Sunday Racing Tips: Kevin Blake says State Man is the only one to back

• Queen worth a Gamble in the day two opener

• State Man the only one to be at the odds

• Still more to come from Brave Troop despite hike in weights

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The declarations for day two of the Dublin Racing Festival are in and now is the time to focus. The cynics will cry out with screams of "Willie Fest", but whether that shape to a meeting is to your taste or not, there are still plenty of betting opportunities on a card with great depth of quality.

12:40 - Leopardstown:  Back Queens Gamble @ 3/14.00

The first race of interest is the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy and Maureen Mullins Mares' Handicap Hurdle (12:40). This perhaps isn't the highest quality renewal of this always competitive race and it might well be the top weight Queens Gamble that takes the spoils.

Not many British trainers have dared to cross the Irish Sea for an "away game" in Ireland in recent years, but up-and-coming trainer Harry Derham has shown himself to be game for the challenge and indeed saddled Washington to win a valuable handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse in December. 

The gaps in between the runs of Queen's Gamble suggest that she might not be the easiest to train, but when she gets to the track she has shown herself to be a talented mare. Considering it was just her fourth run over hurdles, she ran a huge race to finish 1½ lengths second to Navajo Indy in a valuable handicap hurdle at Newbury in November.

While she will run off a 4lb higher mark here, she still appeals as being well treated and Derham has been targeting this race with her for quite some time. She looks to have an excellent chance.

15:20 - Leopardstown:  Back State Man @ 6/52.20

The main event of the day is the Irish Champion Hurdle (15:20) and it poses an almighty conundrum to form students and enthusiasts.

Willie Mullins has declared his two big guns in the two-mile hurdling division, State Man and Lossiemouth. Despite Lossiemouth having traded as the odds-on favourite throughout the ante-post phase of the market, Paul Townend has been jocked up on State Man. 

I have to say, I won't be shocked if Lossiemouth doesn't end up running. The main winner if these two clash at this juncture (other than racing fans of course!) will be Nicky Henderson. He'll get to see the two biggest dangers to Constitution Hill lock horns five-and-a-half weeks out, with the result having the potential to knock one of them out of the running for the Champion Hurdle.

The Willie Mullins I've watched at work for so many years would surely be inclined to keep the Champion Hurdle dreams alive for both his main contenders until the big day, but we have to take the declarations at face value and we'll see what plays out on Sunday.

As it stands, there is only one horse that can be bet at the odds and that is State Man. He has better form in the book and the fact that Townend has chosen to ride him gives encouragement that his uncharacteristically flat effort in the Neville Hotels Hurdle can be forgiven.

If it was such a thing that Lossiemouth didn't run, those that take the current odds on State Man will be paid out at a far greater price than the likely SP after the Rule 4 deduction has been made. It promises to be a fascinating build-up and contest.

15:50 - Leopardstown:  Back Brave Troop @ 4/15.00

The final race of interest on the day is the Timeless Sash Windows Handicap Hurdle (15:50). This is fiercely competitive as you'd expect.

My general approach to races like these at this time of year is to pay particular attention to those that have sneaked in towards the bottom of the weights, but are not yet rated high enough to get into the likes of the County Hurdle or the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. 

One that very much fits that bill is the Charles Byrnes-trained Brave Troop. The six-year-old has sprouted wings since joining Byrnes, winning both his starts in handicap hurdles with consummate ease and impressing with his slick jumping.

A total rise of 30lb for those two victories might seem a lot and of course it is by normal standards, but he won in such style that he might well have even more to come. A higher-quality race such as this will play to his strengths and it wouldn't at all surprise if he can complete his hat-trick here.

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