One trainer, one jockey, one horse and one race to watch on Saturday

Trainer

Willie Mullins won four of the seven races on the opening day of the Dublin Racing Festival last year and is likely to better or equal that total as he sends 23 runners to Leopardstown on Saturday. Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs tackles three miles over fences for the first time (3.05). The last horse to win the Irish and Cheltenham Gold Cups was Sizing John in 2017. 

Stattler, who was narrowly edged out by Minella Indo at Tramore on New Year's Day, the 2021 winner of the race Kemboy and Franco De Port also represent Mullins.

Lossiemouth, who leads the market for the Triumph Hurdle, is odds-on to make it four out of four over hurdles in the Donohue Marquees Spring Juvenile Hurdle (1.55). All but two of her seven rivals come from within Closutton.

Mullins has five of the eight in the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase (2.30), while Quais De Paris or Grangeclare West could give the trainer the opening Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle (1.20) for the third year in a row. Chosen Witness, Fact To File, Special Cadeau and Largy Hill represent him in the Grade 2 bumper (4.40), which has gone the way of Mullins for each of the last three seasons with Appreciate It, Kilcruit and Facile Vega.

Blue Sari and Belle Metal, the only non-Graded runners of the day for Mullins, are not without a chance in the Race And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle (3.40).

Jockey

Mark Walsh has not ridden in 2023 as he recovered from sore ribs sustained in falls over the Christmas period but the jockey returns to action for the first time this year with a decent book of five rides for owner JP McManus. Walsh is reunited with Saint Roi, who won a Grade 1 over course and distance on Boxing Day, in the Irish Arkle (2.30) and last year's Grand National runner-up Any Second Now in the Irish Gold Cup (3.05).

Tekao is another of Walsh's mounts with course-and-distance form in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle (1.55) but the rider's best chances according to the bookmakers are in the handicaps with Get My Drift heading the market for the Paddy Power Cheltenham Fanzone Handicap Chase (4.10) and Perceval Legallois vying for favouritism in the Race And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle (3.40).

Tekao: will be Mark Walsh' first ride of 2023 and one of five for owner JP McManus (left) on SaturdayCredit: Patrick McCann

Horse

While most of the attention will understandably be on Leopardstown, it will be interesting to see if Gerri Colombe can maintain his unbeaten record in the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices' Chase (2.20).

Gordon Elliott looks to have found a good opportunity for his seven-year-old in the Sandown Grade 1, which was won by L'Homme Presse en route to success in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase last year. Gerri Colombe has taken two bumpers, hurdle races and chases since winning his point-to-point at Lingstown in March 2020 and could extend his unbeaten record under rules to seven if following up his victory in Limerick's Grade 1 Faugheen Novice Chase last time.

Race

The Irish Arkle is set to be a cracker (2.30) with the Mullins trio of Appreciate It, Dysart Dynamo and El Fabiolo having won by a combined 75 lengths in four starts over fences between them. Appreciate It is by far the most experienced of the three at the top of the betting having come to novice chasing late due to a setback last season and the nine-year-old is the pick of Paul Townend.

Dysart Dynamo was ultra-impressive when scoring on his chasing debut over this course and distance last time, while El Fabiolo came within a neck of Arkle favourite Jonbon over hurdles at Aintree last term and made no mistake over the bigger obstacles at Fairyhouse in December. Banbridge beat subsequent Grade 2 winner Tommy's Oscar when winning the Arkle Trial at Cheltenham in November and has to be respected for Joseph O'Brien.

Despite the fact he was last seen winning a Grade 1, Saint Roi is 12-1 with fellow last-time-out winner Flamer Bearer and Fil Dor also double-figure prices. Visionarian, who has finished in the first two in all four starts this season, is 40-1 which emphasises the strength in depth of the race.

Read these next: 

Confirmed runners and riders for day one of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown  

Confirmed runners and riders for day two of the Dublin Racing Festival  

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