Dublin Racing Festival 2024 Sunday Tips: More Mullins domination at Leopardstown?

Four Grade 1s are the highlights of another cracking card at Leopardstown on Sunday - the final day of the 2024 Dublin Racing Festival.

After looking at all eight races, here's my idea of a few winners.

13:10 - Fact To File @ 7/4

Willie Mullins will probably clean up at Leopardstown on Saturday, and I expect more of the same 24 hours later. All three of my selections for Sunday hail from Closutton - starting with Fact To File in this Grade 1 novice chase over 2m5½f.

Stablemate Gaelic Warrior is not opposed lightly, but I can't shake the fact he's lost on two of the three occasions he's gone left-handed. That tendency to jump right could be exaggerated in this small field.

He also meets what I believe to be a seriously talented novice chaser in JP McManus' seven-year-old.

Like many of Mullins' string this season, he improved immensely for his defeat to American Mike in a beginners' chase at Navan in November when absolutely bolting up by 17 lengths at Leopardstown over Christmas.

I was very taken by that performance. You could argue the race fell apart as a result of omitted fences and the apparent underperformance of Minella Cocooner and Zanahiyr, but I found it very interesting indeed when Mullins said this about the former before he got off the mark at Navan a couple of weeks ago: "If he can improve a little for his run behind Fact To File at Leopardstown over Christmas he’ll hopefully go very close in this."

I interpreted that as a substantial nod to the selection, who I'm hoping wins here and follows up in the Turners' Novice Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Fancy that to happen? Betfred are 14/1 about the very possibility, which I really do think is worthwhile given his main rival here is the short-priced Turners favourite.

13:40 - Ballyburn @ 10/11

Simply put, I can't see Ballyburn beat in the Grade 1 novice hurdle over two miles.

I'm of the opinion that he's much the best of a relatively modest crop and I'll be very disappointed if he's not able to beat his nine rivals with a degree of ease.

I don't doubt this horse, who I've tipped antepost for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, will be even better over further next season and beyond, but he didn't look short of gears the last day nor when winning bumpers on good ground, so I've no worries at all about Sunday's trip.

15:50 - Bialystok e/w @ 12/1

Finally, I'm suggesting an each-way play, with Betfred paying five places, on Bialystok in the penultimate race - a Listed handicap hurdle over two miles.

While I don't think it was a vintage renewal of the race, the six-year-old emerged with plenty of credit in the G1 Royal Bond at Fairyhouse earlier this term, coming from dead last, via the widest route, to finish a staying-on fourth, just a head behind the re-opposing An Tobar. I'm hopeful that form will be reversed here.

In a race lacking any obviously well-handicapped runner, he brings a solid level of form to the table and could go off significantly shorter than what's currently being quoted if Mullins does indeed dominate.