Some horses enhanced their reputations whilst others bombed out. Let’s take a look at all of the DRF results and their significance on the Cheltenham Festival betting:
DRF Saturday Results
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Outsider of the field Dancing City was victorious in the opening Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle under Danny Mullins. The winner was trimmed to 12-1 from 50-1 for the Albert Bartlett at next month's Cheltenham Festival.
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Kargese came out on top for the Willie Mullins squad in the McCann FitzGerald Spring Juvenile Hurdle, with the trainer sending out the first four home. Her price was cut to 8-1 from 25’s in the horse racing betting for the Triumph Hurdle, for which Sir Gino is favourite.
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It Etait Temps won the Goffs Irish Arkle with Marine Nationale a huge disappointment back in fifth place. The winner is now 5-1 from 14’s for the Arkle at Cheltenham with us here at 888sport.
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Maxxum produced a fine weight-carrying performance to land the Race And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle. Watch out for him at The Festival.
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Galopin Des Champs is now a shade of odds on for the Cheltenham Gold Cup after registering back-to-back success in the Irish Gold Cup. The Willie Mullins star is now 4-6 (from evens) to repeat his Cheltenham success in March.
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Madara, one of only three runners from the UK declared at the DRF, ran out a ready winner of the Ryanair Handicap Chase. Connections are thinking of the Plate for him at Cheltenham.
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Jeroboam Machin powered to the head of Cheltenham Bumper market after cruising to victory in the ending I.N.H Flat Race.
DRF Sunday Results
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Connections of Brucio are thinking about the mares’ novice at Cheltenham after she obliged in the Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle at odds of 20/1.
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We now make Fact To File the 2-1 favourite for the Turners Novices’ Chase at next month’s Festival, while he is 3-1 for the longer Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. Fact To File came home alone in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase.
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Ballyburn heads ante-post lists for both the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle after an emphatic win in the Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle.
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El Fabiolo recorded a smooth success in the Dublin Chase. Already odds-on for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, those odds became much shorter on Sunday afternoon.
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A rematch with Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle is on the cards for State Man following a comfortable defence of his Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle crown.
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Heart Wood, ridden by Rachael Blackmore and trained by Henry de Bromhead, was winning for the first time over fences when landing the O'Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Handicap Chase. He’s one to watch out for at Cheltenham or Aintree.
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Veteran performer Lord Erskine (40/1 in the betting) found extra reserves of stamina to win the Timeless Sash Windows Handicap Hurdle. The 11-year-old who was winning for the first time in two and a half years.
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The closing EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race went to a mare trained by Willie Mullins in the shape of Fleur Au Feusil. Jockey Jody Townend should get the ride again in Cheltenham’s Champion Bumper.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
