American Mike among Dublin Racing Festival non-runners as Noel Moran's horses taken out

American Mike is one of three notable non-runners at the Dublin Racing Festival, all for Noel and Valerie Moran whose horses run under the Bective Stud banner.

The six-year-old was among the leading contenders for the Grade 1 2m6f novice hurdle (1.20), sponsored by Nathaniel Lacy & Partners, which opens the card. Last season's Champion Bumper runner-up was around a 6-1 chance for the opener.

Better Days Ahead was taken out of the bumper (4.40), for which he was a 5-1 chance, while Au Fleuron misses the 3m handicap hurdle. Stewards have given permission for the horses to be withdrawn. 

The omission of American Mike means Good Land shortened to 5-2 (from 11-4) for the first of the eight Grade 1 races at Leopardstown over the weekend. The Willie Mullins-trained Quais De Paris has been attracting interest and is generally available at 11-4, having been 4-1 overnight.

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El Fabiolo is another attracting support in the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase (2.30), shortening to 9-2 (from 6-1).

The ground for day one of the Dublin Racing Festival is yielding on the chase and hurdles track, with a dry day forecast for a star-studded card at Leopardstown.

A further 12mm of watering was put on the chase track on Friday while the same amount will be added after racing for Sunday's card. The hurdles track is yielding to soft in places.

Lorcan Wyer, clerk of the course at Leopardstown, said: "It's yielding on both tracks.  The first couple of weeks after Christmas we had 30-odd mililitres of rain, then the last two weeks have been on the drier side so we've applied 50mm – as a ballpark [figure] – of water on the chase track in the last week or so.

"We'll have fresh ground for the hurdles track tomorrow and the forecast is generally dry but we may get a hint of a shower. It's a little cooler overnight into tomorrow but still generally dry. We're in good shape and all ready to go."

Scudamore misses Remastered ride 

Remastered: will now be ridden by David NoonanCredit: John Grossick

David Noonan will replace the injured Tom Scudamore aboard Remastered, one of the leading names on Sandown's card on Saturday, in the Virgin Bet Heroes Handicap Hurdle (2.55).

Scudamore was brought down aboard Royal Defender in the closing stages of the bumper at Chepstow on Friday afternoon and trainer David Pipe said he would be off for a few days to recover.

Remastered was Scudamore's only ride this weekend and is a general 9-2 chance. He is also among the leading contenders for the Grand National in April.

Pipe tweeted: "Remastered will now be ridden by David Noonan today at Sandown, replacing Tom Scudamore who has been stood down for a few days after a fall in the bumper at Chepstow yesterday. Get well soon Tom."

Noonan was aboard the Brocade Racing ten-year-old when he won over hurdles at Aintree in November and finished an admirable second in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury later that month.

The conditions at Sandown could be a little more testing than the going description of good to soft, with the ground "very dead" according to clerk of the course Andrew Cooper.

The Esher track has had just 4mm of rain since last Wednesday, while parts of the track are good on the chase track and soft on the hurdles course.

Sandown hosts the pick of the action in Britain on Saturday, with the Grade 1 Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices' Chase (2.20) the feature. 

Andrew Cooper, clerk of the course at Sandown said: "It was mild and dry overnight and we're expecting it to be similar today. We might get up to 10 or 11C. 

"The ground is unaltered since yesterday. It's primarily good to soft, we've been dry for about ten days after the thaw and it's slowly just dried a bit each day to get us to where we are. It's very dead, it walks quite dead and a bit lifeless but that's inevitable with the dry spell."

Key information

Leopardstown
Going: yielding (chase); yielding, yielding to soft in places (hurdle)
First race: 1.20
Weather: dry and bright

Market movers
2.30: El Fabiolo 9-2 (from 6-1)
4.10: Fils D'oudairies 3-1 (from 5)

Non-runners
1.20: American Mike
3.40: Au Fleuron
4.40: Better Days Ahead

Sandown
Going: good to soft, good in places (chase); good to soft, soft in places (hurdle)
First race: 12.35
Weather: dry and cloudy

Market movers
1.10: Twinjets Evens (from 5-4)
1.45: Third Time Lucki 4-1 (from 6)
2.55: Flight Deck 7-1 (from 12)

Non-runners
12.35: Stenatee
2.55: Indefatigable
3.30: Bangers And Cash, Movethechains

A day to savour 

Racing scarcely gets better than this. The Dublin Racing Festival gets under way at Leopardstown today and we are being treated to four Grade 1 races. The best part? They are all competitive, even if Willie Mullins has three of the four favourites. 

Granted, some will argue that Lossiemouth has a penalty kick in the Donohue Marquees Spring Juvenile Hurdle (1.55), but stranger things have happened, including a 12-1 surprise in the 2020 running when Aspire Tower was beaten at 1-3. 

The main attraction is, of course, Galopin Des Champs, the Mullins-trained Gold Cup favourite who returned with an imperious performance at Punchestown in December. He looks the real deal, but despite what the odds suggest, the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (3.05) is not a penalty kick for him. 

Stattler: takes on Galopin Des ChampsCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

His stablemate Stattler will provide a live danger under Patrick Mullins and the Rachael Blackmore-ridden Kemboy is a veteran who loves Leopardstown, so a fifth Grade 1 will be a fair challenge. Additionally, no favourite has won the Irish Gold Cup in the last ten years.

Closutton also has the first and second favourites in the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase (2.30) in Appreciate It and Dysart Dynamo. Danny Mullins will be given no choice by Dysart Dynamo to go a cut-throat gallop, and it will be up to Paul Townend to play the hare on Appreciate It. 

The opener does not feature a Mullins favourite, however, as the Barry Connell-trained Good Land looks to enhance his Ballymore credentials when he takes on British raider Weveallbeencaught in the 2m6f novice hurdle (1.20). 

Oh, and don't forget Sandown, Musselburgh and Wetherby, the former hosting a fantastic card including the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase (2.20), in which Irish raider Gerri Colombe bids to remain unbeaten.

The stars have certainly come out to play. It's time to sit back and enjoy two of the best days of racing so far this season. 

Read today's previews: 

1.55 Leopardstown: Triumph Hurdle favourite Lossiemouth out to follow in footsteps of Vauban 

2.03 Musselburgh: which trainer is making a long journey with high hopes?   

2.20 Sandown: 'It's his Gold Cup' - who has pinpointed the Scilly Isles as his major target?   

2.30 Leopardstown: five-hand Willie holds all the trump cards but has Townend chosen the right one? 

2.40 Wetherby: 'No gimme' for Ballygrifincottage as Skelton chaser bids to cement Cheltenham claims   

3.05 Leopardstown: 'He has a relaxed way of racing' - Mullins has no stamina concerns for Galopin Des Champs    

3.30 Sandown: Eva's Oskar 'in great shape' to back up career-best Cheltenham win 

Upping The Ante star Johnny Dineen joins the Racing Post roster for a weekly Saturday column throughout the jumps season. He'll offer a guide to the weekend action, highlight the key horses and races to watch and share his punting wisdom. Read it every Saturday in the Racing Post or online from 4pm every Friday, exclusively for Members' Club subscribers. Sign up to Members' Club here for more top jumps season insight.