Inaugural Dublin Racing Festival attracts bumper entry

Day one of the inaugural Dublin Racing Festival on Saturday, February 3 has attracted very strong entries. An intriguing clash of top hurdlers Buveur D’Air and Faugheen might well be on the cards in the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle. Star novice Samcro also features among the 17 entries for the €150,000 event and his trainer Gordon Elliott could also be represented by another top novice in Mengli Khan and the recent Grade 1 Ryanair Hurdle winner Mick Jazz. Willie Mullins has made five entries and along with Faugheen, winner of the race in 2016, the champion trainer has entered Melon, Cilaos Emery, Bapaume and Yorkhill.

In addition to the Nicky Henderson-trained Buveur D’Air, a strong cross-channel challenge for the race is completed by trainers Philip Hobbs and Dan Skelton who have entered Defi Du Seuil and Ch’tibello respectively.  

The first of seven Grade 1 races at the Dublin Racing Festival is the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle which has attracted 35 horses including the Gordon Elliott-trained Samcro and recent Grade 1 Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle winner Next Destination, one of 11 entries from Willie Mullins. Joseph O'Brien has put four in the €100,000 event including Early Doors while Articulum, a runaway winner at Cork in November has been entered by Terence O'Brien.

The Grade 2 Coral Dublin Chase has received 20 entries with Willie Mullins’ Yorkhill and Simply Ned, trained by Nicky Richards, heading the way along with Min, another from the Mullins yard and Kerry Lee’s Top Gamble, a winner at this level at Fairyhouse in March of 2016.

Ten horses have been entered for the Grade 1 Frank Ward Solicitors Arkle Novice Chase with the Willie Mullins-trained Footpad and Petit Mouchoir, trained by Henry De Bromhead, leading the way. Gordon Elliott is triple handed at this stage with Tombstone, Tycoon Prince and Brelade his entries.

There are four Grade 1 races on the second day of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown on Sunday, February 4 and the Unibet Irish Gold Cup has attracted a bumper entry of 22 horses.

Fifteen Irish-trained Cheltenham Gold Cup hopefuls are among the entry for the €200,000 event with Noel Meade’s Road To Respect, Anibale Fly, trained by Tony Martin, Eddie Harty’s Coney Island, Jessica Harrington’s Our Duke and Joseph O'Brien’s Edwulf in the early line-up. 

Three trainers have made multiple entries with five runners from the Willie Mullins stable, including Total Recall, Killultagh Vic and Bachasson. Gordon Elliott has Cheltenham hopefuls Mala Beach and Outlander on his team while Henry De Bromhead has entered three horses, Balko Des Flos, Sub Lieutenant and Outlander.

Minella Rocco and Definitly Red hold entries in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and they could yet represent trainers Jonjo O’Neill and Brian Ellison at Leopardstown.

Espoir D’allen and Mr Adjudicator were winners for trainers Gavin Cromwell and Willie Mullins at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival and they head 10 entries for the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Spring Juvenile Hurdle.

Mullins dominates the entries for the Grade 1 Deloitte Novice Hurdle with eight of the 25 horses and he can choose from a strong contingent that includes Getabird, Real Steel, Sharjah and Whiskey Sour. Samcro also features among the entries and heads a Gordon Elliott team that is made up of Mengli Khan and Hardline.

The Grade 1 Flogas Novice Chase has attracted 18 entries with Gordon Elliott holding a strong hand with the likes of Jury Duty, Shattered Love, Sutton Place and Tombstone entered up. Not to be outdone, Invitation Only, Livelovelaugh, Rathvinden and Koshari feature among Willie Mullins’ entry while Henry De Bromhead and Noel Meade look set to rely on Monalee and Snow Falcon respectively.

Pat Keogh, CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse, said: “The Dublin Racing Festival is a major initiative for Irish racing and it is great that it has attracted such quality in depth. I would like to thank all the owners and trainers for their support.”