Yesterday didn’t go to plan at all, but we’re back to hopefully find a few winners on day two of the Dublin Racing Festival.
Yes, yesterday’s selections didn’t go as planned, but it was fun to sit back and appreciate Galopin Des Champs in all his glory.
What a horse. What a performance. What a legend.
Anyway, let’s roll.
Dublin Racing Festival Day 2 Selections
2:25 Musselburgh – Cadell @ 13/2 with William Hill (4 places) – 1pt EW
Starting at Musselburgh, the Edinburgh National is a race that Lucinda Russell tends to target as she’s won two of the last four renewals.
This year, Cadell is her main contender, and there’s a fine case to make for him.
He’s relatively unexposed having bolted up at Wetherby on good ground in November when beating Farnoge (rated 132 over hurdles).
He went on to run a good race in the Grade 2 Esher Novices’ Chase in December and the race is working out well.
The winner, Handstands, has won a Grade 1 and 2 since, and he has really thrown himself into the Cheltenham Festival picture having beaten Jango Baie on Saturday.
A mark of 132 looks workable and there’s no guarantee he’s shown his true cards just yet.
2:45 Leopardstown – Monbeg Park @ 8/1 with William Hill (5 places) – 1pt EW
A switch to handicaps could be the making of Monbeg Park and he is one of two plays in the 2m5f handicap chase.
He was a horse to follow of mine for the 2023/24 season, but his campaign was ultimately disappointing. However, there is some form to cling into.
On chase debut, he finished fourth to Il Etait Temps, a subsequent three-time Grade 1 novice chase winner, and he then won comfortably at Wexford in July 2024.
He’s turned into a more consistent horse this season and he has run into some nice horses so far, notably Gorgeous Tom (beaten by a length in a Grade 1 last time out) and Jordans (second to Impaire Et Passe in the Grade 1 Faugheen Novice Chase).
A mark of 138 is on the high side, but Tiernan Power Roche’s 5lb claim is useful and he has a chance in the conditions.
2:45 Leopardstown – Riaan @ 16/1 General (5 places) – 1pts EW
Riaan finished second in this race last year off a 4lb higher mark, so he has a chance to go one place better this year.
12 months ago, he travelled like the second-best horse into the race and he ran into Heart Wood who was rated 136 at the time. Heart Wood has a rating of 159 now having finished fourth behind Galopin Des Champs in the Grade 1 Savills Chase at Christmas.
Furthermore, the third, James Du Berlais, nearly won the Topham two starts later. James Du Berlais runs in this race again and is 7lbs wrong at the weights with Riaan yet he is much shorter in the betting.
When looking back on his run in the Plate at the Cheltenham Festival, the eight-year-old by Diamond Boy was travelling very well before almost falling at the fourth-last.
Without that mistake, who knows where he would have finished, but at the time, he was going well.
With his rating and his run in this race last year, he has to have a chance here.
3:50 Leopardstown – Relieved Of Duties @ 14/1 with William Hill (5 places) – 1pt EW
Bit of a typical play here, but Relieved Of Duties is making his handicap debut having run into a potential (and I stress the word ‘potential’) Supreme winner on his last start.
The six-year-old by Sholokhov had a tough time of things last time out. It was a slow pace, which didn’t suit, and he had a rough route through before the final hurdle.
So, considering that was a decent Grade 2, he ran well in the circumstances.
The handicapper has given Relieved Of Duties an opening mark of 134 which gives him a chance of winning, especially when you consider that he bolted up at Cork on December 13th.
That day at Cork saw him clock a three-second quicker time than the handicap hurdle won by Robbies Rock over the same course and distance. Robbies Rock, rated 105 at the time, carried 13lbs less and was driven out compared to Relieved Of Duties, so that seems like a good marker to base off.
Robbies Rock also finished fourth in a Listed handicap hurdle at Limerick on his next start.
Furthermore, Relieved Of Duties beat Magic McColgan at Cork who went on to win a Punchestown handicap hurdle despite making a big mistake at the final hurdle.
I’ll chance the unexposed novice dropping into handicap company.
