SUNDAE BEST ON SATURDAY
The second day of the new Dublin Racing Festival contains a host of top-class action and the feature event is one of the trickiest puzzles to solve.
The exciting Our Duke turns out for the first time since his very disappointing showing at Down Royal in November.
Killultagh Vic switches to fences after doing well to win over hurdles on his comeback on New Year’s Eve.
The former dual Gold Cup runner-up Djakadam and Grade 1 regular Outlander SUPASUNDAE pulled off quite an upset as he upstaged a host of established two milers to bag the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle yesterday.
The first day of the Dublin Racing Festival witnessed some cracking action but centre stage went to Supasundae who got the better of Faugheen.
Just over a month on from his Christmas eclipse Faugheen ran much better but he had no answer to Supasundae late on.
Indeed he has a long way to go if he is to reclaim the Champion Hurdle crown he lifted in 2015. are among the other big names in the field.
However, Valseur Lido gets the vote after an encouraging fifth to Road To Respect in a Grade 1 at this track over Christmas.
That was the nine-yearold’s first run for a year and he shaped up nicely, while giving the impression that he would be all the better for that run.
It should be remembered that Valseur Lido would have won this race two years ago only to exit at the last.
He is the choice to see off Killultagh Vic, who remains a chaser of huge potential.
Valseur Lido is taken to head a Grade 1 double for Henry de Bromhead who can also land the Flogas Novice Chase with Monalee.
This gelding took a heavy fall here at Christmas, which is a far from an ideal preparation for this race.
However, he had previously looked a top-notch novice when winning a decent beginners’ event at Punchestown in November.
It is interesting that his connections are happy to pitch him back in at this level and expect him to cement his claims as a live RSA Chase candidate.
Gordon Elliott also has prospects of a Grade 1 double which could be completed by Samcro.
Perhaps the most talked about jumper in the country, Samcro does have to drop back to two miles which is not ideal. Even so he has looked a tremendous talent
In terms of the winner the Stayers Hurdle remains the plan despite this career best effort over two miles.
Robbie Power (right) produced the eight-year- old to tackle Faugheen in the straight and the 8/1 chance was just too strong in the closing stages.
He succeeded by two and a quarter lengths with Mick Jazz taking third.
Afterwards Jessica Harrington confirmed that her gelding remained on course for the Stayers Hurdle and that the Champion Hurdle was not on his agenda.
Willie Mullins hopes that in all his starts to date and he was an effortless dozen -length winner of a Navan Grade 2 in November on his last start.
The unbeaten gelding can come through this assignment at the expense of Sharjah, who was denied a Grade 1 by a last-flight fall at Christmas.
Elliott’s Farclas could upstage Espoir D’allen in the juvenile hurdle having shaped up very well on his jumping debut here in December.
Elsewhere, Willie Mullins can land the two handicap hurdles with the well-treated Totall Recall and the unexposed Contingency.
The valuable handicap chase might fall to Limerick winner De Benno. spring ground and spring weather will enable Faugheen to recapture his best at Cheltenham.
Elsewhere it was a terrific day for Mullins who reeled off a four timer headed by Min’s dominant victory in the Coral Dublin Chase.
In the same race the winner’s stablemate Yorkhill finished a remote sixth and he has still to recapture his brilliant best.
In addition to Min, Mullins also struck with the brilliant novice chaser Footpad while Blackbow produced a commanding performance in the bumper.