Meath trainers target Dublin Racing Festival winners

NATIONAL HUNT

There are some high-quality entries for the five handicap races and two Grade 2 bumpers at next week’s Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th February with Meath trainers Gordon Elliott, Noel Meade and Gavin Cromwell all likely to be in contention for some of the big prizes.

“We are delighted with the entries for the handicaps and the two bumpers which were released on Monday," commented Leopardstown CEO Tim Husbands.

"They complete the picture for the upcoming Dublin Racing Festival and it is shaping up to be an excellent renewal.

"The support of our sponsors ensure that we can keep significant prize funds and maintain Dublin Racing Festival as one of the leading National Hunt festivals in Ireland and the UK, we are very grateful to them and everyone else who supports this weekend,” he added.

The Gordon Elliott-trained Sir Gerhard, Kilcruit, Flame Bearer, Hollymount and Brandy Love feature in the early line up for the bumpers while Master McShee heads the 51 entries, an increase of 10 on last year, for the Ladbrokes Hurdle on the Saturday

The Eddie Cawley-trained Golden Jewel and Martin Brassil’s You Raised Me Up, second and third respectively in the Ladbrokes Hurdle last year, hold entries once again.

Heading the weights for the race are the Willie Mullins-trained Buildmeupbuttercup and Liz Doyle’s Cayd Boy while other notable entries include Eclair De Beaufeu, winner of the Matheson Handicap Chase on the card a year ago for Elliott, Noel Meade’s novice Cask Mate, the Gavin Cromwell-trained Gabynako and Wolf Prince and Paul O’Flynn’s West Cork Wildway.

Some 28 horses, an increase of two on last year, have been entered for the Matheson Handicap Chase.

The recent Naas winner, Epson Du Houx, trained by Henry de Bromhead, Emmet Mullins’ The Shunter, Aramax, trained by Elliott and the Willie Mullins pair, Pont Aven and Andalusa, look to be chief among them.

The Goffs Future Stars INH Flat Race, won by Envoi Allen in 2019 and Appreciate It last year, has an entry of 16, headed by a trio of dual winners for the Elliott yard, Sir Gerhard, Chemical Energy and Hollow Games.

Willie Mullins has also made three entries, Kilcruit, Whatdeawant and Ramillies while the Pat Doyle-trained Flame Bearer and Gavin Cromwell’s Letsbeclearaboutit are also included.

Elliott entries dominate at the head of the weights for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle with last year’s heroine Black Tears topping the 36 horses in the opening contest on the Sunday.

The Terence O’Brien-trained Our Roxanne was second in the race last year and is entered again as are Spruced Up and Strange Notions, fourth and fifth a year ago.

Willie Mullins has entered seven horses, including the Leopardstown Christmas Festival winner Dysart Diamond, as he bids to win the race named in memory of his late father for the first time.

Declan Queally’s runaway Naas winner Uisce Solas and Henry de Bromhead’s hat-trick seeker Telmesomethinggirl also have chances.

Last year’s entry of 52 has been slightly bettered for the William Fry Handicap Hurdle. Willie Mullins is responsible for 10 of the 54 in the race this time and included on his early team is Great White Shark, a winner on her most recent start over hurdles at the Galway festival last July and successful in the Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket subsequently.

Koshari, Low Sun and Dandy Mag are others that feature for the champion trainer.

Also entered is the former Cheltenham Festival winner City Island, trained by Martin Brassil, Paul Fahey’s much-improved performer Ballyshannon Rose, the winner of her last four starts, Elliott’s Dallas Des Pictons, the winner of this race in 2019, Ronan McNally’s The Jam Man, the Fran Flood-trained Millen To One and Pure Genius, a recent winner for Ted Walsh.

Successful in the William Fry Handicap Hurdle at the 2020 Dublin Racing Festival, the Robert Widger-trained Treacysenniscorthy is one of a number of significant entries for the Gaelic Plant Hire Leopardstown Handicap Chase.

Trainwreck, Any Second Now and Blazer, second, third and fourth behind Glamorgan Duke in this race last year, have been entered again by Henry de Bromhead, Ted Walsh and Willie Mullins while last year’s victorious trainer, Paul Gilligan, has Born By The Sea this time.

Stones And Roses and Cabaret Queen are others among Mullins’ nine entries while Philip Dempsey’s The Long Mile, the Arthur Moore-trained Crossed My Mind, Henry de Bromhead’s Minella Times and the Tom Mullins-trained Scoir Mear will certainly be of interest on the day.

There are 15 horses entered for the Grade 2 Coolmore NH Sires Irish EBF Mares INH Flat Race, the final race of the 2021 Dublin Racing Festival.

Willie Mullins that dominates with six previous winners engaged, including Fairyhouse scorer Brandy Love, dual winners Brooklynn Glory and Purple Mountain, and the Naas winners Belle Metal and Take Tea while Hollymount could feature for Gordon Elliott and new owners Noel and Valerie Moran.