Hollow Games has most to fear from fast-improving stablemate Minella Crooner

Saturday: 1.05 Leopardstown
Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors '€50,000 Cheltenham Bonus For Stable Staff' Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m6f | RTE1/RTV

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It is Hollow Games rather than Ginto who will captain the Gordon Elliott team in the opening Grade 1 of the Dublin Racing Festival as the trainer seeks to win the race for a second time following on from Commander Of Fleet in 2019.

There is no doubting Hollow Games was a little unlucky in the Lawlor's Of Naas Novice Hurdle on his most recent start. He was never really in the right place at the right times and a mistake at the second-last ended any chance of getting close to Ginto. He wouldn't have won with a smoother passage but he surely would have been second.

That was over 2m4 and this longer trip should see him come into his own. With a rating of 140 he certainly deserves to top the market. He is not banker material though.

Stablemate Minella Crooner has not achieved as much as Hollow Games yet but splitting Journey With Me and Kilcruit is a smashing piece of form. He was doing all his best work late there and the extra two furlongs here will suit.

Since then he justified odds-on favouritism with the minimum of fuss in a 3m maiden hurdle at Punchestown. That was a much-improved jumping display, albeit at a much slower pace, but he looks to be learning with every run.

Ignore him at your peril, and I wouldn't put anybody off having a few quid on him at 10-1 for the Albert Bartlett. The New course at Cheltenham looks made for him.

Grand Jury travelled ominously well into the home straight at Naas behind Ginto but couldn't find that instant acceleration to get to the winner. He did fend off Hollow Games for second and there are those who will argue he should be a shorter price for this as a result.

Who knows how good Bronn is. The Ballinrobe bumper winner did well to win his maiden hurdle at Naas and he is stepping up six furlongs in trip now. He could be anything, but has lots to find on the face of it given he earned a Racing Post Rating of only 128 for his Naas success.

Minella Cocooner, the second string from Closutton on jockey bookings, is also something of an unknown quantity. He was quite stylish in winning his maiden hurdle at Navan but, again, an RPR of 130 will not be good enough here. The step up in trip should suit but he was five lengths behind Grand Jury in a point.

Eric Bloodaxe is battle-hardened and has experience. He is already a Grade 2 winner and has earned every bit of his rating of 135. Whether he is good enough to win a Grade 1 is debatable.

Freedom To Dream is the outsider of the field and has seven and a half lengths to find with Eric Bloodaxe from Limerick last time.

This looks a match between the Elliott-trained pair and, at the prices, Minella Crooner could be the best value.

'We might ride Hollow Games a bit differently'

Different tactics could be deployed on Hollow Games as he seeks to follow in the footsteps of Ginto and give owners Noel and Valerie Moran another Grade 1.

The six-year-old was held up and met a bit of traffic in the Lawlor's Of Naas but a more positive approach might be used on this occasion.

Elliott said: "Hollow Games ran well at Naas and didn't jump the third-last or second-last too well. He was stuck in a bit of a pocket. He wouldn't have beaten the winner anyway but if he had got the run of the race he might have been second. He seems in good form, he will like the trip and I think we might ride him a bit differently and we'll see what happens."

On stablemate Minella Crooner, Elliott added: "He is a lovely young horse who is progressing all the time and I was delighted with him at Punchestown."

What they say

Willie Mullins, trainer of Bronn and Minella Cocooner
Bronn's Naas form has worked out well. I think this trip will be right up his street and think the experience from his last run will stand him in good stead – he was very green that day and will be a lot better here. Minella Cocooner was very good at Navan last time and I don’t think the trip here will be a problem for him – he was placed in his only point-to-point start. The ground will be fine for both horses – they’re getting a lot of rain up there – and given the run of the race my two should be there or thereabouts.

Eddie O'Leary, racing manager for Gigginstown House Stud, owners of Eric Bloodaxe
He's a big, strong horse and if the word soft doesn't appear in the going we'll be taking him out. You'd like to think he's one of our best chances of the weekend. Hopefully it's safe enough for him.

Peter Fahey, trainer of Freedom To Dream
He took his race at Limerick very well and I think he has improved a lot for it. He's in good form at home and it's great to have a runner in a Grade 1 for his owner Paul Leech.

Henry de Bromhead, trainer of Grand Jury
We're trying something different with him by stepping him up in trip, but I think he'll stay. He cruised to the second-last at Naas but just didn't pick up the way he looked like he might.

Read all of Saturday's previews:

3.15 Leopardstown: Irish Gold Cup: key quotes and analysis as Frodon, Kemboy and Minella Indo clash

Asterion Forlonge: is he a maverick or simply misunderstood

1.35 Leopardstown: Fil Dor bids to cement Triumph hopes but Vauban 'the one to beat', says Elliott

2.10 Leopardstown: Blue Lord bids to fill void left by Ferny Hollow for Mullins in Irish Arkle

2.20 Sandown: L'Homme Presse and Pic D'Orhy set for Sandown showdown in Scilly Isles

2.30 Wetherby: Lucinda Russell looks for 'confidence booster' to put Ahoy Senor back on track

3.30 Sandown: Could course specialists prove the key to a race with a rich history

3.45 Musselburgh: Questions over ground and jumping - who can come up with the winning answer?

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