DUBLIN FESTIVAL

The Dublin Festival is scheduled for Leopardstown on3rd/4th Feb,
Both are eye catching cards with the cream of Irishjump horses showing themselves.
Races include Irish Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle.,top Novice Chases and Hurdle races.
The timing of this Festival is very precise as it is still over 5 weeks before Cheltenham Trainers/Owners will have time to evaluate all their Cheltenham entries and who to keep back for Aintree.
Perhaps one of the reasons that the Irish are so predominant at Cheltenham is because they are better prepared.
I can't recall any meeting of this nature in UK before Cheltenjham. 

Should be great Mac weather permitting it's rather Baltic at the moment 

 

I have just watched the last race at Leopardstown of the Dublin Festival and am quite disappointed with what has been on view.
It is my belief that in any race to get a true pace you need minimum 8 runners.
We have seen 15 races of which 7 were 6 or less runners.
'This in addition gives cramped betting odds.
Apart from not being a spectacle to watch one immediately thinks "what did the horse beat"" and what form value can you take from the race.
The Festival operators threw a ton of moneyat the meeting and had even a two horse match race today.
Just my own personal view!.

I think it might be the case of too close to Cheltenham and runners will have been boxed with March in mind.

Agree FAS disappointing but as Bob says only 6 weeks to Cheltenham and just keeping fit for the stars for the big week. 

All the hotties 🔥 won yesterday but probably did not make difference to betting but it gave me a bit more confidence that the hotties are well.
Galopin Des CHAMPS ĺooks a cert for Gold Cup 
Ballyburn impressive 
Marine Nationale looks now beatable and hopefully I'll Etait Temps for HW 
although State Man also great it still has a massive HILL to climb 
LOSSIEMOUTH looks good 
El FABIOLO also looks hard to beat 

More to follow as we get closer to the festival 

I see Bob's point but on the other side if you take Marine National ,who was well fancied,then WM has time to try and sort him out.
The others confirmed that they were all well.
Ireland is milder at this time of the year but UK could and is being hit by bad weather,which restricts preparing runners for Cheltenham.
We'll see !