It looks like a question of how many winners Willie Mullins can register at Leopardstown on Sunday as State Man leads an incredibly strong team on the second day of the Dublin Racing Festival.
The champion trainer has a host of short-priced runners on the card with several leading contenders in some of the races.
State Man is probably going to be the skinniest price on the day as he bids for back-to-back wins in the Irish Champion Hurdle.
The Doctor Dino may not have been able to lay a glove on Constitution Hill at Cheltenham last year but he has been a cut above the rest of the division with seven Grade One successes now under his belt.
His latest win came over course and distance in the Matheson Hurdle at Christmas when he proved much too strong for stablemate Impaire Et Passe.
It’s hard to see that rival, who hasn’t really progressed from his novice campaign, turning the tables now.
Bob Olinger is a classy performer on his day but needs further than this to be seen at his best and is probably picking up minor prize-money.
There are strong cases for a lot of Mullins horses in every race on the card but it would certainly be no surprise if he completed a clean sweep of the Grade One contests.
In the preceding Dublin Chase El Fabiolo is also likely to be well odds-on as he bids to maintain his perfect record over fences.
Last year’s Arkle winner looks the supreme talent in the two-mile division this term and is already a short price for the Champion Chase next month.
Mullins saddles three of the five runners in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase and has a very strong hand in the two-mile-five contest.
Gaelic Warrior comes here instead of tackling Marine Nationale on Saturday and he looks the one to beat.
The big son of Maxios has a well publicised habit of jumping to his right but it doesn’t stop him and he has a massive engine.
He was eased down to beat stablemate Il Etait Temps at Limerick over Christmas in Grade One company and looks capable of going right to the top over fences.
The one Mullins horse that may be worth taking on in the top-level races is Ballyburn in the Tattersalls Novice Hurdle.
He’s undoubtedly a very talented animal but dropping back to two miles may make him a bit vulnerable.
The Flemensfirth gelding was very impressive over half-a-mile further here when taking his maiden hurdle at Christmas.
He had been turned over at the minimum trip on his return though and a lot of good bumper horses tend to need further over hurdles.
The one that gets the vote is the Gordon Elliott-trained Farren Glory, already a winner at this level this season.
He was good in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse in early December, beating a talented stablemate in King Of Kingsfield.
The Fame And Glory gelding looked set for a follow up success in Grade 1 company at Aintree on St Stephen’s Day when falling two from home.
He travelled particularly strongly that day and may be more of a natural two-miler.
The handicaps on the card are competitive but again Mullins fires plenty of live bullets at the valuable prizes.
Meetingofthewaters may still be a bit ahead of the handicapper in the Grade Three contest over two-miles-five.
The Court Cave gelding was a cosy winner of the Paddy Power here at Christmas and despite a 15lb hike for that he could still be nicely treated. He comes here having missed a couple of graded races recently.
SELECTIONS
12.40 Foxy Girl
1.10 Gaelic Warrior
1.40 Farren Glory (Nap)
2.10 El Fabiolo
2.45 State Man
3.20 Meetingofthewaters (Dbl)
3.50 Zenta
4.25 Aurora Vega
