Naps of the Day: Best horse racing tips for Saturday

Max Liu
04 February 2022
3:00 min read

Our experts take a keen interest in the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown on Saturday

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Get the best bets from Tony Calvin, Kevin Blake and Kate Tracey as well as insight from Paul Nicholls on a big Saturday of horse racing at Leopardstown, Sandown and Musselburgh...

Paul Nicholls: "Frodon should be suited by the big galloping track at Leopardstown and better ground. You can never rule him out and I'm looking for another big run."

Kevin Blake: Crooner to hit right notes at Leopardstown

"The opening Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors "€50,000 Cheltenham Bonus For Stable Staff" Novice Hurdle (13:05) is a proper race. The market is putting a great amount of emphasis on the form of the Lawlor's Of Naas Novice Hurdle and while it may be right, I'm prepared to take it on with the Gordon Elliott-trained Minella Crooner...

"Minella Crooner looks to be a very promising sort and it won't be a surprise if he belies his second-string status to take the spoils."

Kevin's bet: Back Minella Crooner Each-Way 13:05 Leopardstown @ 6.511/2

Kate Tracey: Dolos to uphold fine course and distance record

"This really is a tight little contest with a whole host of horses who can stake significant claims but there is one horse I think has been sighted specifically at this race. That horse is Dolos who won this race in 2020 and 2019 off much higher marks than the nine-year-old is running off now...

"At an each-way price of 8.07/1, Dolos is feasibly handicapped in a race he has a cracking record in."

Kate's bet: Dolos each-way 13:15 Sandown @ 8.07/1

Dublin Racing Festival Tips: Blue Lord the opening day banker

"Unbeaten in two starts over fences, Blue Lord beat Lifetime Ambition at Naas last time, that performance coming after a fluent chasing debut when beating El Barra at Fairyhouse in December.

"A strong traveller who looks a natural over fences, he has a touch of class too, looking booked for second in the Supreme at Cheltenham last season before coming down at the last. I think getting over the bigger obstacles has been the making of him and I'm going to be disappointed if he gets beat here, for all the opposition is tasty."

Mark's bet: Back Blue Lord 14:10 Leopardstown @ 2.9215/8

Tony Calvin: Dans Le Vent stands out in strong field

"As regards solid place-only prospects, I rate none higher than Dans Le Vent. He may not have the handicap upside of the younger brigade, but if he reproduces any of the form of his last three starts then he will surely need to be dragged kicking and screaming out of the first six.

"If he gets another ride like he did in the Lanzarote last time, I suppose it is entirely possible, as he clearly was held too far out of his ground in near last place in a race in which it paid to be prominent. In the circumstances, he did remarkably well to finish fifth.

"But Isobel Williams claims 5lb for a reason, so punters know where they stand pre-race. And it means we can often get a far bigger price than we should."

Tony's bet: Back Dans Le Vent each-way 14:55 Sandown @ 10.09/1

Paul Nicholls: Ground and track in Frodon's favour and I'm expecting a big run

"I've had this race in mind for Frodon since the summer as he is not going to Cheltenham this time. Things didn't work out in the King George at Kempton where he and the Gold Cup winner Minella Indo paid the price for taking each other on from the start. The testing going was also against him that day.

"Bryony Frost gets a great tune out of Frodon who beat Galvin and Minella Indo in the Grade 1 Champion Chase at Down Royal in October. He doesn't have to lead and we will not be getting into a fight up front this time. Frodon should be suited by the big galloping track at Leopardstown and better ground. You can never rule him out and I'm looking for another big run."

Paul's chance: Frodon Leopardstown 15:15

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