Dublin Racing Festival Day One Tips |
Jake Price

The Juvenile division in Ireland is typically a strong one, but so far there are yet to really be any horses to stand out and take the division by the scruff of the neck. The one who I think has the potential to do so this weekend however is Sainte Lucie, who was very impressive on her hurdles debut.

This Filly joined Willie Mullins on a long list of French recruits, and owing to that list being so long, she probably wasn’t expected to sit towards the top of it. Making her debut for the yard at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve, she absolutely bolted up from a rival who has ran really well since to earn his place in a Listed race at Musselburgh just before this race. Paul Townend retains his faith in her, and that surely is a tip in itself.

The Dublin Racing Festival opener looks a decent contest, and whilst Final Demand is undoubtedly an exciting horse with plenty of potential, he looks quite short in the betting considering all he has done is win a Limerick Maiden Hurdle to date.

I therefore want to take a chance on Supersundae improving for his good run in the Grade 1 Lawlor’s Of Naas last month – where he was fresh enough having been off the track for 243 days. Considering he was a horse chucked into the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on his first start for Willie Mullins he clearly is well regarded, but stepping back up in trip to 2m6f should be exactly what he wants at this stage in his career.

It’s clear to see that Meetingofthewaters is absolutely chucked in here off his Hurdles rating of 112, and I probably will cover him – but at a massive price Lucky Lyreen looks worth an each/way play.

This seven-year-old has shown himself to be very capable of landing a pot, as this time last year he won a 2m7½f Maiden Hurdle from Kinturk Kalanisi (135), before then landing the 2m4f Novice Handicap Hurdle at the Fairyhouse Festival off a mark of 125. This season he looks to have been slowly built back up to the boil with defeats in Listed Handicap Hurdles at Navan and Leopardstown, and it was that run here over Christmas where he seemed to stay on strongest at the finish under a quiet enough ride. Carl Millar jumps aboard to take off 5lbs, and from a mark of 132 he can surely hit the frame now stepped back up in trip to 3m.

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