Rachael Blackmore on the Dublin Racing Festival: Galopin Des Champs set for four Irish Gold Cups

• Rachael Blackmore looks ahead to the Dublin Racing Festival

• Top class hurdle races to determine the best of the Irish

• Galopin Des Champs the one I'd like to ride in Irish Gold Cup

• For the latest Betfair Racing odds click here

• Click here for more racing betting tips

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Testing conditions but it should be a great weekend

What a weekend in store!

The Dublin Racing Festival is one of the highlights of the National Hunt racing calendar.  The prize money is really good, most of the top Irish National Hunt horses are there, everyone is desperate to win, and it has quite quickly become one of the most important weekends in National Hunt racing.

All the rain this week hasn't made it easy for the authorities, but it has been a great effort by the Leopardstown team to clear the water that was on the track earlier in the week.  Conditions are going to be testing, but we should be in for a fantastic weekend of racing.

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13:15 - Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitor Novice Hurdle

Doctor Steinberg was impressive in winning his maiden hurdle over two miles and five and a half furlongs at Galway in October on his first run over hurdles, and he followed up by staying on well to win the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle in early December.  

The runner-up in that race, Thedeviluno, was impressive himself in winning the Grade 2 River Don Hurdle at Doncaster on Saturday, so the form looks solid.  Also, the slight step back up in trip should suit Doctor Steinberg well.

Kazansky seemed to appreciate the step up to two miles and seven and a half furlongs at Limerick last time, when he stayed on well to win a Grade 2 race, and it is obviously significant that Jack Kennedy has chosen to ride him in front of Gordon's three other horses.  He could be the one to put it up to Doctor Steinberg.

It's an open race though.  Santo Sospir has won his last two races over hurdles, both on heavy ground, and Jalon D'Oudairies was a top-class bumper horse two seasons ago who was only just beaten by Frankie John, who re-opposes here, in a maiden hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas.

We haven't seen Tackletommywoowoo since he won a listed novices' hurdle at Cork in early November, but the runner-up from that race Good Girl Kathleen was impressive in winning a Grade 3 race back at Cork next time.  Declan Queally's horse is a strong stayer, and that will be an asset to him in the conditions.

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13:50 - Gannons City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle

The re-match between Narciso Has and Mange Tout is really interesting.

When they met at Fairyhouse at the end of November, Mange Tout came out on top.  She had had a run this season before that, she had won her maiden hurdle at Down Royal in early November, and she improved on that to win at Fairyhouse.

Narciso Has was having his first run in Ireland at Fairyhouse, he hadn't run since he had won over hurdles on his racecourse debut in France in April.

He showed the benefit of his Fairyhouse run when he won the Grade 2 juvenile hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas impressively.  He does have to give 7lb to Mange Tout, he was only giving her 3lb at Fairyhouse, but he stepped forward last time at Leopardstown and he could step forward again.  And this is a race that his trainer Willie Mullins has won three times in the last four year, so it is not surprising that he is favourite.

Willie also runs Bertutea, who was impressive in winning his maiden hurdle at Limerick over Christmas on his first run for Willie, and Selma De Vary, a French recruit who hasn't run in Ireland yet, while Gordon also runs Immediate Effect.  He was rated 88 on the flat when he was with Sir Mark Prescott, and he was impressive in winning his maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse on his only run so far for Gordon.  

It's a really interesting race, and we should be a lot wiser about the pecking order of the Irish juvenile hurdlers afterwards.

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14:55 - Goffs Irish Arkle

It's disappointing that the Irish Arkle has been reduced to three runners, but it's still a really interesting race.

It's not surprising that Gordon is running Romeo Coolio here on the ground instead of in the longer race on Sunday, and he is the logical favourite.  He was a top-class novice hurdler last season and, already, after just three runs over fences, he looks like a better chaser.

He was impressive in winning the Grade 1 Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse in November over two and a half miles.  That is probably his ideal distance for now, but he stayed on well to win the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas, over Saturday's course and distance.  He needed every yard of the two-mile-one-furlong trip and up the hill to catch Irish Panther there, but the softer ground should place an emphasis on stamina over the trip, and that is in his favour.

Kargese is a worthy opponent, she's a high-class hurdler as well, she was a dual Grade 1 winner as a four-year-old and she won the County Hurdle at Cheltenham last March.  

She was well beaten by Kala Conti on her chasing debut at Cork in early December, but she showed the benefit of that run last time at Leopardstown over Christmas when she ran out an impressive winner of a good beginners' chase.  And she receives the 7lb mares' allowance.

Downmexicoway has a good bit to find with the other two on ratings, but he is progressive and he proved that he could operate on heavy ground when he won at Gowran Park in early November.   

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15:30 - Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup

This is a cracking race.  All the big horses have stood their ground.  Galopin Des Champs is of course the standout horse.  He has achieved so much in his career to date, he has won two Cheltenham Gold Cups and finished second in another, and he has won three Irish Gold Cups.  He will be going for his fourth on Saturday, and only Florida Pearl has won four.

He was beaten in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown at Christmas, but he was having his first run of the season there.  He ran a cracking race too, and he should come forward from that.  We know that he usually improves for his seasonal debut.

He's 10-years-old now, but he's an incredible horse.  He should be sharper for that run too, and the ground will suit him better.  If I had a choice to ride one in the race, I'd ride Galopin Des Champs.

His biggest danger could be his stable companion Gaelic Warrior.  He won the John Durkan Chase on his debut this season, and he ran a massive race in the King George at Kempton.  He only finished third, but he was beaten by two noses!  It's easy to see him running another big race on Saturday.

I rode Monty's Star in the race last year, and he ran well to finish fifth behind Galopin Des Champs.  He didn't run badly in the Savills Chase this season either, he improved on his seasonal debut run in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, and I hope that he can run his race.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin could bounce back to form here, and Spindleberry is a fascinating addition.  She is five for five over fences.

Affordale Fury won the Savills Chase and he could go well again, and I Am Maximus ran a big race there to finish second behind him, just in front of Galopin Des Champs.  But it's going to be different tactically this time too.  The ground will be softer and Paul will know that Galopin has had a run.

If he does win, he should get a huge reception when he comes back into the winner's enclosure.

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