Dublin Racing Festival highlights and what it means for Cheltenham

We pick out the key performers ahead of Cheltenham in March

Faugheen and Paul Townend with groom John Codd celebrate after The Flogas Novice Chase (PA)

The action at Leopardstown at the weekend was racing at its spine-tingling, awe-inspiring best. From Rachel Blackmore’s excellence on Honeysuckle to Faugheen’s immortality taken to new levels, here we pick out the key performers from the Dublin Racing Festival and how they shape up with the big one at Cheltenham just around the corner in March.

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle dug deep to overcome Darver Star and Petit Mouchoir, who laid down serious challenges to Rachel Blackmore before the phenomenal six-year-old crossed the line. Before the weekend, Honeysuckle won her last two hurdle races at Fairyhouse by a combined 20 lengths. This win in the PCI Irish Champion Hurdle shows this unbeaten mare can both leave the field for dead and dig out a gritty victory, which will please trainer Henry De Bromhead. The Champion Hurdle is the likely aim with Epatante waiting in the wings as a tough opponent. However Honeysuckle has proven that turning left-handed shouldn’t be an issue as she prepares for her first Cheltenham appearance.

Jockey Rachael Blackmore with the trophy after Honeysuckle won the PCI Irish Champion Hurdle (PA)

Faugheen

Where can you start with this horse? The 12-year old pulled on the heartstrings of racing fans once again at Leopardstown. Trainer Willie Mullins described Faugheen’s win in the Flogas Novice Chase as one of the most special winners he has ever had. Rapturous noise met Faugheen as he crossed the line to beat stablemate Easy Game by half a length, ‘the Machine’ is now three from three over fences after the decision was taken to send him chasing this season, following an illustrious hurdling career. A former winner of the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2015, also the Irish Champion Hurdle a year later, the emotion of the victory prevented Mullins from disclosing which race Faugheen would be aimed at for the Festival in March. He has entries in the Marsh Novices Chase (5-1) and the RSA Novices Chase (8-1).

Chacun Pour Soi

As well as riding Faugheen, Paul Townend was graced with another racing superstar in Chacun Pour Soi. Following the disappointment of coming second to A Plus Tard over course-and-distance in December, Willie Mullin’s eight-year old bounced back with a fine performance to win the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase and put himself firmly in the Champion Chase frame for Cheltenham. Although A Plus Tard was a late withdrawal and Cilaos Emery fell at the first fence, Mullins can take encouragement from Chacun Pour Soi’s previous victory at Punchestown last May, when beating the much-fancied Defi Du Seuil. It was assumed a showdown between Defi Du Seuil and defending Champion chaser Altior was on the cards, however an Irish hat has now been thrown into the ring.

Notebook

Rachel Blackmore’s Irish festival got fully underway on Saturday when riding Notebook to glory in the ERSG Arkle Novice Chase, overcoming Cash Back by ¾ of a length. Unbeaten over fences, Notebook doubled his Grade 1 tally, building on his Boxing Day win over Fakir D’oudairies in the Racing Post Novice Chase. Trainer Henry De Bromhead has a strong entry for the Arkle here, with the seven-year old currently the 5-2 favourite. Jockey Blackmore was full of praise for the unbeaten chaser’s performance.

She said: “He's such a pleasure to ride. He attacks his fences, but he's well able to shorten as well. He's class."

Delta Work

This season Delta Work has emerged as a superstar for Gordon Elliott. The seven-year old landed the Savills Chase at Leopardstown in December, and this weekend produced a fantastic performance to hold off Grade 1-winning chasers Kemboy and Presenting Percy to win the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup. Trained by Gordon Elliott for Gigginstown House Stud and ridden by Jack Kennedy, Delta Work can be found as joint-favourite alongside Al Boum Photo at 4-1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Delta Work is no stranger to the festival, he won the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle in 2018 and ran strongly in third to Topofthegame in the RSA last year. The Gold Cup is a mouth-watering prospect with Santini, Lostintranslation and Clan Des Obeaux also taking big victories this season.