Grade One Dublin Chase Guide 2021

The eight year old has only had four starts for the handler since joining from France back in December 2016 but has shown plenty of ability on all of his runs just losing his unbeaten record last season.

Having not raced since March 2016 he went to Naas for his first run in nearly exactly three years in a Beginners Chase and showed a perfect temperament to take the spoils by 31 lengths.

He was then sent to the Punchestown festival with many punters still unaware of the ability of this horse and he gave one of the stand out performances of the meeting, beating the Arkle Novices Chase winner Duc Des Genievres and JLT Novices Chase victor Defi Du Seuil to land the Grade One Ryanair Novices Chase.

He made his seasonal debut last season over Christmas at Leopardstown in this Grade One Chase against some superb horses and although looking like he had the race wrapped up he found nothing when coming off the bridle and was pipped close home.

He came on a huge amount for that run and got back to winning ways in the Grade One Dublin Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival, beating stablemate Min.

The gelding made his seasonal return at Cork at the start of December and although not impressive he still landed the Grade Two Hilly Way Chase in workman like fashion.

He then backed that up at Leopardstown Christmas meeting by landing the Grade One Paddy's Club Chase, that he was beat by A Plus Tard in last year.

He seems to be a horse full of confidence and he is the odds on favourite to land this event again for a second time in as many years.

Min has been a superstar for Willie Mullins over the years and even at the age of 10 is still on an upward curve being one of the best chasers in the 2m4f hurdle division.

The gelding is a frequent Grade One winner during his career, landing the John Durkan Memorial Chase three years in a row and last year finally broke his Cheltenham duck to take the Ryanair Chase on the Thursday of the meeting.

He returned this season at Punchestown as he has does for the last three years and went on take the John Durkan Memorial Chase with ease, but this year in a field that saw Melon, Allaho and Battleoverdoyen to name a few of the horses on show.

The plan was always to run in this event again in preparation for the Ryanair Chase at the festival and having finished a good second to Chacun Pour Soi last season, it looks like the same will happen again this term.

Notebook goes in this event for Henry De Bromhead and this eight year old is superb talent over two miles and if not for the talent in the race would be a leading contender.

Having been a fair hurdler, he was stepped up over fences for the first time in October last year and the six year old headed to Punchestown and saw off a nice Gigginstown horse that went on to frank the form

The gelding off the back of that stepped into a Grade Two and again blew the field away in great style and next on the agenda was the Christmas festival at Leopardstown.

He went into the Grade One Novice Chase and in a field with Laurina and Fakir D'oudairies he rose to the challenge to again win by a comfortable margin.

Keeping his run of wins going he stepped into his toughest contest at the Dublin Racing Festival in the Grade One Arkle Novice Chase where him and Cashback went toe to toe and he managed to get up on the line.

His whole novice season was built towards the Arkle at the festival and having been unbeaten on all four of his starts prior to run not much went right for him on the day and having got light up before the race he could only finish a weak sixth.

This season he returned at Naas in the Grade Two Poplar Square Chase and got straight back to winning ways, reversing the form with Fakir D'Oudairies by beating him by 12 lengths.

Although a very talented prospect he looks no match for Chacun Pour Soi after being beaten easily by him last time out over Christmas, but could be an each way player if at his best.

No crowd helps this horse.

This six year old was a very strong hurdler especially at Cheltenham winning a Grade Two Triumph Hurdle Trial before finishing a staying on fourth at the festival in the Supreme Novices Hurdle.

He then headed to Aintree in the 4-Y-O Grade One and was just pipped on the line by Pentland Hills but overall he was a stand out hurdler at just the age of four.

O'Brien decided to step him up to fences last season and he took to them just aswell winning on debut at Navan when seeing off the Willie Mullins trained Melon.

He then landed his first Grade One over fences in the Drinmore Novices Chase seeing off Samcro to land the spoils in a superb jumping performance.

He tried to land back to back black type wins on Boxing Day at Leopardstown but was nowhere near his best being well beaten by Notebook.

He then headed to the Cheltenham festival going in search of the Arkle and although reversing the form with Notebook, still had to settle for second behind Put The Kettle On.

Back for another season, he has not looked himself in both his races, being well beaten by Notebook at Naas and then being pulled up last time out when stepped up to three miles in the Grade One Savills Chase.

Dropping back down to, 2m1f is a huge bonus for this horse, but he needs a big shift in performance from what he has shown so far this term to even go close.

Sizing Pottsie looks very opposable in this field from what he has shown during his career to date, having been tried over both hurdles and fences and never showing signs of the ability you will need to win this race.

The seven year old geldings best piece of form over fences came in March last year when landing a Grade Three over two miles at Navan.

Since then the Jessica Harrington trained horse has found it difficult over fences, with his second three starts ago behind Felix Desjy in a Grade Two his best effort.

He was sent over hurdles last time out at Fairyhouse as a prep run for this event but unfortunately took a heavy fall when odds on favourite to take the race.

The penultimate runner in the event is the Willie Mullins trained Tornado Flyer who has shown big signs he could turn into a nice horse, but is far to inconsistent to take seriously in this classy event.

The gelding finished a good third in 2018 Champion Bumper and was then stepped over hurdles and not taking to the smaller flights at all.

He was sent chasing last year by Mullins and seemed much more at home landing his first two events nicely including a Grade Three at Navan.

However, it has gone downhill from there with a poor fifth in the Marsh Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham festival in March and not winning a race since December 2019.

All of his recent better runs have come over further than this distance with a solid second behind Min in the John Durkan Memorial Chase his best run in a while.

He was stepped up to three miles last time out and managed to finish fifth in the Savills Chase, but it was a long way behind the other four runners and nine runners overall finished.

Looks to be opposable on the bare face of it.