Tony Wells - Racegoers Club column March 2024

The Dublin Racing Festival was a triumph for Willie Mullins with an unprecedented clean sweep of the eight Grade 1s. His domination of the sport is almost absolute. But there’s a growing feeling that the lack of competition from other stables in the top-class races is affecting the sport and if it continues, it could have a negative impact on attendances.

Racing is about competition and the best running against the best in the most prestigious races. In the eight Grade 1s at the DRF, Willie had 27 runners against 19 from all the other trainers combined. On the Sunday, the domination was even greater with three of the Grade 1s containing a total of two opponents against nine from Willie’s yard. This was the third year in succession that I’ve attended the DRF and it continues to grow in popularity, with attendances up 4% on the previous year. But it definitely felt a little subdued on the Sunday, compared to previous years.

The lack of British runners at the DRF is often cited as a lack of ambition from across the Irish Sea, but if the other Irish trainers are afraid of taking on the might of the Mullins stars, then it’s even more concerning for the sport.

So how did my punting go? The shorties were too skinny for me to back them individually and there was always one that let me down in my multiples. In contrast to the small-field Grade 1s, the handicaps were fiendishly difficult, making it a real challenge to make any money. I bumped into Paul Kealy from the Racing Post in our hotel on the Monday morning. He too said it was extremely hard to find winners at backable prices, although he expressed that in much more colourful language.

However, despite my slight disappointment on the track, Dublin is a great city for a weekend break and the Leopardstown staff give punters a fantastic welcome. We’ll be back to do it all again next year, but I’m hoping to see more competitive action than we had this year.

The DRF’s loss could be Cheltenham’s gain. If the other Irish trainers have been minding their stars until the second week in March and the best of the Brits perform as expected, Willie may not have it all his own way. But I wouldn’t bet against the Closutton cavalry dominating again. 

I’m writing this in the first week in February and we already have five odds-on favourites for the Festival. By the time they race, it could be even more. Of those that impressed at the DRF, I think Ballyburn and Fact To File will win whatever their Cheltenham target is and they could both easily end up odds on. The positive to take from Fact To File’s stroll around Leopardstown against Gaelic Warrior is that he can’t have taken too much out of himself and I’m hoping he follows the Florida Pearl route of landing the three-mile novice chase at the Festival, having gone chasing the year after his bumper season.

One of the current odds-on favourites is Lossiemouth for the Mares’ Hurdle. There has been much debate since her win at Cheltenham on Trials Day about the decision to favour the Mares’ Hurdle over the Champion Hurdle. The majority seem to think that’s the wrong choice, but I don’t. If I was the owner, I would only consider running if Paul Townend chose Lossiemouth over State Man. If he didn’t and I’m guessing he wouldn’t after State Man notched his eighth Grade 1 in the Irish Champion Hurdle, then the chances of Lossiemouth beating Constitution Hill are remote, at this stage. Give it another year and that may change, as the current champion gets older and the mare improves as she matures.

If I could give anyone a tip on how best to enjoy the Cheltenham Festival, it would be to get there early. I always like to arrive before the gates open on the Tuesday, so I can enjoy the buzz of anticipation. You’ll get the most out of your day if you get there early, because you know as soon as the first race starts the time will fly by. You’ll see the course start to come alive as it gradually fills up. Here’s a few things I like to do before the racing starts:

• Have a pint in the Guinness Village or the Arkle bar, before it gets too busy
• Take in the view of the parade ring from the top of the course
• Amble around the tented village
• See the runners for the Supreme in the pre-parade ring
• Take your place in front of the grandstand and join in the roar as the Supreme field are sent on their way

Enjoy the Festival – and good luck!