there is a fantastic renewal of the Irish Arkle Novice Chase and in the Irish Gold Cup there is of course the Boodles Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs, who is heavily odds on at Unibet 1/3 to win ahead of heading to Cheltenham.

On Sunday all eyes will be on the wonderful Honeysuckle, who will get the biggest cheer of the Dublin Festival if she returns to winning form to beat State Man after losing her unbeaten run. In the Unibet Champion Hurdle Honeysuckle is currently Unibet 7/1 and State Man is Unibet 4/1, yet on Sunday they are much more closely matched in the betting.

Earlier in the afternoon the very smart Blue Lord Unibet 3/10 on will win the Dublin Chase Grade 1 in what is a weak renewal and will then head to The Festival.

At Sandown there is a closely contested renewal of the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase, whilst the remarkable Dolos has rightly had the Handicap Chase at 1.45 named after him as his record in the race reads 21121. This certainly looks a deeper renewal than usual, though Dolos has been running well and is Unibet 5/2 to achieve a remarkable fourth success.

There has been really heartening news this week about Altior, as reported by Unibet Ambassador Nicky Henderson, with Altior returning to the Fitzgerald family after progressing so well after a severe bout of colic.     

Enjoy whether at a racecourse or watching #athome on ITV Racing and Racing TV.

Cheers

The Wine Tipster

2.20 Sandown – Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase Grade 1 (2m 4f)

Thunder Rock can come out on top in a Grade 1 where the main four contenders are very tightly matched. Conditions are certainly in Thunder Rock’s favour with the chase course currently good to soft (good in places) at the time of writing on Friday morning, with the ground only continuing to dry out and this could work against the favourite Gerri Colombe.

From a form perspective Thunder Rock’s defeat of Solo at Ascot on his penultimate start couldn’t have been achieved any easier, whilst on his last start he came from well off the pace to finish a staying on third to The Real Whacker in the Dipper at Cheltenham, with Monmiral in second, who reopposes here. In the Dipper if Thunder Rock would have been ridden closer to the action, he would have had a major say in that Grade 2. In time he may well step up to three miles, however in the meantime this Grade 1 looks well within the progressive Thunder Rock’s compass.

2.30 Leopardstown – Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase Grade 1 (2m 1f)

Banbridge will benefit from a strongly run race over this trip to bring out his best performance over fences with the Arkle the much better target for Cheltenham for him than going for the Turners Novices’ Chase over a longer trip. Last time out there was no pace on in a slowly run Drinmore and he finished third after showing at Cheltenham on his previous appearance that he had a high cruising speed and his jumping was superb when beating Tommy’s Oscar by six lengths, who beat Boothill in good style this week. Banbridge was marked in my Unibet blog on that occasion, and he will run a big race in a cracking renewal.

2.55 Sandown – Heroes Handicap Hurdle (2m 7½f)

Remastered (nap) is such an admirable and likeable individual who must be a pleasure to own as this ten-year-old continues to run really well over fences and hurdles. This season he started off his campaign with an easy victory over hurdles at Aintree and then ran a tremendous race over fences at Newbury in their big handicap when second to Le Milos on good ground. On his last appearance when back over hurdles at Kempton he won by nearly five lengths, after having whipped round at the start. Remastered races off a 10lb lower mark over hurdles than fences and surely can strike again on ground which we know he is effective on.

Schalke running off bottom weight in this competitive contest can make the long journey worthwhile for the Rebecca Menzies team, with Aaron Anderson claiming five pounds. Schalke won well at Kelso last time out by six lengths when travelling like the winner a long way out and he was victorious last season over a very similar trip on good to soft so ground conditions should be fine. Schalke looks sure to go well here and has strong each way claims.

Unibet are paying Extra Places in this race

3.05 Leopardstown – Irish Gold Cup Grade 1 (3m)

Stattler can most definitely push his stablemate Galopin Des Champs for stamina and see if there are any chinks in the armour. Stattler showed at The Festival in the National House Chase with his eight-length win over three miles six furlongs that he is serious Gold Cup contender. He was most encouraging too on seasonal debut at Tramore on New Year’s Day when beaten a neck by Minella Indo when looking in the need of the run.

3.30 Sandown – Masters Handicap Chase (3m)

Movethechains can return to winning form in a race where there aren’t many improvers, who look to have plenty on from their revised marks. Last season Movethechains was a win machine rattling off a four-timer at Lingfield, including a couple of victories on good to soft. Movethechains had plenty to do on his reappearance when running in the Welsh National and clearly looked in need of the run when finishing fifth. However, he showed more than enough there to think he’s still reasonably handicapped of a mark of 127 and whilst this is of course competitive Movethechains clearly has more potential, as he is having only his eighth start over fences. The inform Niall Houlihan claims three pounds off this Gary Moore runner.

Unibet are paying Extra Places in this race

Sunday: Dublin Festival

1.40 Leopardstown – Novice Chase Grade 1 (2m 5f)

Mighty Potter can continue the good record of favourites in recent years after his ultra-impressive victory in the Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse. He jumped well there, seemingly having learnt plenty from his Down Royal win on chase debut where he made numerous small errors, and the step up to 2½ miles clearly helped too. 

2.40 Leopardstown – Bulmers Leopardstown Handicap Chase (2m 5f)

Foxy Jacks was a casualty in the Glenfarclas Cross Country at Cheltenham last week but is clearly none the worse for the experience, and his record at Leopardstown in these big-field handicaps cannot be ignored. He was second in this last year to Birchdale (reopposes), he again ran a cracker when a close fifth to Real Steel here at Christmas after being prominent throughout and even when headed, kept trying all the way to the line. A value shout in an open race where Foxy Jacks only runs off a two-pound higher mark than last year.

Glamorgan Duke was a course and distance winner here back in February 2020, with this ten-year-old having an outing last month over hurdles on his first start since November. He will need to show better form than when ninth to The Big Dog in a competitive handicap at Navan in November, however he may well do so on his return to Leopardstown off a rating of 121 and he is worth an each way wager with Unibet paying six places.

3.10 Leopardstown – Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle Grade 1 (2m)

Honeysuckle can bounce back after her defeat in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse as she has always performed very effectively at Leopardstown and returns to the minimum trip.

Honeysuckle is looking to win the Irish Champion Hurdle for the fourth time and can hold off State Man, who is the main opposition here as opposed to Vauban.