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THE start of the Dublin Racing Festival alongside Sandown Park and Musselburgh makes this the penultimate big weekend of Cheltenham Festival trials before Super Saturday at Newbury.

However, there are big prizes to be won in their own right this afternoon with the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown the standout one on offer.

The extended three-mile contest at 3.05 at Leopardstown will be the biggest test for Galopin Des Champs in his brief career, but it is worth noting that this isn’t the deepest renewal of this famous contest and if he can’t win a race of this nature then the stiffer test that awaits at Cheltenham could prove beyond him.

There is no doubting that he was hugely impressive when bounding clear in the John Durkan at Punchestown in December and there should be another big step forward in him.

However, at his hugely restrictive odds I cannot have a financial interest on him.

Stattler is the obvious danger especially if Patrick Mullins puts it up to his stable-mate from some way out as the stamina-laden son of Stowaway is sure to keep galloping all day long.

However, I am going to go left of centre here and back another Mullins charge each-way in the form of FRANCO DE PORT.

He ran a cracking race when fourth in the Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase at Christmas, jumping well in the main, but essentially ridden for speed.

He was predictably outpaced between the third and second last that day as the pace quickened but then ran on strongly on the long run to the winning line, eventually being beaten six and three quarter-lengths by Conflated.  

I am hoping this time around that Danny Mullins is a lot more positive on the eight-year-old to make use of his undoubted strength and although I ultimately think he could win a national, if everything drops in his favour I think he could surprise a few of these at a massive each-way price.

There are three other Grade One events and a Grade Two on this fabulous card and from purely a betting point of view, the best value play could well be FIL DOR in the Arkle Novice Chase at 2.30.

I think we have yet to see the best of last year’s Triumph Hurdle runner-up over the larger obstacles.

A bad mistake at the third last in the Grade One over course and distance last time put paid to his chance when third behind Saint Roi, but he has previously slammed that same horse by four lengths at Navan.

Both youngsters need to improve to make their presence felt here with the likes of Appreciate It and Dysert Dynamo in opposition, but it is another Mullins charge that could prove the biggest danger to the selection, El Fabiolo.

The last named travelled very strongly when making all at Fairyhouse first time over fences, and although he will face competition for the lead here, he is a young chaser with a high cruising speed and with a big leap in him and he is a huge player here in a vintage renewal of this contest.

It goes without saying that LOSSIEMOUTH should land the Grade One Spring Juvenile Hurdle at 1.30, while GRANGECLARE WEST may bounce back to form in the opening Grade One staying novice at 1.20.

The last named was found to be coughing after the Slaney Novice Hurdle and is worth another chance here.

I shall be at Sandown Park this afternoon and the one horse I cannot wait to have a serious wager on is BALCO COASTAL in the Scilly Isles Novice Chase at 2.20.

He looked very sticky at his obstacles when down the field on his chasing debut at Newbury in November, but looked a completely different horse when hacking up at Kempton last month when slamming Solo by nine lengths.

This is obviously another significant step up in grade for the son of Coastal Path but he looks up to seeing off the likes of Irish raider Gerri Colombe and Thunder Rock.

The last named will need to be cleaner at this obstacles than he was at Cheltenham last time out, but does have a serious engine inside at his behest.

There are several big handicaps up for grabs at the Esher track and the three-mile Heroes Handicap Hurdle at 2.55 looks well worth getting our punting teeth into.

At around 5/1 the field, there is plenty of each-way value to be had and with bookmakers likely to be offering enhanced each-way terms and I will be having a significant interest.

Last year’s winner Green Book is only 4lbs higher than when holding the late lunge of Beauport last year, but he simply doesn’t come here in the same sort of form and the likes of Wilde About Oscar and REMASTERED are preferred.

The first named lost a shoe last time out when running below par but the handicapper has given him a real chance here dropped to a mark of 136.

The selection won a fair class staying handicap hurdle at Aintree earlier this season and has since run well in the Gold Cup before winning a competitive staying handicap chase at Kempton Park.

The 10-year-old is fully 10lbs higher here than when winning at the Liverpool track, but has been given a mini-break by Martin Pipe and I feel could yet again defy the assessor.

From the rest of the card, I think that ILIKO D’OLIVATE should go close in the opener at 12.35, while the drop to two miles may well suit KILTEALY BRIGGS in a race dominated by Dolos in the past few years.

The drying ground will suit the reigning holder, but the selection may take a step forward over a stiff two miles as long as the ground doesn’t dry out too much (has been taken out on genuinely good ground before).

Finally, at Musselburgh, have a second look at THE FERRY MASTER in the Edinburgh National at 2.03.

He looks nicely treated on his best form and again drying ground would be hugely in his favour in what is admittedly a competitive renewal of this lung-bursting event.