Dublin Racing Festival Day One Tips: A trio of bets for a cracking card at Leopardstown

One of the most eagerly anticipated meetings of the year is almost upon us, the Dublin Racing Festival! The action begins at 13:20 on Saturday from Leopardstown and as well as some thrilling action standing on its own two feet, there will be Cheltenham Festival clues aplenty in this showpiece Irish racing weekend. Billy Grimshaw has cast his eye over the card on Day One and has three he thinks are worth siding with...

13:20 Leopardstown - Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novices' Hurdle

There is no warm-up at the Dublin Racing Festival; the top class action begins in the very first race! In this race over two miles six furlongs, some of the leading Ballymore and Albert Bartlett contenders are set to clash and the favourite is Good Land, owned and trained by Barry Connell. When unseating on his penultimate start over 2 miles at Fairyhouse few would've expected hm to be favourite for a Grade One like this, but his latest performance at Leopardstown in a maiden hurdle stamped him out as one out of the top drawer. The contest looked competitive with a strong field on the day but Good Land made short work of his rivals and strode away to win by eight lengths. He has claims, undoubtedly, but at the prices is one to swerve.

The British raiders are particularly thin on the ground at Leopardstown this year but Weveallbeencaught for Nigel Twiston-Davies will head over and attempt to take this race en route to his Cheltenham target. His win last time out at Cheltenham looks better now second that day Rock My Way has come out again and won and he looks laden with stamina. A horse I always thought would relish a trip in time is American Mike and in the market for this contest I feel he is being disrespected off the back off a poor run last time out at Navan which has been explained away by his trainer. He was no match for Facile Vega in last year's Champion bumpers at Cheltenham or Punchestown but the fact he was much closer on soft at Cheltenham than on good at Punchestown shows over the shortest trip he was not seen to best effect. This season his first start was promising, winning as a 1/6 favourite should while still looking like he wanted further. Forgetting his run last time out when clearly not himself, he is worth chancing to relish this extended intermediate trip and thrust himself into the Albert Bartlett picture with a back-to-form win here. Expect his Cheltenham Odds to shorten significantly if he does win

14:30 Leopardstown - Irish Arkle Novice Chase

Never mind the race of the weekend, if all participants take their chance this could go down as the race of the season! Willie Mullins was expected to keep his star novice chasers apart this weekend but he has five of the field for this cracking 2 mile showpiece and although it is Appreciate It who heads the market and the choice of Paul Townend, he is not for me. Yes, his Supreme win was seriously impressive and yes he has two good wins over 2 miles over fences to his name this year. But there is still a nagging doubt he is more suited to two and a half miles than the sharp test at a ferocious pace this promises to be. At 11/8 he is simply too short in a field of this quality with the suspicions over his suitability for the trip.

Dysart Dynamo follows him in the market and is another Mullins runner. He was impressive on chase debut, his first start since crashing out when going a kamikaze pace in last season's Supreme then finishing last at Punchestown when sent of favourite. Connections will hope the summer did him good and he has improved for fences, however in the 2 mile division the one they all have to beat according to antepost lists is Jonbon. It is my opinion Dysart Dynamo would've been well behind Jonbon in the Supreme of 2022 if he stayed on his feet and so it makes little sense to side with him over another stablemate who pushed Jonbon to  a photo finish at Aintree.

The selection is of course another Closutton inmate and is double the price of Dysart Dynamo, something that makes little sense. El Fabiolo may not have been as striking in his chase debut win as his stablemate and may not have the brilliant front running runaway Cheltenham win in the book like Appreciate It either, but he is not that type of horse and is being underestimated here. With Dysart Dynamo in the field the pace will certainly be a strong one and that should suit El Fabiolo who enjoys stalking into his races. Not short of speed either, at 6/1 he seems at least two points too big on the odds grids and can confirm himself as Mullins' top dog in the two mile chasing rank by bagging this Grade One prize.

16:10 Leopardstown - Paddy Power Cheltenham Fanzone Handicap Chase

No sooner was he gone than he was back. After Jack Kennedy's unfortunate injury, Gordon Elliott was on the phone imploring Davy Russell to return to the saddle until Kennedy was fit again and Russell obliged, In what will almost certainly be his last Dublin Racing Festival, Russell looks to be on board a lively chance in the penultimate race in Day One in Fils D'oudaries, a recruit over the summer from Nicky Henderson's with some smart form in the book. Arguably his best run came at Aintree last season when just going down to the phenomenally well handicapped Langer Dan at the Grand National festival. Since crossing the Irish Sea to Cullentra, Fils D'oudairies has begun life as a chaser and the results have been mixed.

After two fifth placed finishes over 2m4, in which it seemed Fils D'oudairies effort whimpered out, Elliott opted to drop him back in trip last time out and he looked much happier. Finishing second at 10/1, he was fairly unlucky to be interfered with at a crucial time and although he probably wouldn't have won, this was much more like it. At the prices he is worth an each-way wager in this race in the hope a return to shorter distances has reignited his spark. Favourite for the race Get My Drift would unsurprisingly be the main danger, as last time out he was no match for Appreciate It but was definitely minded for a handicap next time out. Wave Of The Sea is another in the famous green and gold silks worthy of respect and could be in the mix, but at the prices and with his back class Fils D'oudairies will do for me.