Punters and floating voters unlikely to be impressed by Dublin Racing Festival's underwhelming Grade 1 offering

I enjoyed the handicaps at the Dublin Racing Festival; the Grade 2 races were good too. But I'm not so sure about the Grade 1 events in which so much hype – and prize-money – was invested.

Perhaps the hype saved the day. The countdown to the headline appearances fostered a lively atmosphere at the track and ensured the television coverage on RTE and Racing TV conveyed a sense of occasion.

There was enough in Saturday's Grade 1 action to maintain the festive optimism, although the big race was something of a letdown as Fastorslow never looked like giving Galopin Des Champs a blood-and-guts battle.