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Racing Riders gear up for Cheltenham Festival at Leaopardstown

THIS weekend is all about the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown with two days of top-class action and, although many of the prizes are worth winning in their own right, the majority of them serve as Cheltenham Festival Trials.

Saturday:

The big race on day one is the Irish Champion Hurdle at 3.10 and I confidently expect SHARJAH (nb) to cement his claims near the top of the ante-post list here.

The quicker ground is very much in his favour and it seems that he simply hasn’t been given the credit he deserved for seeing off his rivals in the Matheson Hurdle over Christmas, albeit against a sub-standard field.

This of course represents a much more difficult task with the mare Honeysuckle and the disappointing Klassical Dream the biggest dangers.

There are plenty of novice events over the two days, the most interesting of which is the Arkle Novice Chase at 2.00. 

Bapaume has been all the rage in the ante-post markets and this former classy staying hurdle has claims based on his easy Naas success and he could even improve for this further step back in distance.

But the one I want to be on is NOTEBOOK who fenced brilliantly here last time out and can once again prove too quick for Fakir D’oudaries, who really needs a bit further to bring his cast-iron stamina into play. Cash Back is the most likely front runner in the field, but is likely to be taken on here unlike his last two wins where he has had the run of the race up top.

The opening Grade One novice hurdle opens up the card at 12.50 and serves as a trial for the Albert Bartlett Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

LONGHOUSE POET is the charge I fancy for that particular race and this step up to two-and-three-quarter miles looks sure to suit him down to the ground.

The son of Yeats stayed on in very taking fashion when a closing third behind Envoi Allen in a Grade One at Naas last time out.

Outpaced from the third-last that day, Martin Brassil’s charge came home strongly despite making niggly mistakes at the final two obstacles.

The Grade One Dublin Chase at 1.25 sees A Plus Tart and Chacun Pour Soi cross swords again after finishing first and second in the Grade One over course and distance at Christmas.

I expect the former to confirm that form, but he may well have difficulty seeing off the underrated CILAOS EMERY. The smooth-travelling selection has thrived since going fencing and his turn of foot at the back end of a race could prove decisive in this quality renewal.

Sunday:

The feature race on the second day is the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at 3.30 and with the Savills Chase form having an ordinary look to it I fancy a huge run from the mare LA BAGUE AU ROI.

A winner on this card 12 months ago, the mare has been slow to come to hand this season, but there have been valid excuses for two of her three starts and, should the ground remain good to soft, she has solid claims racing at the head of the pack.

Complete outsider Jett ran well for a long way in that aforementioned Christmas contest and could again last until the penultimate fence, but with the ground drying out and despite the watering the biggest danger to the British raider could well be Bellshill. 

He badly needed the run last time out and at double-figure odds looks a better each-way value than his stable mate and short-priced favourite Kemboy.

BLUE SARI could be the each-way play in the Grade One novice hurdle over two miles at 1.55, while I expect TORNADO FLYER to put it up to Battleoverdoyen in the Flogas Novice Chase due off at 3.00.

The last-named can be forgiven his last performance as he was found to be poorly afterwards and this step up to three miles looks sure to suit him.

Away from Leopardstown on Sunday I strongly fancy big outsider CLONDAW CLAN (nap) (Sandown 3.00) to run a huge race. This kind of hustle-and-bustle race over a distance of ground should be right up his street and he is very capable of going close here off a mark of 125.
 

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