Dublin Racing Festival

Can't comment on pubs as don't think like cheltenham were re-runs are on TV like naas for punchestown festival but others will have more imput,just get from ur hotel to racing enjoy the day,return have a meal relax for the evening and repeat the relaxation part

It’s very very good hibore the best advice I could give you is buy the seats in premium level ,if your staying in Dublin the tram is the best way to travel and there is a free bus to and from the racecourse only a short ride once you get of the tram,if your staying at the Clayton you can walk to the track.

Cheers Jim, there are 4 of us staying by St Stephens green so will look to see if tram is close enough to access. Thanks for the heads up.

We are Premium level on the Saturday and going into a black market bookie Box on the Sunday (they are the ones that invited us over). I try to go out and watch the big races with the crowd as that is the real buzz.

We are flying back Monday morning so would be nice to find a racing pub on Sunday night to discuss with the locals. Otherwise we will go into Dublin for the craic.

Tram no problem from there just can’t remember which stop to get of at one of the Irish lads on here will know ,but the shuttle bus will then take you to the races no more than 5 minutes on the bus,at all festivals other than the covid one I have stayed at the Clayton but to be honest there isn’t a lot of worthwhile racing chat there ,staying in Dublin this year ,the view from the seats in premium enclosure are at least the equal of level 3 at Cheltenham,I don’t know if you get the racing post or not if you do get one in Dublin as unbelievably they don’t sell them on course.

Ye get off at sandyford

Don't worry about thanking me

Great. Cheers for the info.

Already did

Hope I'm right now

Jan 12, 2023 -- 3:49AM, Hibore wrote:

Cheers Jim, there are 4 of us staying by St Stephens green so will look to see if tram is close enough to access. Thanks for the heads up.We are Premium level on the Saturday and going into a black market bookie Box on the Sunday (they are the ones that invited us over). I try to go out and watch the big races with the crowd as that is the real buzz. We are flying back Monday morning so would be nice to find a racing pub on Sunday night to discuss with the locals. Otherwise we will go into Dublin for the craic.

You are in the middle of Dublin. It will be hard to find a bar that isnt talking about racing, Avoid the tourist bars though and look for the locals.

What a bit concerning is having gone through the grade one entries this is how the look

2m6f novice hurdle entries 17.  Mullins 4 Elliott 7

Juvenile hurdle entries 15  Mullins 10 Elliott 1

Irish arkle entries 12. Mullins 8 Elliott 1

Irish gold cup entries 11. Mullins 6 Elliott 2

2m5f novice chase entries 27 Mullins 12 Elliott 5

Dublin chase entries 8 Mullins 4. Elliott 0

Irish champion hurdle entries 9 Mullins 5 Elliott 2

2m novice hurdle entries 17 Mullins 8 Elliott 5

Just Alan king and nigel twiston davies entered one horse each with huge prize money on offer and constant moaning about uk prize money ( two uk trained horses entered for Saturdays Clarence House ) I find it very frustrating there is not more interest when the uk trained mare won at the Dublin festival she got a terrific reception from the racegoers.

We have been asking that question for years. The main concensus is the English trainers don't run their good horses against eachother or send them to Ireland, as the Irish horses are superior and they don'taant to blot the form book.

Mullins' monopoly of NH is frightening.

Shame more English horses are not sent over but I can understand not sending a Cheltenham hope to the meeting.

If I had a hot prospect,then Mullins would be top of my list to train it. Especially given the difference in prize money.

Mr Mullins's not for me. Mr Mullins prioritises Ricci's charges.

Oh dear

Your best bet this year
Is willie mullins trained horses go through the card on one of the days
Its just a matter of time

Your best bet this year
Is willie mullins trained horses go through the card on one of the days
Its just a matter of time

Your best bet this year
Is willie mullins trained horses go through the card on one of the days
Its just a matter of time

Buy a few apples and a Toblerone off the woman at the entrance

There long gone ffs

Jan 18, 2023 -- 3:36PM, irishone wrote:

Your best bet this yearIs willie mullins trained horses go through the card on one of the daysIts just a matter of time

What price do you think you would get for that? Can't see it happening on the first day this year.

I would want 500 at least but you wont get it.

Gordon is his only real oppo this year

Getting more and more like a typical big Irish meeting.

Great to see Gordon is back where he belongs.
Sure they already call it, the biggest Irish race meeting in England.

The Arkle trial looks exciting with Appreciate It,  Dysart Dynamo and El Fabiolo all declared.

Looks set to be a high class trials weekend in Dublin.

The grade ones have help up well on Saturday brandy,thought the handicap chase looked average as does the bumper.

Duffy

Did you disagree with his view that energumine would be ridden differently at the festival?

Apologies wrong thread

Early start tomorrow with 6.30 flight to Dublin. Looks like it will be a great days racing with Galopin the highlight.
The race that interests me apart from that is the Irish Arkle. With Dysart and Appreciate going hammer and tongs up front they could set this up for a closer. I was surprised that Banbridge was running here rather than the 2.5 against Mighty Potter but watching the last race back he was always wanting to go a stride faster over the longer distance and I also think the ground suited the real stayers that day. He still ran really well when you watch in isolation. I’m very strong on him to finish in the first 3 (7/1 and 8/1) and if the front runners do take each other on then the winner could be sitting in behind.

I was wondering if Appreciate It had ever won without leading ? I don’t think he’ll get to the front tomorrow so that is an unknown.

good luck hibore have a good day ,a cracking weekends racing in store !

Caed mile failte. Best of Irish luck Hibore. Please don't clean the local bookies out, leave something for the rest of us.

The Arkle trial could have been such a good race, but looking over it, sadly they all come from one yard.

Maybe a change in the rules could save Irish graded racing???

Thoughts??

Foyles Hibore is going for the weekend not the day he's waiting to buy me a pint on Sunday?
Appreciate it was led in the supreme,if he led in both chase starts forgive me would need to look again.

have a great weekend hibs and bentring enjoy ya pints

Dublin very busy last night with visitors over for the racing one thing they all had in common were they were fed up with the cost and hassle with Cheltenham

Unfortunately Foyles the pints we're tongue and cheek I'll be driving 4 other yahoo's so no refreshments apart from cola and coffee and Thank you

well whatever enjoy the exp and if ya win a few quid all the better!

Mr Mullins - the trainer - was miffed about the ride of Lossiemouth by Townend. I think that was justified. Why Mr Townend?

exceptional ride by danny
points to lossiemouth being ground dependent
around the inside , taking fresh ground as much as possible
townend knew danny would lead and got done on the bend

exceptional ride by danny
points to lossiemouth being ground dependent
around the inside , taking fresh ground as much as possible
townend knew danny would lead and got done on the bend

She jumped very badly, one particularly led to her losing her place, in the end Townend used her up trying to get to the winner before flattening out. It supports the concern that a stiff test on the new course won't suit her, must be a nightmare for Mullins sometimes, blood destiny and the winner yesterday look like stamina types to me and lossiemouth wanting a relative speed test. IMO.

Lossiemouth was conceding 3lbs to the Gala and beating her 7l prior to yesterday. However, yesterday at level weight the position was reversed by 3l after a hampered run. Thus, is it fair to conclude Lossiemouth is about 7l better than Gala, all things being equal?

TOWNEND has held his hands up
fair play to him


Duffy go and look at the race again, you talk utter nonsense
lossiemouth got over the third last easily and made no mistake
his stable mate came across him and cut him off at the fence then at the bend

even the commentator said he was impeded by one of willies

she was slow into it and landed flat footed he briefly tried to ride her away from it before the owners other horse fell back into her and she was taken back....very clear.

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you talk cr4pp mate

you couldnt even see if she slowed up or landed on all fours


because there was another horse in the way AS THIS PICTURE SHOWS

the other horse was going left
and cut her off


as for jumping badly  .....where ?

4th last she got in a bit close , no problem
others she pinged

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thats the critical point after the third last where townend realises he aint gonna have enough room at the bend

you can see he pulls lossiemouth to the right , there's three in front of him all making for the rail at the same time

nothing to do with Lossiemouths jumping

Looked like the stablemate was the cause of the issue to me.

Well the three Tuesday bankers (Facile Vega, Jonbon  & Constitution Hill) look like they all have a race on their hands now!

agree

I'll concede that I overdid it by saying she jumped "very badly", but, she wasn't good into that hurdle, she wasn't great at the 4th last and she wasn't great at the 2nd last either,generally I don't think her technique is the best, she seems to be a bit big at them,

Anyway the main thrust I've had against her throughout is that she had yet to answer the stamina question and that she had been hammered in the market as if she was bombproof, the stamina question in a likely stronger run Triumph still stands, perhaps even more so now.

Theres no way she jumped badly , she took a bump off the bend as well

After that run i would agree there maybe a stamina issue
she was obviously ridden to get around
he was saving ground on her up the inside before the 3rd last
dont think she would get 2m.1f with the hill on a friday now
the other worry was the treatment she got
juvenile mares dont like the stick
she took a couple of tears there after the last
And didnt seem to respond
yet all the slapping and punching before the last
was getting a reaction
not good

Constitution Hill,they won't get near him.

Back from Dublin yesterday. Had a great weekend, lots of top people and really enjoyed the racing. Had a few winners so covered most of the expenses.
However, there were some major issues with the racecourse facilities. We were in owners and trainers on Saturday and the queues for drinks were nearly out the door. There were 3 bar staff trying to serve 200 people and the wait (if you could be bothered was well over hour to get served). This is the worst organised OT I’ve been in and was very disappointing for everyone with a runner at this Premier meeting. We went outside and found similar problems but you you could get a drink if you queued 10-15 mins in the tent. The second issue was the toilets. If you wanted the loo you had a 20-25 min wait to get in. We worked out if you started getting in line during a race and watched the final mile on your phone you could cut the wait to 10 mins.
To be honest it was a lot worse than Gold Cup day at Cheltenham. Let’s hope Leopardstown take on board the comments from race goers and employ more staff or restrict numbers….however that is never going to happen.

Sunday as much better as we were in the pavilion restaurant. I must admit that was fantastic and miles better than what Cheltenham offers in regards food quality, viewing and cost. There were about 800 people in there both days and had the best experience of the weekend.

All in all it was a great trip and we have already agreed we will go again next year. As long as tne pavillion is available both days.

Hibore

Everyone I spoke to over the weekend says just like you how they enjoyed it and what value for money all round it is ,the transport provided free of charge also excellent.

However the toilet situation and the ability to get food or drink was also a common topic,a huge increase in attendance is what the racecourse will blame however from the opening day of the first drf the toilets have been a problem ok not as bad as this year but still not good,it was clear on Friday in Dublin that there were lots of first time visitors to the fixture from the uk it would be a shame if two relatively simple problems would put some of returning to such a quality fixture.


Glad you enjoyed it

Letter in racing post today from a Jerry wright

He must have gone to a different racecourse

Just read it. I can assure you the bars were out of control on Saturday…I gave up in OT and went to the marquee outside and waited 40 mins to get served. Then took pints back to OT.

The toilets are by far the biggest problem. Much worse than Cheltenham or any racecourse I’ve ever been to. Hopefully they will bring in reinforcements for next year.

Apart from that it was a great weekend.

one of the things that stick out for me now
is that Willie wasnt joking about the kickboards
i dont know if there is an Irish course with white kickboards
cheltenham has had them since October last year at least
all the Irish courses still have the orange kickboards at their fences
irish horses will not be used to this change at Cheltenham
the Authorities in the U K have obviously done this for safety reasons
and fair play to them
but why didnt the Irish authorities change there's as well ?

Horse jumped well enough except the last.Looked a btn horse at
the time anyway.
Mullins,clutching at straws with that excuse.

Why would the champion trainer need excuses ?
Its a perfectly valid point.
Racehorses are particularly fickle
Can see how the researchers reached their conclusion
....none of us know for definite how any racehorse would react

I think that the BHA should have informed Mullins about the change in order for him to have put up the white boards on his gallops at home for Energumene to have practiced over rather than springing it on him on the day.

Mullins taking every precaution in search of Cheltenham whitewash

Last season’s Cheltenham Festival meeting was a Willie Mullins whitewash — and he is not leaving anything to chance in pursuit of something similar next week.

Having won a remarkable 10 races over the four days at Prestbury Park — taking his tally at the Festival to a record 88 winners — the Closutton handler revealed he has painted all the bars on his schooling fences and hurdles white.

White markings on the frames, guard rails and take-off boards replaced traditional orange colourings on obstacles at every British racecourse last year.

The British Horseracing Authority’s decision for the colour change, following guidance from experts at Exeter University into horse vision, came in the interests of horse welfare and safety.

In years past, Mullins has worked and schooled horses at Leopardstown prior to running at Cheltenham.

This year will be a little different, however. Speaking at the Dublin track to Racing TV on Sunday, he explained: “I don’t see much point in schooling here, if they all jump well


Unless someone comes round with a bucket of whitewash tomorrow and paints those fences, I don’t see much point in schooling over the orange bars.

“I’ve put in a whole new schooling operation with white hurdles and fences and we’ll do our stuff at home.”

Mullins is a stickler for details and knows that with competition so fierce at the Festival, every mistake is magnified.

He added: “Some horses could go down (and jump) over blue fences, yellow fences, it wouldn’t matter a damn to them — they are just that cool.

“Other horses will look at them from a half-mile out and they will see something different, so you never know which one, especially in the shorter races if you want to be up there and and have your position.

“You don’t want to have them looking at the first hurdle and backing off it or the first fence and backing off it, because you just lose your position and then at Cheltenham you are playing catch-up the whole time.



Whereas round the country tracks or not at the big meetings, it doesn’t matter so much, as you’ll get your ground back much easier — but at Cheltenham, no one gives you an inch.

“So what you lose at the first hurdle or fence, it’s gone, you are not going to get it back.”

Mullins said his powerful string has taken to the painted obstacles well and is looking forward to the meeting, which starts on Tuesday week.

“They are jumping them every second day at home, so we’re good.”

He added: “Fingers crossed, toes crossed, everything crossed. We are very happy with how most things are.

“You are always going to get little upsets, but we still have another week to go before we travel. Things will come right, but nothing major"