2024 Dublin Racing Festival Day 2 Betting Tips and Predictions – Sunday 4th February

Get our Dublin Racing Festival day 2 betting tips and predictions for Leopardstown on Sunday 4th February including a preview for each of the eight races.

We’ve asked Adam O’Brien to run through each of the races and try and find a win or each-way bet in each of the day 2 contests.

There are some cracking horses on show on day 2 of the DRF and I expect fireworks in several races on Sunday. We have some tough betting races with small fields and, at the time of writing, 4 odds on shots in the Grade 1s.

Read our preview and DRF betting tips below and get your hands on one of the bookies offers to spend on this weekend’s sport such as CopyBet’s bet £10 get £50 in free bets welcome bonus.

 

12.40

A tricky Mares Handicap Hurdle to kick us off here but one I think will be won by one of the market leaders. Risk Belle seems a nearly horse despite getting her nose in front twice already over hurdles. Sent off a very well-backed 5/2f in this race last year, she was trusted to take on her elders as a 4 year-old and was going well when falling too far out to know what would happen.

She then went to the Boodles where she was beaten a neck into 3rd and that handicap experience should bode well again and I think she will right the wrong of last year’s fall. Foxy Girl is the obvious danger and it could be that she’s still very well handicapped but I’m backing my selection to come out on top.

Back Risk Belle EW at 9/2 with Betvictor’s £40 welcome offer (5 places)

 

13.10

A race that has had a strange antepost feel to it during the week with the betting suggesting Gaelic Warrior was bound for the Irish Arkle a day earlier and Grangeclare West seemingly not turning up. Both turn up here and it gives us a cracking contest, albeit a likely 4 runner field.

Grangeclare West brings Grade 1 winning form at the course when winning the Nevile Hotel Novices Chase over 3m at Xmas and despatched a strong field in the process. In front of him in the betting is stablemate Fact To File who also won here over Xmas and at this trip, albeit in a beginners chase. He is taking the Florida Pearl route by going straight over fences after his bumper season and has thus, by-passed a hurdle campaign which is a huge statement from the man from Closutton. If he improves again from run 2 to 3 like he did from run 1 to 2 then he has a good chance in this.

However, I think Gaelic Warrior is a machine and seems to have improved massively for a fence and hes my winner here. A horse that seems comfortable at any distance from 2-3 miles, he has the class and engine blow you away. There will be question marks over him due to his tendency to jump right at his fences and that is a fair question for someone who hasn’t been left handed over fences yet. I believe his ability and improvement for a fence will compensate for that though and I expect him to win this and go on and win the Turners at Cheltenham in 6 weeks time

Back Gaelic Warrior at 11/10 with William Hill’s £30 sign-up offer.

 

13.40

A cracking Novice Hurdle here that will give us a great sighter into the Supreme Novices Hurdle and Baring Bingham Novice Hurdles at Cheltenham. Ballyburn sits at the top of the Baring Bingham market and 2nd in the betting for the Supreme and looks the most likely winner here. His flat form was good and Closutton have never hidden away from how highly he is rated at home. Beaten on hurdles debut, he was another horse that improved greatly for his 2nd run. The trip could be on the sharp side for him with the 2 ½ mile trip deemed his preference by many.

Farren Glory brings top-graded form to the race due to his win in the Royal Bond at the start of December. That form has been boosted throughout the season and even though he fell last time out on Boxing Day, he was cruising and looked like adding another Grade 1 to his name and he’s a serious player here.

I am happy to chance Slade Steel against the pair though. 3rd to Ballyburn in a bumper in April, the Henry De Bromhead novice is 2/2 over hurdles and was impressive when seeing off Royal Bond 2nd King of Kingsfield over 2m on debut. He then won over 2m4 next time when beating Lecky Watson and Stellar Story. He seems to have a good combination of speed and stamina and a great attitude in a fight and at the prices I think he’s a great bet.

Back Slade Steel EW at 7/1 with the Bet365 £30 sign-up offer.

 

14.10

The Clarence House being pushed back a week due to frost was the UK’s loss and Ireland’s gain and this race now has the best 2m chaser either side of the Sea in El Fabiolo. As the 4/11 odds suggest, he really should be winning this and further stamping his mark on the Champion Chase in March. Dinoblue is no mug though and I expect her to follow her stablemate home which should hopefully put her spot on for the Mares Chase at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.

No bet but El Fabiolo will win.

 

14.45

Another race with a 1/3 fav and one that I can’t see fluffing their lines. State Man is as solid as they get and he will add to his impressive tally of 7 Grade 1s here. With good horses Bob Olinger and Impaire Et Passe taking him on, it won’t be a walk over but I can’t see how they can get the better of him based on everything he has done on the track.

No bet but State Man will win.

 

15.20

A real head spinner of a race here with a very competitive handicap with uncertainties on if today is ‘the day’ for these horses or if this is a prep run for the Festival. I have a few of these horses on my mind for handicaps at Cheltenham and I don’t want my heart to rule my head here (no pun intended). Perceval Legallois very much has a big one in him and I’m hoping today is not the day for this lad. Classic Getaway is a big price if he can put in a performance his hype and purchase price expects and there are a few in here that you could make a case for.

My selection has to be Heart Wood. A 2nd season novice, he only had 1 chase start last season before returning after a 364-day lay off in November where he split Corbetts Cross and Grade 1 winner Grangeclare West. That’s strong form and one I’m happy to follow here.

Back Heart Wood EW at 9/1 with Bet365 (6 places)

 

15.50

Yet another tricky handicap to negotiate which isn’t made easier by the 7 JP McManus runners. An Tobar is an intriguing runner in this. Deemed a graded animal at the start of the season he has underperformed and dropped in class as a result. His ability should see him go close but I feel the 2m trip is on the sharp side and I feel there is a bigger target further down the line.

Preference goes to one of those 7 JP runners in Zenta. A fascinating runner here back over hurdles after she started the season off novice chasing. A Grade 1 winning hurdler as a juvenile at Aintree last spring, it’s interesting as to why connections have aborted fences so soon. Her form as a juvenile is strong when 3rd in the triumph on only her 2nd start for Willie Mullins. Off the track for nearly 2 months she comes here fresh and must be going close.

Back Zenta EW at 10/1 with Bet365 (6 places)

 

16.25

Another Willie Mullins favourite in the last but I’m taking her on with another of his runners. Femme Magnifique is known more for a Twitter (X) video on the Closutton gallops than what she’s achieved on the track but I think that will change when winning this. Impressive when winning on debut in Thurles in December, I expect this mare to have come on a bundle for that and although it’s hard to gauge the form of all these here, I’m siding with the Sullivan Bloodstock horse here.

Back Femme Magnifique EW at 8/1 with Paddy Power (4 places)

 

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