Jane Mangan’s William Hill blog: Dublin Racing Festival Day One and Two Preview

William Hill ambassador Jane Mangan is on hand with her preview of the Dublin Racing Festival action across Saturday and Sunday.

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Leopardstown, Saturday

The Grade One Nathaniel Lacy Novices’ Hurdle (1:15pm) kicks off the Dublin Racing Festival and is a wide-open renewal, and it is not one where I am too confident in those at the head of the market. Santo Sospir is the horse who has proven he can handle heavy ground, having dispatched Baby Kate by nine lengths in similar conditions at Clonmel last time. That mare is quite smart, and I think he is overlooked with Jack Kennedy preferring Kazansky. With that said, Sean Bowen is no bad substitute and he looks overpriced here.

Next is the Grade One Juvenile Hurdle (1:50pm). The best juvenile hurdler I have seen so far this season is Narciso Has, who really impressed me over course and distance last time out. While he was beaten by Mange Tout on his stable debut for Willie Mullins, he was expected to improve for that run, and he did just that at Christmas. Mange Tout does reoppose in what looks a good renewal of the race, but I think Narciso Has is tactically versatile, and I expect him to be the best of them all here. Kargese, Vauban and Quilixios have all won this on the way to Triumph Hurdle success, and I think Narciso Has will join that list.

With a huge field in the three-mile handicap hurdle (2:25pm), I like the chances of Wendrock. He is only one from 11 in his career so far, but he was a decent enough juvenile hurdler last year, contesting Grade One company. Last time, I thought there was a real glimmer of hope over two and a half miles off a mark of 130, which has been left unchanged for his fifth-placed effort behind Champagne Kid. Josh Williamson takes off a handy five pounds, and I think he is the each-way play here.

Willie Mullins has won the last five renewals of the Irish Arkle (2:55pm), while surprisingly Gordon Elliott has never managed to win the race. I think that is set to change here with Romeo Coolio. He is a very straightforward, accurate jumper. He won the Drinmore and followed up with a strong course-and-distance success last time, and there are no concerns regarding the ground. I expect him to follow the mare Kargese through and, if all goes to plan, he will beat her.

The big race of the weekend is the Irish Gold Cup (3:30pm), and what a stellar renewal it is. Galopin Des Champs chases the record of four wins in the race, set by Florida Pearl, but he would be the first horse to achieve it with consecutive victories if successful on Saturday. I’m with him. I think he put in as good a seasonal reappearance as we have seen from him when running a very solid third over course and distance in the Savills at Christmas. He will obviously have no issue with the ground, and I do not see much pace pressure in the field, so Paul Townend may get it easy on the front end. He has every right to be at the top of the market to win this race.

If I were to have an each-way bet in the race, I would go for I Am Maximus. Jack Kennedy is a huge asset to him now, and I think he was a little unlucky not to win the Savills, despite suffering interference at the last fence. He is another who will not have an issue with the prevailing ground conditions, and the more of a stamina test it becomes, the more it will suit him. I expect the reigning champion Galopin Des Champs to take the house down at Leopardstown, but the way to play this race from my perspective is an each-way bet on I Am Maximus.

The bumper (4:40pm) has thrown up some subsequent Cheltenham Festival winners, including A Dream To Share and Facile Vega. This looks a deep enough affair without featuring a Willie Mullins runner, and with that in mind, I am going to go with It’s Only A Game. He was ridden with consummate confidence at Punchestown when beating subsequent winner Boycetown. I thought he showed a good turn of foot on that occasion, and he could well be a nice horse. He is the one for me in the last.

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Leopardstown, Sunday

The opening race on Day Two is the Paddy and Maureen Mullins Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (12:40pm), a contest the champion trainer would always have in mind. Despite that, Willie Mullins has never managed to win it, but I think that is set to change this year. May Call You Back is the one for me this time around. She is a mare who has been improving steadily through the ratings, from a mark in the 80s to her current rating of 114. She has been campaigned over both hurdles and fences and, while it has been a slightly erratic season, there is plenty of juice in her mark. I expect her to run a very big race for Willie Mullins in his parents’ race.

The Grade One two-miles-and-five-furlong novice chase (1:10pm) features a small field but a very versatile bunch. Western Fold, the Galway Plate winner, takes on Final Demand, who is two from two in the discipline. The difference between the novices is obvious. In terms of ratings, there is only a pound to split them, but I think only one horse in here could win a Gold Cup, and that is Final Demand. His performance at Christmas may not have blown you away, but he did what he needed to do. He was very impressive on his chasing debut at Navan in November. I think he is a star and I hope this is just another step on his ascent.

Willie Mullins has an emphatic record in the Grade One two-mile novice hurdle (1:40pm). He has won 13 of the last 14 renewals, including the last five. This time around it looks a fantastic affair. The Reverend, Talk The Talk and King Rasko Grey are all high-profile talking horses, but I do not think Ballyfad has received the credit he deserves for his win over course and distance at Christmas. He beat Leader D’Allier by close to 10 lengths, a horse who has since won easily for Willie Mullins. While I have a lot of respect for Talk The Talk, Ballyfad is the value play for me.

There has been much discussion around Marine Nationale, Solness and Majborough ahead of their rematch in the Dublin Chase (2:10pm). I believe the best horse in the race is Marine Nationale, but the potential is still there with Majborough, and we know the track and trip are ideal for Solness. Add six-time Grade One winner Energumene into the mix and we have a real treat on our hands. With that in mind, I am siding with Majborough. The cheekpieces are applied and, with the ground looking set to go against Marine Nationale, I believe there is more to come from Majborough. He is still relatively inexperienced, and his jumping can be inconsistent, but he has a huge engine and hopefully the cheekpieces can sharpen him up and help him do the business.

The handicap chase (2:45pm) features several very smart horses, including multiple Grade One winner Croke Park and the promising Ile Atlantique, and I am going to side with the latter. I think he is the class horse in the race. He has promised a lot in his career and, while his jumping has let him down on occasion, it was much better last time when finishing behind Heart Wood on New Year’s Day. He was ahead of Croke Park on that occasion, and, off level weights, I think he will uphold that form. Carrying 11 stone 12 pounds on this ground will not be easy, but he is a classy horse with a big day in him, and Sunday may just be it.

The Irish Champion Hurdle headlines the action on Day Two, where the rematch is on between Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead. It is hard to get away from the fact that Lossiemouth has never finished outside the first two, barring her fall in this race last year. She is a nine-time Grade One winner with 13 wins from 16 starts and is a truly prolific mare. She is the one I am with. I can see El Fabiolo running a bigger race, but Lossiemouth is the one for me.