*Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules.
The Dublin Racing Festival, featuring Sunday’s Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup, takes place this weekend at Leopardstown and Paddy’s already feeling the heat.
Willie Mullins’ Gaillard Du Mesnil has been all the rage from as big as 7-2 for Saturday’s Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors 50k Cheltenham Bonus For Stable Staff Novice Hurdle (1.05pm) and is one of the best supported runners at this weekend’s festival.
He too is stepping up in class after winning at the second time of asking after coming from France in a maiden hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas, when a facile nine and a half length scorer from Mr Incredible, who franked the form when taking a similar contest at Naas last Sunday.
‘Gaillard’ had been beaten by Holymacapony before that, but can probably be forgiven as it was his first start for over a year and it might have been closer if he had been more fluent at the final obstacle.
Stablemate Saldier is another to have been backed at tasty double-figure odds of 16-1 when betting opened ahead at or Saturday’s feature Irish Champion Hurdle (3.15pm) despite finishing well adrift of stable-companion Sharjah last time in the Matheson Hurdle over course and distance at Christmas.
Presumably Willie Mullins’ stable jockey Paul Townend had the choice of leading owner Rich Ricci’s two combatants that day and chose wrong, but, to be fair, he had been off for 409 days since scooping the top-class Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown from Petit Mouchoir.
He’d not been seen in public for over a year before that so he clearly has had his problems, but when he’s right, he’s very right as a second victory at the highest level in the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle, again at Punchestown, in 2018 indicates.
The support he’s received shows he’s clearly fancied to grab a place on Saturday, if not turning the tables with Sharjah.
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However, the best-backed horse of the two-day extravaganza so far is Waterford wizard Paddy Corkery’s Master McShee in Sunday’s Grade 1 Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle (2.10pm). This seven-year-old has been a revelation over timber this season as after finishing a fine two and a half length 50-1 runner-up to Appreciate It, who filled the same position in last term’s Champion Bumper, on his hurdling bow at Cork in November, he made no mistake at the second time of asking.
The Malinas gelding easily justified favouritism in a maiden hurdle at the same venue the following month by eight and and a half lengths before continuing winning ways last time in the Paddy Power ‘Maybe I Like The Misery’ Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown later in December.
This time he was five lengths too powerful for Sea Ducor, earning himself a tilt in the highest grade and some shrewd punters were on at an early 16-1 as he looks to topple Supreme Novices Hurdle favourite Appreciate It in Sunday’s contest.
Gordon Elliott has an abundance of riches in the juvenile hurdling department and backers were quick to snap up the original 5-1 about Quilixios for Sunday’s top-class Spring Juvenile Hurdle (1.40pm).
This fellow is two from two since joining Elliott from France, where he landed his only outing for previous handler Francois Nicolle in a three-year-old hurdle at Compiegne in March, and he couldn’t really have been more impressive in doing so. His first Irish start resulted in a demolition job in a similar contest at Punchestown in October, when he came home 13 lengths in front, and then later that month he exceeded that winning margin, this time by 20 lengths, in another three-year-old hurdle at Down Royal.
Sure he hasn’t yet competed in this company, but if the money is proved correct he won’t be far away en route to a likely tilt at the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
*Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules.
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