IT’S THE DUBLIN Racing Festival at Leopardstown this weekend, with eight Grade 1 races set to be run over the course of the two-day meeting, and some of the most talented National Hunt horses in Ireland set to compete. Here are five of them.
Galopin Des Champs
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Race: Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (Saturday)
A Cheltenham Festival winner and a Grade 1 winner as a novice hurdler, Galopin Des Champs would be unbeaten over fences had he not come down at the final fence in the Turners Chase at last year’s Cheltenham Festival when he was clear of his rivals.
He put that mishap behind him four weeks later when he won the Grade 1 BoyleSports Novice Chase at Fairyhouse, and he looked very good in winning the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown last month on his only run to date this season.
Willie Mullins’ horse has never been beyond two miles and five-and-a-half furlongs over fences, and he shows lots of pace in his races, but he was a Grade 1 winner over three miles over hurdles so there is every chance that he will stay at least that trip over fences all right. He deserves his place at the top of the ante post market for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, and he is already long odds-on for the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup on Saturday.
Fascile Mode
Trainer: Tom Mullins
Race: Future Stars INH Flat Race (Saturday)
It was a bold move by trainer Tom Mullins to allow Fascile Mode take his chance in a winners’ bumper at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival, a racecourse debutant taking on experienced rivals, among them seven previous winners. But the Walk In The Park gelding proved that he had all the talent that his trainer suspected he had when he kept on well to win nicely.
There was a lot to like about that performance. He travelled well through his race, he made his ground easily toward the leaders as they raced across the top of the track and, despite the fact that he had to race wider than ideal, he stayed on strongly for the trainer’s son Charlie to go almost three lengths clear of his rivals.
He will probably have to step forward again if he is going to win the Grade 2 bumper on Saturday, but he should improve for the experience at Christmas, and there is no knowing how good he could be.
Honeysuckle
Trainer: Henry de Bromhead
Race: Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle (Sunday)
Honeysuckle is a remarkable racemare. Winner of her only point-to-point, she went 16 for 16 over hurdles, her haul to date including two Champion Hurdles, two Punchestown Champion Hurdles and three Hatton’s Grace Hurdles. Henry de Bromhead’s mare has also won three Irish Champion Hurdles, and she will be bidding to make it four on Sunday. Only Istabraq and Hurricane Fly have won four Irish Champion Hurdles or more.
Defeat in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on her debut this season – the first defeat of her career – may have removed her shroud of invincibility, but she is still a top class hurdler, and there is every chance that she will bounce back now. It may be that she will not be favourite for Sunday’s race, State Man may be sent off as favourite in front of her, and that would be unusual. Only once before has she not been sent of as favourite since her first run under Rules in November 2018. But there is not a more popular racehorse in training and if she and Rachael Blackmore can get to the winning post in front in Sunday’s race, get your decibel meter ready.
Mighty Potter
Trainer: Gordon Elliott
Race: Ladbrokes Novice Chase (Sunday)
A dual Grade 1 winner as a novice hurdler last season, Mighty Potter was sent off at long odds-on for his beginners’ chase on his first run this season at Down Royal in November, and he duly won comfortably.
Gordon Elliott allowed him take his chance in the Grade 1 Drinmore Chase on his next run, and he took the step up in grade in his stride. He was in front from a fair way out that day, but he travelled easily in front, and he found lots for his rider Jack Kennedy when he was challenged by Gaillard Du Mesnil on the run to the final fence, staying on well up the run-in to win by four and a half lengths in the end.
The Drinmore Chase is usually a good pointer to the future, and the form of this year’s renewal was enhanced when Gaillard Du Mesnil ran out an easy winner of an admittedly weakened Grade 1 Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. Mighty Potter hasn’t run since the Drinmore, but we know that he can go well fresh. He won the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle on his only run at Leopardstown to date, and he sets a high standard in this year’s Ladbrokes Novice Chase.
Facile Vega
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Race: Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle (Sunday)
Facile Vega was high profile before he ever set foot on a racecourse, being bred, as he is, by Walk In That Park out of the superstar mare Quevega, six-time winner of the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Facile Vega has lived up to his reputation thus far too. He has raced six times, and he has never been beaten. He won his four bumpers last season, including the champion bumpers at Cheltenham and Punchestown, and he has been impressive in winning his two novice hurdles this season, stepping forward from his maiden hurdle victory at Fairyhouse in early December to win the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival.
Held in high regard by Willie Mullins and his team, he is a short-priced favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, and it will be good to see him race again on Sunday.
