First off all, a recap on our three runners at Naas on Sunday. American Money jumped very well, the trip may just have been a furlong too far for him. He should be up to winning a chase at some point. Good Land was given a pretty tender ride but he wasn’t far off a place and he could be well treated if he heads handicapping. Answering was ridden from the front and didn’t get home.
A bad day at the office but there’s plenty of opportunities
for redemption this weekend. I have found four horses for a 2025 DRF
Leopardstown E/W lucky 15 (e/w singles also recommended), find out who I am
backing below.
Juvenile Hurdle – Saturday @ 1.50pm (Grade 1)
The one that stands out at a decent price in this Juvenile Grade
1 is the Joseph O’Brien trained Galileo Dame. This daughter of Galileo Gold was
a classy operator on the flat. A winner of a 10f maiden here on her second start
(her first as a 3yo), she progressed well through the season and on her last
two starts on the level in 2024 she got to within 4l of the 104 rated Caught U
Looking and within 3l of the top class stayer Hamish, in 12f Listed races at
Naas and the Curragh.
She ended up with a flat rating of 96 and she started out
over hurdles in a maiden here over Christmas. Wendrock beat her by 2l
but given her lack of experience in this sphere, it was a more than pleasing
debut effort. I can see her getting much closer to that rival here, and it
would be no surprise were she to turn the form around.
The likes of Sainte Lucie, Hello Neighbour and Lady Vega
Allen have achieved more over hurdles but Galileo Dame should have lots of
improvement to come given the level of ability she showed on the level and hopefully she can get into the money at odds of 16/1.
2025 Dublin Racing Festival Tip: Galileo Dame e/w @ 16/1
Mares’ Handicap Hurdle – Sunday @ 12.40 (Listed)
It would be fair to say that things haven’t really gone to
plan for Brucio since she won this race easily off 116 last year. However, this
will be the first time she will be running over the same trip on soft ground
since and it wouldn’t be the biggest of surprises were she to bounce back to
form here.
She has had two runs this season. At Down Royal in November
(17f, good to yielding) she was beaten out of sight but she ran a better race
on her latest start at Doncaster over 2m on good to soft 50 days ago, beaten 13.5l into fifth of 8
behind Jungle Jack.
Steven Crawford’s daughter of Authorized was hiked up 16lb
to 132 for her 6l win in this last year but she has slipped back down to a mark
of 124 now. If Crawford decides to use a 7lb claimer, she’ll effectively be
running off 117, just a pound higher than she was for her win last season. Hopefully,
a repeat bid in this contest has been the long term plan and if it has, she can
outrun her generous looking odds of 25/1.
2025 Dublin Racing Festival Tip: Brucio e/w @ 25/1
Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle – Sunday @ 1.40 (Grade
1)
In the hope that they go a proper end to end gallop, Good
And Clever gets the nod in this 2m Grade 1. The English raider landed a nice
place for us at Aintree on his first go in Grade 1 company on just his second
start over hurdles and while he was 7l behind the winner Potters Charm, he was
ridden to come home late and pick up the pieces. I think they might ride him
a bit closer to the pace here, now that they know he is capable of mixing it at
this level.
The two market leaders, Kopek Des Bordes and Kaid D’Authie,
are taking a big step up in grade here. Bleu De Vassy has won a Grade 3 and
been placed behind Romeo Coolio in a Grade 1, both at this venue, and you could
argue that he is overpriced too.
However, so is Good And Clever and his trainer Warren
Greatrex won at this meeting with La Bague Au Roi in 2019, maybe he can
repeat the trick this year. At odds of 16/1, Good And Clever will hopefully
give us a decent run for our e/w money.
2025 Dublin Racing Festival Tip: Good And Clever e/w @ 16/1
Handicap Hurdle – Sunday @ 3.50pm (Listed)
Irish Panther ran a cracking race to finish third on his
handicap debut at this track on St Stephen’s Day and with that experience under
his belt, he can go well again upped to this higher level. This son of Lucarno
must have been fragile as a younger horse as he was raced very sparingly since
his excellent rules’ debut here when he finished 2l behind Fact To File in a
bumper in 2022.
He then got to within 4.5l of Ballyburn at Punchestown in
another bumper a couple of months later so there is no doubt that he has plenty
of ability. After a 195 day break he ran well to be placed in a couple of maiden hurdles in November 2023 but he was off the track for another 164 days after those two runs.
After another three month break he made his handicap debut
over this C&D off 118 in December and he finished a 5.5l third behind the
winner Shraheen. In second, 3.5l ahead of Irish Panther, was Cloonainra, since narrowly
denied in a Haydock Grade 2, and Harty’s charge was conceding 11lb to that
rival who is now rated 124.
Irish Panther could be well handicapped off 119 on that evidence and he has placed on both previous runs at this venue so at odds of 25/1, he is the
each way selection.
2025 Dublin Racing Festival Tip: Irish Panther e/w @ 25/1
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