Who To Follow On Day One Of The Dublin Racing Festival

An exciting event on Saturday is the Ladbrokes Extended Handicap Hurdle over two miles and it sees a huge field of runners go to post.

With the ground set to be soft, we are siding with one of the bottom weights on the day with The Moyglass Flyer for Joseph O'Brien.

The seven year old look to have the better of the handicapper having ran over hurdles four times, winning twice and placing in the other two occasions.

Having won over course and distance at the 2019 Christmas meeting, he has only been seen once more in his career and it came on his seasonal debut.

The seven year old finished a bold third over course and distance at the Christmas meeting, finishing in behind the smart Master McShee that holds some solid form behind a Grade One winner.

His mark looks extremely workable on his second start in a handicap and that could be the difference on the day.

Willie Mullins looks to have the favourites for nearly every race on the first day of the Dublin Racing festival and you can't look past following him throughout the day.

In the first race of the day he fields four horses and has the two market leaders with Gaillard Du Mesnil and Stattler who will be very tough to beat.

He has the two strong favourites in the next few races with Chacun Pour Soi and Energumene looking to make it a quick-fire treble of Grade Ones, with Min also running in the second race of the day.

He is not without a chance in the two handicaps with Pont Avon and Ciel De Niege looking to be his best chances in those and in the bumper he also holds an extremely strong hope with Kilcruit, Ramillies and Whatdeawant.

The Irish Champion Hurdle is a race he has dominated over the years and he holds three of the six chances in the event with Matheson hurdle winner Sharjah, County Hurdle winner Saint Roi and Morgiana Hurdle winner Saldier.

He has an abundance of talent on show across the first day and it is tricky not to see him picking up some winners and adding to his strike rate of 28% at Leopardstown over the last 12 months.

Although another obvious option, Paul Townend is the man who will be doing the steering on board the best of Willie Mullins' hopes on Saturday.

In the first he rides Gaillard Du Mesnil who will have to handle the step up in trip to see off what looks a strong field in the Grade One event.

Chacun Pour Soi and Energumene look to be two of the bankers of the meeting and he will be hoping to give them enterprising rides.

In the Irish Champion Hurdle he gets to ride Saldier who is the biggest price of the three Mullins horses but if coming on for his seasonal debut is not ruled out.

Townend is a jockey in the hottest form heading into the Dublin Racing Festival, having landed four winners from 11 runners over the last two weeks which sees him pose a strike rate of 36.36%.