IT IS all about the Dublin Racing Festival this weekend with a slice of Sandown Park thrown in and some very interesting wagers away from the big meetings to boot later on in the day.

Willie Mullins will once again be looking to dominate Leopardstown over the two days. With eight Grade One events up for grabs, supported by five Grade Two and Listed events, it’s almost like a Cheltenham Festival on home territory for the Irish horses.

Top of the shop for me this afternoon as far as value is concerned is SUPERSUNDAE in the opening novice event over a stamina sapping extended two-and-three-quarter miles at 1.15.

The mount of Patrick Mullins, I loved the way he kept on last time out in the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle when he was well beaten by The Yellow Clay, but looked badly in need of this extra yardage.

The make-up of the field here almost guarantees a fast pace, and he should at least hit theframe, with the mare Mozzies Sister also likely to appreciate the extra yardage and getting 7lbs from the boys.

Galopin Des Champs has made Leopardstown his own down through the years and should successfully defend his Irish Gold Cup title at 3.30, but we are always on the look out for making profit when we bet, and an each-way play on CONFLATED to land second or third will yield a much bigger return than a win bet on the favourite.

The Gordon Elliott-trained charge has always run well around here and if his jumping holds up, he could hit the first three at a massive price.

The best betting handicap on the card is the Listed Race and the Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle at 2.25 in which bottom weight Meetingofthewaters is likely to start a very short priced favourite.

He is, of course, a very smart handicap chaser rated in the high 140s but gets in over hurdles here off a paltry 112. He was actually beaten off this mark twice in handicap hurdles over two-and-a-half miles in 2023. But then, of course, made massive improvement over fences.

However, I am happy to go and let him win at that price and with most bookmakers set to offer five or even six places, I will be having two each-way stabs against him with another well-known chaser, DESERTMORE HOUSE and the still relatively unexposed LUCKY LYREEN.

The former is a very strong stayer and despite the fact that he would be way better off with the favourite over fences, he ran really well when third of 15 at Punchestown and didn’t get the fast pace he needed last time out here when behind a number of these at the Christmas meeting.

Lucky Lyreen was a more than useful novice hurdler running well over two-and-a-half miles last year in some fair maiden hurdles before landing a fair novice handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse over two-and-a-half miles.

He needed his first run back at Navan before running on very nicely late on when eighth of 30 behind Al Gasparo here last back end off 133, beaten 10 lengths.

With the promising Carl Millar taking 5lbs off his back here, this unexposed performer is set to race off just 127. And at around 50/1, that is good enough for me to have an each-way play with the extra places up for grabs.

Back to the graded company races I fancy that HELLO NEIGHBOUR will be hard to beat in the Grade One Juvenile at 1.50, while FIREFOX is the each-way call to put it up to Majborough in the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase at 2.55.

On Sunday at the Dublin track, the opening Paddy and Maureen Mullins Mares Handicap Hurlde has once again attracted a big field, with the consistent and hardy Queens Gamble likely to start favourite.

But she has to give an awful lot of weight to some useful mares, the best of which has to be Qualimita (second to Sixandahalf) and my preferred selection DEONS DIAMOND at a huge price.

I thought that she was a massive eye-catcher last time out at Cork behind Cast A Spell, and I fancy if she is given a patient ride she will be able to mow down plenty of these down the long, uphill home stretch.

Of the big graded races on Sunday, IMPAIRE ET PASSE is preferred to Ballyburn in the Grade One Novice Chase at 1.10, while the 7lbs she receives from State Man should be good enough for LOSSIEMOUTH to bounce back from her Christmas Hurdle defeat to land the feature Irish Champion Hurdle at 3.20.

Back to Saturday and were it not for Leopardstown, then Sandown Park would be the big feature meeting of the day. And I am rather sweet on the claims of GUNSIGHT RIDGE in the two-mile handicap chase at 2.00 off what looks an attractive mark of 142.

The Scilly Isles Novice Chase has sadly only attracted a field of four, which is awful in the current financial climate with £56,000 up for grabs.

That merely makes the task easier for HANDSTANDS who handled these tough fences with aplomb in the Grade Two Esher Novices Chase over three miles, and I am hoping that he can run the finish out of the likely short priced favourite Jango Baie.

The big betting race at the Surrey track is the three-mile Heroes Handicap Hurdle at 3.07, which is going to be a really deep stamina race. It will be a long way home for plenty of these, and I suspect only a handful will finish within 10 lengths of the winner. I fancy that the gold medal will go to IDEFIX DE CIERGUES.

The Rebecca Curtis-trained charge has looked all about stamina in his career to date. And with doubts about several of these getting home — after staying on well behind Strackan at Cheltenham last time out when What A Johnny and Deep Cave kept well behind — this is a good opening.

He didn’t do himself any favours that day by setting too soft a pace, and I don’t think that Ben Jones will make the same mistake again here.

Away from the big races of the day, it may well be worth having a second look for CIVIL CODE (Wolverhampton, 4.40) who is becoming very well handicapped, while AIKHAL (6.40) is worth one further chance.