Dublin Racing Festival free betting preview and tips

By Donn McClean

Horse Racing

Sun February 05, 2023 · 2y ago

You know where hearts will be at Leopardstown today anyway – deep in Honeysuckle’s corner, that’s where.

It’s easy to remember the reception that they gave her and Rachael Blackmore on this day last year. On the way to the start, a spontaneous reaction, like the cheer that went up when they were sent on their way by the starter in the curtain-raiser on Saturday, when Jerry Hannon said: They’re off! Only louder.

And louder still by a multiple when Honeysuckle and Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead and Kenny Alexander came back into the winner’s enclosure last year. It’s probably one of the reasons why they never put a retractable roof on Leopardstown’s winner’s enclosure.

And this year? If anything, the reception could be louder. The applause on the way down to the start. There is something about a hero or a heroine on a comeback mission. It was always likely that there would come a day when Honeysuckle would be beaten, and that day came in December at Fairyhouse, when, 16 for 16 going into the race, she finished third in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle.

But she ran well in defeat, she wasn’t beaten far by Teahupoo, who won the Galmoy Hurdle doing handsprings next time and is now favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle. Also, it was two and a half miles on soft ground, on her first run of the season. All of that is sub-optimal for Honeysuckle.

Back over two miles today, on better ground, with her seasonal debut run under her belt, she could leave her Fairyhouse run well behind. She will probably have to, because State Man and Vauban will test her. Youngsters. State Man was a year old when Honeysuckle ran in her point-to-point. Vauban was four weeks old.

But Honeysuckle is top class as much as she is box office. Lurking among her 16 wins are two Champion Hurdles and two Punchestown Champion Hurdles and three Irish Champion Hurdles. Only she and Istabraq and Hurricane Fly have won today’s race more often than twice. She is already a member of an elite club, and it would be fantastic if she could make it four in a row.

A betting angle? Not really. You will probably be nervous enough watching it without tipping it over the edge with a financial involvement.

A day for the mares...

But it may pay to get Honeysuckle’s stable companion MASKADA on side in the Bulmer’s Leopardstown Handicap Chase.

Henry de Bromhead’s mare probably would have won the mares’ handicap chase at Fairyhouse in December on her seasonal debut had she not come down at the second last fence.

She made amends last time, however, in the Tim Duggan Memorial Chase at Limerick over Christmas, when she kept on well to win nicely.

She was keen enough through the early stages of that race, but still found plenty for pressure. She hit the front between the final two fences, and she stayed on well over the final fence and up the run-in to win well.

The form of that race is working out well too, with runner-up Rebel Gold winning the prestigious Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse next time off a 3lb higher mark, and Pat Foley’s horse ran well for a long way in the Sandyford Handicap Chase at Leopardstown on Saturday off an 11lb higher mark.

The handicapper raised Maskada’s mark by 9lb for her Limerick win, to a mark of 141, but that was not overly harsh, especially given how well the race is working out thus far. She has raced just twice this season and just three times for Henry de Bromhead, so she has scope for further progression now. Also, this doesn’t represent a major step up in class from the Tim Duggan Chase, and she will have Rachael Blackmore for company for the first time in her life.

It might be worthwhile getting BANNTOWN GIRL on side too for the opening contest, the Paddy Mullins Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.

Sonny Carey’s mare put up a good performance to finish third in this race last year off a mark of 115. She couldn’t go with the impressive winner Party Central in the end, but Gordon Elliott’s mare went on to win a Listed novices’ hurdle at Punchestown at the end of the season, drawing stumps on the campaign on a mark of 142, 21lb higher than the mark off which she won this race last year. Also, Banntown Girl got to within a length and a half of the runner-up Say Goodbye, who is two for two over fences this season.

The Stowaway mare has been chasing too this season, her two runs over fences to date have been encouraging, but it is interesting that her trainer is going back over hurdles with her now. It may be that he has had this race in mind for her for a while, and the fact that she can compete now off last year’s mark of 115 gives her a chance.

We know that she goes well at the track, and she has raced just four times over hurdles in her life, so she retains the potential to go beyond her mark of 115. And Danny Mullins is obviously a top-class rider who knows the mare well. In a good each-way race, she could out-run her odds.

For more from Donn visit www.donnmcclean.com

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