Dublin Racing Festival Tips: Kevin Blake's going for a Crooner on Saturday

The Dublin Racing Festival is here and opening day of the festivities offers a menu of action teeming with exciting clashes to savour. One can only hope that Leopardstown get their watering right this year and will produce a surface that is fair to all.

It promises to be a wonderful weekend of action and hopefully we can kick it off with a winner or two on Saturday.

Don't rule out 'second-string' Crooner

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.

The six-year-old reportedly shows nothing at home, but clearly brings his A-game to the racecourse given he has won a point-to-point, two bumpers and a maiden hurdle. His only defeat came on his hurdling debut in a maiden against the exciting Journey With Me where a couple of jumping errors didn't help his cause.

His jumping was much improved and indeed very good when he bolted up in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown, showing enough pace to suggest that he will have no problem dropping back to this slightly shorter trip.

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.

WATCH YOUR BETS: Kev is tipping No.7 Minella Crooner, but horse No.6 is called Minella Cocooner

Dunboyne has a big chance with Cheltenham in mind

The Paddy Power "I'd Love A Can But Pints Are Cheaper" Handicap Hurdle (14:45) is undoubtedly one of the most competitive races of the entire weekend, but the Gordon Elliott-trained Dunboyne stands out as being an attractive proposition.

The seven-year-old won a maiden hurdle at Thurles a year ago, but took time to find his feet in the deeper waters of handicap company. However, he came to life in no uncertain terms in the Pertemps Qualifier at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting.

Buried in cover in behind the leading bunch, he had made eye-catching headway to track the leaders approaching the second-last flight, but carnage ensued in front of him at that flight and he was badly hampered/shuffled back.

That probably should have been the end of his chance, but he recovered gamely under a considerate ride to finish fifth.

That run was enough to qualify him for the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival, but his current Irish mark of 128 is likely to leave him on the borderline of getting into the race and at the mercy of how much higher the British handicapper puts him in.

Thus, his connections are likely to be very keen for him to run a big race here, not just to lay claim to the first prize of €59,000, but also to get him up in the ratings to guarantee him a spot at the Cheltenham Festival. He looks to have a big chance.