Saturday Racing Tips: Mark Milligan's best bets at Leopardstown and Sandown

• Mullins can make strong start to DRF

• Skelton chaser laid out for Sandown prize

• Henri to relish soft-ground hurdles test

• Our Cheltenham offer is live! Get a completely free bet every weekend until the Festival

Rachael Blackmore Superboost

Betfair Ambassador Rachael Blackmore has some decent chances on the first day of the Dublin Racing Festival today, including one on Monty's Star in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at 15:30.

The horse has never finished outside of the top four when completing in his whole career, and today you can back him at the super-boosted price of 1/12.00 - from 4/61.67 - to finish in the top four again. To take advantage, just click on the odds in the bet banner below to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

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13:50 Leopardstown - Back Saint Lucie

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Willie Mullins is likely to have a very strong Dublin Racing Festival and one of his best chances on day one comes in the shape of Saint Lucie in this Grade 1 Juvenile hurdle.

The master of Closutton has taken this race for the last three years and this ex-French daughter of Great Pretender looks to have solid claims of making it a four-timer.

Third in a newcomers hurdle at Auteuil for Robert Collet back in April, Saint Lucie made her debut for the Mullins yard at Punchestown over the Christmas period, posting a clear-cut success in that 20-runner affair.

The form looks solid enough, with the next three home all having finished runner-up on their subsequent starts and the selection could hardly have been more impressive in how she took care of them.

There's still a bit of work to do in the jumping department as she was a bit sloppy at times, but that's no real slight given it was just Saint Lucie's second start over hurdles.

She'll get sharper with experience and is taken to land a prize that Mullins has made his own over the last few years.

14:00 Sandown - Back Etalon

My colleague Daryl Carter has made a strong case for Etalon in his column here and I tend to be in agreement with him on the Dan Skelton-trained chaser.

The selection made a highly promising start over fences last season, winning his first three starts in the manner of one who could go on to take high rank within the chasing division.

However, he found Grade 1 company a bit of a step too far on his final start at Aintree last season and it's probably fair to say he's been something of a disappointment so far this term, though he wouldn't be the first one from this stable to bounce back in the second half of a season.

It could be that he's been brought along gradually for a yard that certainly knows the time of day when it comes to readying one for certain targets, and he went with much more spark than has been the case before unseating his rider at Windsor last time.

His mark has been dropping steadily this season, too, and he's now only 4lb higher than when taking a C&D handicap last February.

Etalon has also been considerately handled more than once this season and he could well be ready to strike in this valuable contest.

15:07 Sandown - Henri The Second

Henri The Second could hardly have been more impressive when doing this column a good turn last time and he can follow up in this valuable C&D handicap hurdle despite a hike in the weights since then.

Paul Nicholls' French-bred eight-year-old seemed to relish the increased stamina test in that heavy-ground contest and he was remarkably strong at the finish considering how deep the ground was there.

He looks to have the scope for considerably more progress yet as a stayer and it could be that his current mark of 133 still underestimates him somewhat.

The Sandown hurdles track is always a really stiff test as we get into the depths of winter and there'll plenty in this field who'll be crying 'enough!' at the top of the home straight.

That's unlikely to be the case with Henri The Second, who looked better the further he went and rates one of the best bets of the day for me.

An honourable mention is also reserved for Deep Cave, who ran well for us at a big price at Windsor last time and should relish the stiffer test that this Sandown track provides.

I wouldn't put anyone off an each-way saver on this one, but he'll have his work cut out trying to peg back the Paul Nicholls-trained runner.

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