Irish racing expert Donn McClean looks ahead to the Dublin Racing Festival by highlighting some of the lesser-known names expected to be in action.
The Dublin Racing Festival is not all about the big names, and here are five horses from outside the big four yards who could make an impact this week.
Mozzies Sister (Declan Queally)
Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle, Saturday
Mozzies Sister kept good company in bumpers last season and in the early part of this season, she split Familiar Dreams and Aurora Vega in a Grade 3 bumper at the Punchestown Festival last May, and she finished second in the Listed Mucklemeg Bumper at Gowran Park in early October.
Declan Queally’s mare wasn’t hugely impressive in winning her maiden hurdle on her hurdling bow at Galway in late October, but that was over two miles, and she was seen to much better effect next time when, stepped up to two and a half, she finished third behind The Yellow Clay in the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle. She wasn’t suited by the sedate early pace in that race and, while The Yellow Clay did well to win the race off that pace, Mozzies Sister was even further back in the field early on, and she finished within five and a quarter lengths of the winner. In a comparison in which there are admittedly many variables, she did get closer to The Yellow Clay at Navan than Supersundae did next time at Naas, and she is a much bigger price for Saturday’s race than Willie Mullins’ horse.
Mozzies Sister was beaten last time in a Grade 2 contest at Limerick, but she didn’t jump with much fluency that day, she did well in the end to keep on as well as she did, again off a sedate pace, to take second place behind The Big Westerner, who is high in the betting for the Albert Bartlett Hurdle. A half-sister to Equinus, a winner over three miles, she is well suited by a stamina test, which this race invariably is. Declan Queally has his horses in tremendous form, three of his last four runners have won and, with just three runs over hurdles on her CV, Mozzies Sister has the potential to improve again.
Thisistheway (Yvonne Latta)
Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy and Maureen Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle, Sunday
Thisistheway was impressive in winning a mares’ handicap hurdle at Down Royal two weeks ago (replay below). She travelled like the most likely winner from a long way out that day, and she came away quite readily from Albatala on the run-in, the first two well clear of their rivals.
It was a nice return to form by Yvonne and Andrew Latta’s mare. Bred by the Lattas, out of Charlie Latta’s mare Little Mitch, the Doyen mare had been well beaten on her previous run at Wexford in October, but that was on soft ground and she was ridden forward. Given a nice break by her trainer after that, she obviously appreciated the return to better ground at Down Royal last time, and she probably improved too for more patient tactics.
The handicapper raised her by 11lb for that win, but that still leaves her on a nice racing weight of 10st 7lb for Sunday’s contest, with top weight Queens Gamble reportedly set to stand her ground. Furthermore, beaten less than nine lengths into sixth place in that Grade 3 mares’ bumper at the Punchestown Festival last May behind Familiar Dreams and Mozzies Sister and Aurora Vega, she has raced just four times over hurdles in her life, so she retains the potential to go beyond her new handicap rating of 115. The Paddy and Maureen Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle on Sunday should be run to suit too.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsMarine Nationale (Barry Connell)
Ladbrokes Dublin Chase, Sunday
Marine Nationale is a little bit of a forgotten horse, but he took a good step back in the right direction at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival, when he finished third behind Solness and Gaelic Warrior in the Grade 1 Paddys Rewards Club Chase.
A top-class novice hurdler two seasons ago, winner of the Royal Bond Hurdle and of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Barry Connell’s horse looked set to go to the top too as a novice chaser when he ran out an impressive winner of his beginners’ chase at the 2023 Leopardstown Christmas Festival. Well beaten next time, however, in the Goffs Irish Arkle at last year’s Dublin Racing Festival, he didn’t race again after that last season, and his return on his debut this season in a Grade 3 contest at Naas was no more than satisfactory.
His latest run was his best run for in a year, and he improve on that again now. He is still a lightly raced horse, he has raced just nine times in his life under all codes and just four times over fences. He will meet Solness and Gaelic Warrior again on Sunday, he has four and a half lengths to find with Solness, but there is every chance that he will come forward for that run. It might pay to retain the faith.
![Marine Nationale in action over fences](/images/news/945x532/f853d2db-adf0-4261-87bd-49b85f3fbe0e.jpg)
Amen Kate (Tom Cooper)
Coolmore N.H. Sires Luxembourg Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race, Sunday
Bought by Bryan Cooper for €75,000 at the 2023 Derby Sale, Amen Kate made her racecourse debut at the Listowel Festival in September in the mares’ bumper that her dam Augusta Kate had won nine years earlier on her own racecourse debut. Amen Kate’s winning margin was not quite the 23 lengths by which her dam had won the race, but she won it by seven and a half, and she was impressive in so doing.
Travelling well from flagfall along the inside, she was still only in a share of fifth place as they raced to the home turn but, once asked for her effort by Patrick Mullins, she picked up well on the far side, hit the front early in the home straight and skipped away from her rivals on the run to the winning line.
The race is working out really well too. Runner-up Carrigmoornaspruce – who is set to re-oppose on Sunday and who could easily have been included in this list – is two for two in bumpers since, and third-placed Amboyna was impressive herself in winning next time at Tramore, while sixth-placed Grainne A Chroi won her maiden hurdle at Clonmel two weeks ago. This will obviously be a step up in grade for Amen Kate, but there is no knowing how good she could be.
Brave Troop (Charles Byrnes)
Timeless Sash Windows Handicap Hurdle, Sunday
Brave Troop has been on a steep upward trajectory since he has started to learn to settle better through his races. An impressive winner of a handicap hurdle at Thurles in November off a mark of 95 on his first run for Charles Byrnes, he made light of a 16lb hike next time at Navan when, just as at Thurles, he was held up early on by James Smith and delivered late.
The handicapper has raised him by another 14lb for that Navan win to a mark of 125, but his rate of progression may not have plateaued yet. The early pace in the Navan race was not strong and, given the strength with which he travels through his races, he could be suited even better by the faster pace that he should get on Sunday.
This will obviously be a step up in grade for him, from an 80-116 handicap into a listed contest but, rated 87 at his peak on the flat, he has raced just six times over hurdles, and there could be more to come.
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