There will be Cheltenham clues aplenty, but Leopardstown's two-day Dublin Racing Festival is a top-class treat in its own right.
Racing Post tipster Robbie Wilders has picked out his best bets for day one of the action on Saturday.
1.15 - Supersundae @ 9/2
1.50 - Lady Vega Allen @ 4/1
2.25 - Meetingofthewaters @ 9/4
1.15 - Supersundae @ 9/2
Paul Townend can’t have had an easy decision on his hands regarding which horse to ride among five Willie Mullins-trained runners in the Grade 1 2m6f novice hurdle.
He has chosen to get the leg up on Final Demand, an impressive maiden winner at Limerick over the festive period. There is a chance Townend has made the wrong call, though, with Supersundae boasting the superior form.
Mullins clearly thinks a bit of Supersundae as he threw him into the Supreme on his stable debut at the Cheltenham Festival. He wasn’t beaten all that far and stepped up on that form on his comeback when upped in trip to chase home The Yellow Clay in the Lawlor’s of Naas.
That horse is ante-post favourite for the Albert Bartlett, and Supersundae, a half-brother to top-class hurdler Supasundae, can step forward for an extra 2f and should be straighter with that run behind him.
1.50 - Lady Vega Allen @ 4/1
Townend’s booking aboard Saint Lucie in the following Grade 1 juvenile hurdle is helping to generate a better price about her interesting Mullins-trained stablemate Lady Vega Allen.
There was little doubting the impression Saint Lucie created on her yard debut at Punchestown, but Lady Vega Allen’s form is worth more at this stage.
The selection hit the line hard in the Grade 2 juvenile hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas, looking unlucky not to reach Hello Neighbour after conceding first run.
Lady Vega Allen, who is closely related to the yard’s wondermare Quevega, will know more this time and can reverse the form with that rival under Sean O’Keeffe.
2.25 - Meetingofthewaters @ 9/4
It could be a quickfire hat-trick for Mullins in the first three races at the Dublin Racing Festival as Meetingofthewaters is difficult to oppose in the 3m Listed hurdle. He is an absolute blot on the handicap.
Usually there is merit in taking on a short-priced favourite in a big-field handicap at a major meeting but Meetingofthewaters is irresistibly treated off a hurdles mark of 112, 36lb below his chase rating.
Meetingofthewaters has found significant improvement over fences for the Closutton operation and now gets the chance to replicate that for the first time over hurdles. He shouldn’t make any mistake off a feather weight with Rachael Blackmore aboard if able to get anywhere his chasing levels.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.