Who has been your big Dublin Racing Festival eyecatcher?

Three of our reporters pick out their eyecatcher from the Dublin Racing Festival . . .

'She'll be a big player in any decent handicap'

Nobody will get rich backing any of the Willie Mullins Grade 1 winners, who are all sure to be short odds next time out. But you may get a price about Brucio, who was allowed to start at 20-1 for the mares' handicap hurdle and showed that all wrong.

She was the only one who ever looked like getting to the enterprisingly ridden Minx Tiara and not only did she catch her, she won going away by six lengths. That was a big step up on the form of her previous Catterick win.

Brucio is clearly improving fast and will be a big player in whichever decent handicap Stuart Crawford chooses for her next.
David Carr, reporter

'Aintree could be an interesting option'

A certain Galopin Des Champs finished down the field in the 2m Grade 1 Novice Hurdle won by Appreciate It in 2021, and Jit Langy, who finished fifth in the race on Sunday, looks one for the tracker.

By no means do I expect him to progress into a 180-rated chaser, but Galopin Des Champs was a Martin Pipe winner on his path to greatness and Jit Langy may be interesting in handicap company over further. He looked outpaced behind a top-class winner in Ballyburn, but still made good headway jumping well before fading late on.

He would need one more run to qualify for a Cheltenham Festival handicap but, having won at Tipperary, Aintree could be a potential interesting option.
James Stevens West Country correspondent

'Aim State Man at a race he can win'

It might seem odd to nominate State Man, but he would win the County Hurdle, wouldn't he?

State Man: County Hurdle claims?Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Paul Townend likes making excuses for his run behind Constitution Hill in last year's Champion Hurdle, but he was still beaten nine lengths. Are we supposed to believe he can turn those tables and topple arguably the greatest hurdler of all time?

Arctic Fire won a County off top weight for Willie Mullins and Townend (albeit from a lesser rating), and the trainer has a humongous appetite for Cheltenham winners, so why not aim State Man at a race he can win?
James Burn, Lambourn correspondent

Read more:

State Man completes remarkable clean sweep of all eight Dublin Racing Festival Grade 1s for Willie Mullins 

Brilliant Ballyburn storms into Supreme and Baring Bingham favouritism with emphatic Grade 1 victory 

'It was everything I wanted and more' - El Fabiolo thrills Willie Mullins with another easy Grade 1 success 

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