Dublin Racing Festival 2024 Day 1 Betting Tips, Predictions and Preview

Get our Dublin Racing Festival day 1 betting tips and predictions for Leopardstown on Saturday 3rd February including a preview for each of the seven races.

We’ve got Ciaran Murphy on board to look through the seven-race card to open the 2024 Dublin Racing Festival where Galopin Des Champs will be looking to win back-to-back Irish Gold Cups.

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.

 

Dublin Racing Festival Day 1 Tips

• 1.20pm – Predators Gold (13/8)
• 1.50pm – Kargese (7/1)
• 3.00pm – Shanbally Kid (12/1)
• 4.10pm – Grey Diamond (20/1)
• 4.40pm – Jeroboam Machin (18/1)

 

1.20pm

The weekend kicks-off with the interesting 2m 6f Nathaniel Lacy Novice Hurdle. While the Dublin Racing Festival is undoubtedly top-class racing in its own right, at this stage of the season we are also looking for Cheltenham Festival 2024 clues and this race often throws up as many questions as answers.

Of the past 4 winners of the race, 2 have gone to the Ballymore and 2 to the Albert Bartlett. I am hoping that this year’s winner follows the latter path as I really fancy PREDATORS GOLD (13/8) to get favourite backers off to a flying start here and hopefully follow up in the Albert Bartlett in March. (Read my Albert Bartlett 2024 preview and tips here). His victory over Mossy Fen Park was franked at Christmas and his 2nd to Caldwell Potter is the standout piece of form in the race. While that contest was run over 2 miles, the ground put the emphasis on stamina and I think that over this trip he has the perfect mixture of speed and stamina to get the job done. I Will be Baie might be the one to follow him home with slight ground and trip concerns over Loughglynn. 

Bet on Predators Gold at 13/8 with Betfred’s bet £10 get £40 sign-up offer.

 

1.50pm

The Spring Juvenile sees the best of the Irish 4-year-olds try to lay down a marker to the incredibly impressive Sir Gino in the Triumph Hurdle betting. It is a difficult race to call as many of these have won relatively weak Maiden Hurdles by wide margins and there are several different form lines to consider, including early runs in France.

At the price, I would have to be against the favourite as impressive as he was on Irish Debut at Punchestown. Majborough has been well supported in the ante-post market and the vibes from Closutton have been strong, although there seems to be a suggestion that chasing is where he will ultimately be seen to best effect.

I was also massively impressed by the debut of Highwind who, after a bad mistake at the last on Irish debut, picked up and scored impressively. Ruby Walsh gave him a favourable mention on a recent dodcast, although you can choose for yourself whether that is a positive or a negative and he has been overlooked by both Paul Townend and Danny Mullins.

So I am going to side with KARGESE (7/1) who comes out better at the weights for a 3/4 length defeat to Kala Conti in Leopardstown while also doing plenty wrong that day. In this race last year, Paul Townend ended up following Danny home and I wonder if he has picked the wrong one again. Worth a mention at massive odds of 40/1 is Ethical Diamond, who was thought to be at the top of the the Closutton Juvenile tree at the start of the season. He can be forgiven for his poor showing over Christmas on awful ground and while Willie seemed luke warm on him in his column and he is down the pecking order on jockey bookings, I would keep an eye on the market for signs of support.

Bet on Kargese at 13/2 with the BetVictor £40 sign-up offer.

Each-way bet – Ethical Diamond @ 40/1 with bet365.

 

2.25pm

The non-deceleration of Gaelic Warrior in the Irish Arkle has robbed us of the race of the meeting and leaves Marine Nationale as the short-priced favourite. He was imperious on Chase debut and holds Facile Vega on all known form. I thought at the start of the year fences may etch out more improvement in the latter but it seems to be Marine who has taken better to the larger obstacles. I would expect Facile Vega to reverse the form with Found a Fifty but both will be behind the Fav and I see no bet in this race. 

 

3.00pm

The favourite Fine Margin carries the best form into this 3m Handicap Hurdle, splitting impressive but unfortunate winner Slate Lane and Stayers Hurdle candidate Crambo last time out at Haydock. The market drift that day means that the performance can possibly be upgraded if connections felt that there was an improvement to come and he will be hard to beat. However, at the prices, a chance is taken on SHANBALLY KID (12/1) who returns to hurdles after a disastrous chase debut where his jumping was harshly compared to a snooker table (harsh on the table). He is well handicapped on last year’s defeat of Monty’s Star and was possibly not suited by the hustle and bustle of the Albert Bartlett last year. 

Bet on Shanbally Kid at 12/1 with the BetUK bet £10 get £30 welcome offer.

 

3.35pm

Sit back, relax and enjoy what I believe is the best 3m Chaser since Kuato Star. In hindsight, the fact that he could win a Gold Cup despite being held up shows the class that he has. A return to front-running tactics was the catalyst for one of, if not the greatest chasing performances that I can recall on this side of the Irish Sea. Those who are trying to claim this was the result of track bias are clutching at straws in my opinion and I don’t see any way that Fastorslow can uphold the form of his John Durcan win with Galopin Des Champs surely looking to bounce out and make all again. At 2/5 I won’t be playing but I will certainly look forward to seeing this superstar again. 

 

4.10pm

A wild swing is taken here at almost the rag of the field GREY DIAMOND (20/1), having his 3rd run for Gordon Elliot after switching from Sam Thomas. With Danny Gilligan taking off a free 5 pounds, he runs here off 131, 4 pounds lower than his last winning mark (in England). He was not given a hard time in his first 2 starts for the yard and the hope is that these tactics were with this day in mind. Madara is a very rare English runner and the booking of leading French jockey James Revely is extremely noteworthy, coming over for just one ride on the day. 

Bet on Grey Diamond at 20/1 with the bet365 £30 welcome offer.

 

4.40pm

While race meetings in Ireland usually conclude with a bumper, here we have the novel idea of a Veterans Flat Race with 3 time Grade 1 winning bumper A Dream to Share taking on 7-year-old Redemption Day, having his fifth racecourse start in 2 years and yet to see an obstacle.

The favourite is very hard to oppose if he is anywhere close to full fitness with some of his performances last season extremely impressive on the clock. There are some nice (and more traditional) types in behind. The Enabler looked very good on his last start in Navan, although he is maybe the more traditional Gigginstown 3m Chaser who will struggle to match the speed of the Fav. I was also impressed by the attitude of Joystick at the course at Christmas, although similar comments may apply. A chance is taken on the genius of Emmet Mullins and Paul Byrne and JEROBOAM MACHIN (18/1) who had the ill-fated DB Cooper behind when winning on debut. Derek O’Connor is always a positive and while the favourite will be hard beaten, I am hoping the Selection gives him most to think about. Market support or otherwise would give us an early idea of our fate with this one, given connections. 

Bet on Jeroboam Machin at 18/1 with William Hill’s bet £10 get £30 welcome offer.

 

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