Nic Doggett provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Sunday.
Three points of interest
Derham bidding for another Irish winner
Irish domination of the Cheltenham Festival has become firmly entrenched over the past 20 years, but it’s fair to say that British raiding parties – never mind successful ones - to the Dublin Racing Festival since its inception in 2018 have been few and far between.
There have of course been notable exceptions – the Sophie Leech-trained Madara was one of only three British runners at last year’s meeting and emerged victorious – but it’s worth pointing out that at the time of writing, La Bague Au Roi in 2019 remains the only British Grade 1 winner in the DRF’s seven-year history.
French recruit Madara was winning on his fourth start for the yard (having also won on his third), and one trainer hoping for a similar scenario will be Harry Derham, trainer of Queens Gamble who carries top-weight in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy And Maureen Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle at 12.40.
Like Madara, ‘Horse In Focus’ Queens Gamble has already struck for her new yard – she won both starts last season – and she caught the eye of the Timeform race reporters when 1½ lengths second to Navajo Indy in the Gerry Feilden at Newbury on her reappearance in November.
Seemingly saved for this assignment since, Queens Gamble is fancied to follow in the footsteps of the yard’s most recent runner in Ireland; Washington was a well-backed winning favourite of a valuable listed handicap at Fairyhouse at the start of December.
More Mullins domination in Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle?
Clearly, much has been written about the Willie Mullins domination of the DRF – most notably the Grade 1 races – and perhaps the greatest example of the trainer running some of his best horses in one single race is exhibited in the rollcall of winners of the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle (1.40).
In recent times this includes Il Etait Temps (2023) and Ballyburn (2024) emulating former Closutton heroes such as Champagne Fever (2013), Vautour (2014) and Nichols Canyon (2015).
Setting aside the speculation about where the winner will head to next (many of the 11 Mullins-trained winners have stepped up in trip rather than head to the Supreme), Sunday’s race appears to be more about untapped potential than proven form, with clear favourite Kopek Des Bordes – the choice of Paul Townend - rated 5lb lower at this stage than Ballyburn.
Indeed, the highest master rating (139) in Sunday’s race is held by Bleu De Vassey despite that horse being firmly put in his place by stablemate Romeo Coolio – Timeform's highest-rated novice hurdler this season on 150p - in the Future Champions Novices' Hurdle at Leopardstown last time.
Talking horse Kopek Des Bordes is exciting, but that label also applies to stablemates Kaid d’Authie, who won a strong-looking maiden at Leopardstown last time (by ½ a length from Koktail Divin), and Karniquet, whose run behind Romeo Coolio can be excused as he all but came down at the second flight. There’s a feeling that the Punchestown Champion Bumper winner Redemption Day remains capable of much better, too.
Indeed, Mullins’ 2020 and 2023 winners of this race were both less fancied than other runners from the yard. Perhaps this is not the straightforward task for Kopek Des Bordes that the betting might suggest...
Martin bids to enhance good Musselburgh record
Away from Leopardstown, Musselburgh bids to provide its own Cheltenham Festival clues with an excellent card in its own right that includes the bet365 Scottish Supreme Novices’ Hurdle which gets the meeting under way at 1.22.
However, with the exception of favourite Tripoli Flyer – who may be an ideal type for Aintree (second in the Grade 2 bumper there at last year’s Grand National meeting) - there doesn’t appear to be a legitimate Cheltenham contender in the opener, something which can’t be said for the Pertemps Hurdle Series Qualifier at 3.00.
Timeform ‘Horse In Focus’ Hamsiyann was very well backed ahead of his hurdling reappearance in November, the Chester Cup runner-up staying on well to win an intermediate handicap at Cheltenham last time by 2½ lengths from Long Draw.
The race reporter verdict? “he's sure to improve further and will be a serious player in top-end handicaps by the spring”.
A 10lb higher mark means he will likely need to progress again, but he is still feasibly treated on his classy Flat form and – for all backing horses to win these qualifying events can be a little risky at times (horses only need to finish in the first four to qualify) – it's worth noting that the lowest-rated runner in last year’s Pertemps Final was rated 131; Hamsiyann still needs a hefty rise from the official handicapper, suggesting that another big performance is on the cards here for a Tony Martin yard that has a 20% strike-rate over jumps at the track.
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