Saturday Racing Tips & Best Bets For Dublin Racing Festival

Saturday Racing Tips

---

The Dublin Racing Festival is another important milestone on the road to Cheltenham and plenty of Festival hopefuls will be trying their luck at Leopardstown, although only if the course passes an 8am inspection on Saturday morning.

The card at Sandown is also subject to an inspection, but if it goes ahead, I’ve found a couple of contenders on betting sites to consider.

Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle (Leopardstown, 13.15)

It’s no surprise that Willie Mullins saddles the ante-post hotpot for the DRF’s opener in Doctor Steinberg. He ran like a stayer when winning a Navan Grade 2 event last time, fending off his chief opponent and seeing out the 2m4f right to the line.

He faces some pretty stiff competition here, however, in the Gordon Elliott-trained pair Kazansky, himself a Grade 2 winner and Santo Sospir, who dotted up in a Clonmel hurdle last time and will love the ground.

There are others in this Grade 1 event that could make their presence felt, including Mullins’ apparent second string LOVE ME TENDER. At 8/1 on betting apps at the time of writing, this bumper and Grade 3 hurdle winner looks overpriced.

He’s already won by a wide margin over 2m3f and there was no disgrace in his third-placed effort in a Grade 1 here over Christmas, as that trip looks too short. This step up in distance should see him warm more to his task and I can see him running into a place, or possibly better, at a price.

Saturday racing tip 1: Love Me Tender – 0.5pts each-way @ 8/1 (Ladbrokes)

Race And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle (Leopardstown, 14.25)

A huge field assembles for this Listed handicap hurdle and I must admit, it’s taken an age to get through the form of the field, trying to find one ‘lurking’ in and among.

It turns out that, after all of that, the number one horse is staring us all in the face in STAFFORDSHIRE KNOT. Gordon Elliott has several entered and he clearly knows more than the rest of us on their relative merits from their current marks.

However, even without that inside line on the selection, his public form is strong in the context of this race. I know he’s got a lot of weight to carry over three miles, shouldering 12st but he has a touch of class about him and his trainer has gone on the record as saying the more rain the better for him, so he’d have enjoyed the pictures of the track being under water earlier in the week.

This eight-year-old is still raising the bar slightly with each performance and I think he’ll run a big race here at a working man’s price. He’s 20/1 at the time of writing and an each-way play on horse racing betting sites is advised.

Saturday racing tip 2: Staffordshire Knot – 1pt each-way @ 20/1 (Ladbrokes)

Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (Leopardstown, 15.30)

What a race in prospect here with two Cheltenham Gold Cup winners, a multiple Irish Gold Cup winner, a Ryanair winner, an Arkle winner, a Grand National winner and the recent Savills Chase winner Affordale Fury all involved.

Dual Cheltenham Gold Cup and Irish Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs heads ante-post lists on horse racing betting apps and I’ve got no problem with that, given his stellar record. A clear case can be made for him again, having blown up when he hit the front in the Savills Chase last month and giving best to Affordale Fury and stablemate I Am Maximus on the run for home.

He’s still only ten and has usually come on for his reappearance, so you’d have to expect at least as good an effort as that here.

Willie Mullins is clearly trying to keep both hands on this prize, as he has eight of the 15 declared runners, including both GAELIC WARRIOR and Fact To File. Regular readers will know I’m a fan of both horses but I do feel that, at this level, Fact To File’s optimum is over something closer to 2m4f.

At the prices on offer here, I think 11/2 is value about Gaelic Warrior, who lost no caste in defeat in the King George VI Chase last time, looks as tough as old boots and at eight, is coming into his prime. If I had one wish, it would be for him to settle better because he has some engine.

He’s only 3lb inferior to the favourite on official ratings and he can finish in the first three for a profit if we back him each-way. If Galopin Des Champs is slightly below his best, then ‘the Warrior’ may even beat his stablemate. It should be fascinating finding out.

Saturday racing tip 3: Gaelic Warrior – 1pt each-way @ 11/2 (Unibet)

Barberstown Castle Handicap Chase (Leopardstown, 16.05)

Fifth at a price in last season’s Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival, there’s a bit of value in the 8/1 on offer about the Henry De Bromhead-trained JASKO DES DAMES here.

Arguably, he has the pick of the form in this 2m1f contest and he comes into it freshened up after running out of steam up the Cheltenham hill when last seen in October.

He’s won on soft ground before and he won’t mind the hustle and bustle of this sort of contest, if that Festival experience last year is any guide. He’s unexposed after just eight chase starts and he’s another who looks capable of running into the frame, with the possibility of winning if he can step up on previous efforts, which he has the potential to do.

Saturday racing tip 4: Jasko Des Dames (16.05, Leopardstown) – 1pt each-way @ 8/1 (BetVictor)

Virgin Bet A Good Bet Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Sandown Park, 13.25)

This looks open on paper with several chances in the field and the one I think could come into his own back up to this trip is NORN IRON.

Harry Cobden takes the mount for the first time on Harry Derham’s eight-year-old, who has been beaten 12 lengths on both his last two starts. Everything in his pedigree suggests that 2m4f or further will be the sort of trip that plays to his strengths.

Back up in trip (he was a close second on his only previous try over similar), there should be more to come from him and he’s shown he can act on soft ground. It’s hoped that he can now improve and break his duck over fences at the third attempt.

Saturday racing tip 5: Norn Iron – 1pt win @ 9/2 (Bet365)

Virgin Bet Heroes Handicap Hurdle (Sandown Park, 15.10)

There’s a big pot up for grabs for this stayers’ handicap hurdle and we could even see a repeat of last year’s result.

The winner 12-months ago was RED DIRT ROAD, who represents the O’Neills, with ‘Jonj’ junior on board. He scored by eight lengths from this year’s favourite Henri The Second last time around, when conditions were heavy.

They’ll again be testing for this renewal and from 6lb higher than 2025, I think Red Dirt Road can repeat that winning feat. He bombed out in his final start last season, which helps us get on at a better price now but his record when fresh is very good.

I tipped Henri The Second when he was just touched off over 2m4f here at the start of the month and I respect his chance but his 3/1 versus a double-figure price about the selection leads me to take him on.

Saturday racing tip 6: Red Dirt Road – 1pt each-way @ 10/1 (Ladbrokes)

Free racing bets

Each Saturday, LiveScore Bet run a money-back offer relating to one of the races being shown on ITV Racing that day. This week, that race is the 15.10 at Sandown, for which Jonathan has suggested Red Dirt Road.

If you decide to follow his Sandwon tip and he ends up finishing second, third or fourth, you’ll receive your stake back in free bets.

There’s no need to opt in to the offer, just place a wager on the race and if your selection finishes in the top four but doesn’t win, you’ll receive a free bet refund, up to a maximum of £10.

Only the win part of any each-way bets will be credited back to LiveScore Bet punters.

Responsible gambling

If you plan to have a bet on the racing, make sure to gamble responsibly.

It’s vital that bettors take steps to remain in control of their time and budget when using gambling sites. The same applies whether you’re using the betting sites UK, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium.

Even the most knowledgeable racing punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.

It’s particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino bonuses you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.

You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.

You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.