Dublin Racing Festival: Horses I'll be watching ahead of Cheltenham The Dublin Racing Festival is set to take place this weekend, and what an exciting couple of days we have in store. The best horses in Ireland will be fighting it out in eight Grade 1s, competitive handicaps, and two bumpers that’ll send punters home either ecstatic or with their tails between their legs. One thing is for sure: a fascinating but wet weekend is in store judging by the Irish weather at the moment. We have some mouth-watering clashes ahead. Galopin Des Champs looks set to reclaim yet another Irish Gold Cup, and judging by the enthusiasm and determination he showed in the Savills Chase at the Christmas Festival, he will take plenty of stopping. Trainers target this meeting not only for the quality and prize money, but for the invaluable clues it provides ahead of the Cheltenham Festival, which is never far from their minds. 1. Skylight Hustle The first horse I look at is Skylight Hustle, the six-year-old owned by Robcour and trained by Gordon Elliott. He was second on his hurdling debut, although the form has been significantly franked since. The winner went on to land graded glory just last week at Doncaster, while the third horse has since beaten the highly touted Doctor Du Mesnil in a Punchestown maiden, having already finished third in the Royal Bond this season. Skylight Hustle shed his maiden tag in emphatic fashion at Fairyhouse, winning by a whopping 21 lengths before stepping up to Grade 1 company. In a weekend where Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy could seemingly do no wrong, this horse followed the script perfectly. He travelled neatly throughout, and when the gap appeared, he took it impressively. There was plenty of discussion after the race, particularly surrounding Joseph O’Brien’s Talk The Talk, who appeared to have the race at his mercy. However, connections of Skylight Hustle were adamant their horse was not finished and were confident that, had both horses stood up, victory would have been theirs. He is entered in the two-mile novice hurdle, but my gut feeling is that the further this horse goes, the better he will be. The Turners Novices’ Hurdle is a race Robcour has fond memories of, with Bob Olinger taking it during his novice campaign. If Skylight Hustle lines up over two miles here and is beaten or fails to impress, I wouldn’t be surprised if connections look to step him up in trip, as the overall vibe suggests a longer distance will allow him to show his full ability. 2. Kopek Des Bordes Kopek Des Bordes needs little introduction. Since landing the George Mernagh Memorial Sales Race at Fairyhouse, he has been a breath of fresh air for racing. We were introduced to the McCarthy family along the way, with owner Charlie McCarthy and his sons Andrew, CJ, James, and David embarking on what has already been a journey of a lifetime. The Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner went on to tackle the infamous two-mile beginners’ chase at Navan - a race that has previously featured the likes of Facile Vega and Douvan. He dominated from the front and was very much his old self, returning to a jubilant winner’s enclosure where Charlie McCarthy declared that the dream is still alive. Since then, a loose chip was removed, ruling him out of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival. With the Dublin Racing Festival now on the horizon, a mouth-watering clash awaits involving Kopek Des Bordes, Kargese, Romeo Coolio, and Irish Panther, with serious Cheltenham implications on the line. I’m particularly interested to see what effect the setback has had. Will the freshness help, or could it lead to him over-running? His jumping will be closely scrutinised, especially after seeing Majborough raise doubts around this time last year. Kopek Des Bordes is a major player for the Arkle this season, and Saturday’s contest should tell us plenty. His beginners’ chase was visually impressive, and both Willie Mullins and Paul Townend were quick to point out post-race that he learned a great deal from the experience. It’s not often you see Townend break into such a broad smile while stressing the need not to get carried away - a sign of just how exciting this horse could be. 3. It’s Only A Game It’s Only A Game takes his chance in the Paddy Power Cheltenham Podcast Grade 2 bumper, and he is a horse who really caught my eye on his second start at Punchestown on the John Durkan card. Owned by Sean and Bernadette Mulryan, who consistently have quality horses, this five-year-old son of Goliath Du Berlais was hugely impressive in the manner of his victory. John Gleeson gave him a patient ride, and when the gap appeared, both horse and jockey seized it and coasted home. The form has worked out well, with the second going on to win a bumper by 18 lengths and the third producing several solid efforts since. After the race, trainer Martin Brassil said: “He was showing a nice bit of promise, and we targeted this meeting as Sean and Bernadette Mulryan like to have runners here. It got tight on the inside, and I didn’t know if I’d be saying well done or what are you doing - he’s a very nice horse.” With Cheltenham in mind, I’ll be watching this weekend’s run closely. The connections had James Gate run a huge race behind Facile Vega and American Mike in 2022, and a strong showing here would almost certainly put It’s Only A Game on a Champion Bumper path. 4. Jasko Des Dames Jasko Des Dames is a horse I’ve always had time for. He was hugely consistent last season, and I’m hopeful that a solid run at the Dublin Racing Festival will once again set him up nicely for the Grand Annual at Cheltenham. His most recent run came at Cheltenham on October 24th, where he finished second to Dan Skelton’s Calico — a horse who excels when fresh and has since gone on to land another race worth £100,000. Three other horses from that race have since won, further strengthening the form. The plan looks to be a return to the Cheltenham Festival, but this time with Jasko Des Dames arriving fresher. He’s a horse who likes to race prominently and can do things the hard way, so this adjusted approach could pay dividends. Henry de Bromhead is as good as anyone at getting one spot-on for the big day, and with Darragh O’Keeffe aboard, Jasko Des Dames should be able to attack his fences and travel strongly in what is likely to be a strong-paced contest. A finish inside the top ten this weekend would be satisfactory, with the bigger picture firmly focused on March.
