Horse Racing Tips: Mick Fitzgerald’s Leopardstown shouts for Sunday’s Dublin Racing Festival card

Here's Fitzy fancies for Day Two.

By / Horse Racing Tips / 2 years ago

Mick Fitzgerald’s Leopardstown Tips

13:10 Gaoth Chuill (each-way)
13:40 Gaillard Du Mesnil
14:10 Blue Lord
14:40 Ciel de Neige (each-way)
15:10 State Man
15:40 Facile Vega
16:10 All Those Years
16:40 Lily Du Berlais

Day two of the Dublin Racing Festival and the feature is the Irish Champion Hurdle where the reigning champ Honeysuckle will try to get her challenge back on track after being beaten for the first time on a racecourse last time out at Fairyhouse.

13:10 Gaoth Chuill (each-way)

We kick off with a mares handicap hurdle over 2m 1f. There’s a big field and Liberty Dance for Gordon Elliott and Davy Russell is on the back of two wins. However, the Ted Walsh-trained Gaoth Chuill will be ridden by Denis O’Regan who was on her last time in a competitive novice handicap hurdle. She has a lovely light weight and she is a sporting bet in a really deep race.

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13:40 Gaillard Du Mesnil 

Gaillard Du Mesnil has a lot of experience and it’s his second season as a novice chaser. He has kept really good company. He finished second to Mighty Potter at Fairyhouse in the Grade 1 Drinmore Novices Chase on soft ground and then won at Leopardstown over Christmas. I don’t think there is much between the two of them and would rather take the value option as Willie Mullins’ runner will be much fitter now.

James du Berlais is really interesting. He jumped super at Fairyhouse but was a little keen. He was rated 156 over hurdles – the same as Gaillard Du Mesnil is over fences. James du Berlais could be a better chaser than he was a hurdler if they can keep a lid on his enthusiasm.

14:10 Blue Lord

Blue Lord will be very hard to beat. The owner’s other runner Sceau Royal could pick up the pieces if they go too hard up front. This race could really suit his run style. However, Blue Lord was very impressive at this venue over Christmas when easily accounting for Captain Guinness and stablemate Chacun Pour Soi over 2m 1f. If he’s in that form again he’ll take all the beating.

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14:40 Ciel de Neige (each-way)

A valuable handicap chase where’s there’s lots of good form. Ciel De Niege was fancied last time but disappointed. He is top weight but is very capable and Kieran Callaghan takes 7lbs off his back.

Indigo Breeze finished under a length second to the improving The Real Wacker at Cheltenham last time and that one has a couple of entries at the Festival. Farceur Du Large has the blinkers on for trainer Noel Meade whose team is in very good form. He was a staying-on eighth last time in the Paddy Power Chase and the drop in trip to 2m 5f from 3m might suit him, having won a Novice Chase over this trip at Fairyhouse 12 months ago.

15:10 State Man

I feel a bit mean deserting Honeysuckle but State Man is very much on the up while Henry de Bromhead’s mare needs to bounce back from her first racecourse defeat last time at Fairyhouse. On reflection, that run behind Teahupoo can be seen in a different light as he is ante-post favourite for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle next month. State Man is getting slicker at the jumping all the time. He could be the biggest threat to Constitution Hill in the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle come March.

15:40 Facile Vega

This son of the mighty Quinn Vega really has looked the part and is still unbeaten having lifted four bumpers last season including the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham. He’s made a solid start over timber with two wins so far and sets the standard. The former high-class Flat horse for Ballydoyle is a fascinating runner and as a real boost to this contest. He was untidy but won his maiden hurdle well here at Christmas. I want to see a big performance from Facile Vega ahead of his skinny price for the Supreme Novices Hurdle.

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16:10 All Those Years

Charles Byrnes is no mug and All Those Years made a reasonable reappearance last time when fifth to Lucky Max at Cork and can come on for the run in what looked a perfect warm-up for this valuable prize. This son of Kayf Tara has really good bumper form and this handicap mark looks very workable.

16:40 Lily Du Berlais

Lily Du Berlais won this race last year in an absolute belter of a finish where there was just over half a length between the first four home. She has a 3lb penalty to carry and conceded to the rest of the field but she sets a very good standard.

Mick Fitzgerald’s Leopardstown Tips

13:10 Gaoth Chuill (each-way)
13:40 Gaillard Du Mesnil
14:10 Blue Lord
14:40 Ciel de Neige (each-way)
15:10 State Man
15:40 Facile Vega
16:10 All Those Years
16:40 Lily Du Berlais

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

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