Top quality National Hunt racing will take place at Leopardstown this weekend with the Dublin Racing Festival taking centre stage. There’s some stunning action on Saturday afternoon with the Irish Gold Cup the feature race, as Galopin Des Champs aims to land his third win in the race. Our tipster Steve Chambers takes a look at the exciting Irish jumps card and picks out his best bets for day one of the meeting.

1:15pm Leopardstown – Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle
With a whopping nine wins in this Grade 1 contest, Willie Mullins will have a strong team as he looks to make it a perfect ten on Saturday and the master of Closutton should claim the 1:15pm prize. Final Demand is a warm order, at the time of writing, and he was mightily-impressive when winning at Limerick and he’s entitled to be regarded as one of the most exciting novice hurdlers in the yard. However, SOUNDS VICTORIUS appeared to improve significantly last time out on his second hurdles start and if the Champion Bumper fourth can continue on an rapid incline then he could well ruffle his stablemate’s feathers. He should relish the step up in trip again and he could well come on enough to lay it down to Final Demand and the pair can fight out the finish.
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2:25pm Leopardstown – Race And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle
Meetingofthewaters is a hot favourite for this event off bottom weight and rated significantly lower over hurdles he will certainly be tough to beat if fully tuned up. However, the former Paddy Power Chase winner and last year’s Grand National seventh is likely to be using this as a springboard to another tilt, so it’s worth taking him on. Perceval Legallois is another returning to hurdles after winning the Paddy Power Chase over Christmas and is another attractively handicapped and warrants respect. However, take the pair on with FLICKER OF HOPE, who has been hugely progressive over hurdles winning back-to-back races at Galway and Navan. The six-year-old will need to defy another 9lb rise in the handicap in Saturday’s event, but he showed he relishes three miles and he has every chance of improving again and he can duly land the hat-trick.

4:05pm Leopardstown – Ryanair Handicap Chase
Gavin Cromwell’s MY MATE MOZZIE has had a fascinating career as having finished sixth in last season’s Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival he was then seen finishing down the field in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot. Next seen in the Galway Hurdle, where he came third, he’s since lined up in the Ebor Handicap at York and Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh. However, he returns to the jumping sphere on Saturday in the 4:05pm contest and off a mark of 148 he looks more than capable of carrying top weight to victory in what looks a competitive renewal. Classy on his day, the nine-year-old does have some really smart form in the book and if he’s at his best then he can take the honours.

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