With or without reluctant travellers, DRF is a great festival
A multiple-choice question to begin with; which of these two recent statements is more likely to tickle your passion for horse racing? (Spoiler alert: the correct answer is, clearly, ‘b.’)
(a) “I personally wouldn’t want to be going there in a fortnight’s time for an away game, It's always in favour of the home team. Why would we want an away game when we don’t actually need one?”
(b) “This year we are going to start off probably in Dubai, then he might come back to the Curragh for the Tattersalls (Gold Cup), then he could go to Ascot for the Prince of Wales’s. Then after that it is possible, we could have a look at dirt and see what happens because when we cantered him on the dirt at the Breeders’ Cup, he was loving it.”
No prizes for guessing the first quote comes from famously risk-averse Nicky Henderson, responding to the suggestion that his peerless hurdler Constitution Hill might travel to this weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival, [DRF] and dip his talented beak into the two-hundred grand pot on offer for the Irish Champion Hurdle. The second is from famously risk-seeking Aidan O’Brien, speculating on the expansive global battlegrounds on which his brilliant four-year old colt Auguste Rodin will see combat in 2024.
Henderson is one of the finest national hunt trainers in history whose love for his horses flows profoundly deep. The better the horse the more tortured he becomes in his decision making. 'When and where should I run them?’ The answers these days are sadly ‘as seldom as possible’ and ‘never in Ireland.’
For racing enthusiasts, this prevarication feels like cruel and unusual punishment, as if the world’s greatest pâtissier only opens his cake shop two or three days a year.
In fairness to Henderson, he doesn’t judge success primarily on prizemoney won or the cash value he adds to his horses. Constitution Hill will never be for sale but as a gelding who will never experience the warm glow of a soft-eyed foal calling him ‘Daddy,’ his monetary worth is a function of future prize money adjusted for the risk of injury. It probably lies somewhere north of a million euros, but way short of two.
The four-year old colt, Auguste Rodin is rated at 129 (Timeform), seven pounds lower than last year's Japanese champion, Equinox, who recently retired to stud at an initial fee around €125K. A book of 150 mares will earn him almost €20m in year one of a career that could span decades. With a fair wind and a little luck, Auguste could surpass this rating and with a pedigree more attractive to high-end breeders he could be an enormously valuable stallion. Yet he will run often, travel far, carry risk and tickle passions for the sport. And, by the way, Aidan O’Brien deeply loves his horses too.
Worryingly, the Henderson modus operandi seems to be gaining traction among his compatriot trainers. At the equivalent weekend last year, 27% of the 35,000 in attendance came from Britain, yet only two horses travelled to compete.
This year the crowds crossing the Irish Sea are expected to increase again but regrettably, only three horses have booked ferry tickets to join them and none are from marquee stables. Sophie Leech saddles Madara this afternoon and on Sunday, Adrian Keatley and Philip Kirby saddle Belle of Annandale and Top Ville Ben, respectively. Desert Orchid’s trainer, the great David Elsworth, recently summarised the situation beautifully. "Back in the old days,” he said, “we were always thinking about winning but we weren't worried about losing."
The racing media always has space for British trainers to bemoan their lack of opportunity to make a fair living. They tend to point the finger at low prize money, an archaic racing programme and the dominance of Irish horses. Yet the DRF has a race for every type of animal including eight grade one’s, the prizemoney is huge and Irish horses will dominate precisely as long as they remain unchallenged, either at home or away games.
There is unlikely to be a dozen British entries in Irish jump races this season and Willie Mullins is likely to saddle more than that in the novice hurdles alone at Cheltenham. As a wise person once said, "keep on doing what you’re doing and you’ll keep on getting what you’re getting".
Which, with a grateful nod to Eamon Dunphy, brings the second multiple-choice question; does the absence of an international dimension mean that the DRF is (a) a good racing festival, (b) a great racing festival or (c) a complete spoofer.
There is no argument that the presence of Sir Gino, Jonbon, L’Homme Presse and of course, Constitution (Cottonwool?) Hill would add considerably to the attendance and the atmosphere at Leopardstown, but there are few beyond those four that will be seriously missed, such is the quality of the cards.
Of the first three quoted horses in ante-post markets for 15 graded races at the upcoming Cheltenham festival, only eight of 45 are trained in Britain.
The rest are Irish, most run this weekend. This season’s pecking order will be clarified and fit horses will travel to the big ‘away game’ in March, battle-hardened and ready. So, the second answer is again, ‘b.’ The DRF is a great racing festival and all of the races are fascinating.
This afternoon’s Arkle Chase (2.25) has suffered from the Gaelic Warrior reroute to Sunday. Still novices, five of the six runners are already grade one winners. The unbeaten Marine Nationale, one of the most exciting prospects in training, should be good enough to see off Found a Fifty and Facile Vega in an intriguing contest.
The lip-smacking rematch between Fastorslow and Galopin Des Champs is off an hour later in the Irish Gold Cup. Fastorslow has prevailed in their two meetings but judging by the way Galopin rediscovered his brilliance at Leopardstown over Christmas he might need the aid of a jet engine to make it three from three.
Tomorrow looks all about Willie Mullins, again. Gaelic Warrior, Fact To File and Grangeclare West all stand their ground in a very deep-staying novice chase and El Fabiolo only has stablemate, Dinoblue, to fear in the two-mile chase. State Man should easily win the Irish Champion Hurdle, his third race of the season, all of them grade ones, and will be hardened off nicely for his Cheltenham rematch with the resting Constitution Hill next month.
Finally, another multiple-choice question to conclude with; the optimum number of British trained winners this weekend is (a) none (b) three (c) two (d) one? The answer, as usual, is ‘b.’ The Dublin Racing Festival is an outstanding race meeting. If gun-shy British trainers could be somehow convinced that sending horses over is not a high-risk tilt at windmills it would grow even stronger.
