THE Dublin Racing Festival is a success judged by most metrics, not least audience engagement.

The draw of the meeting was evident in the lack of ire following a week of ‘on again, off again’ ahead of the Saturday card eventually being postponed until Monday, though having the attractions of Dublin city to distract travelling racegoers is a big help.

For the meeting to be a true success on the track, however, it must be competitive and for me, that means more than Willie Mullins domination.

Intra-stable competition is not the same as inter-stable competition, no matter what the participants may tell us and step forward Gordon Elliott to make sure we got some meaningful clashes.

Elliott did well at this meeting in both 2019 and 2020, four winners apiece in each year, but seven DRF winners in the five intervening years was a disappointing return. His five winners in 2026 were a meeting best, and those winners were also quality ones, with perhaps his two most high-profile horses winning.

Brighterdaysahead produced an excellent performance in the Irish Champion Hurdle, right up with her best, and it was backed up by the clock. The early pace was particularly strong, and her jumping was sharp throughout, and unlike Christmas when she raced behind Lossiemouth, Jack Kennedy pressed the pace here, in command approaching the last and maintaining her gallop.

Ideal conditions

These were just about her ideal conditions whereas Cheltenham may not be, but she goes into the Champion Hurdle there with the best form, albeit in a weak year, and it is just a case of whether she will handle the track. There is a case to be made in either direction.

Lossiemouth was never really travelling here, and having closed up heading into the straight, was soon a spent force; for whatever reason, this meeting has not worked out for her, three of her four career defeats coming here.

Poniros showed a bit, albeit in a race run to suit, though perhaps the flat will be his best chance of big race success in 2026, as he needs to improve to win a Grade 1 over hurdles while Anzadam was disappointing. He had an ideal setup here, racing in rear off a strong pace on ground he likes but wasn’t near good enough.

ROMEO Coolio produced a gritty performance to win the Irish Arkle, but the standout feature of the race was how tough a test it was, the leader covering the distance from the first fence to three out 12.2 seconds faster than the runners in the later handicap chase which itself was not slowly run.

There can be no doubt that the first two endured hard races, and the question is what Romeo Coolio was doing after the last having briefly mastered Kargese and then slowing up at the death? If he was idling, all is fine, but there is a chance he was out of steam on his feet and, if so, a flat performance could be coming next time.

All those concerns about a tough race apply to Kargese too, though she has not had as many runs this season as Romeo Coolio, and the way she jumps suggests that sharp test of the Arkle might suit her better.

Will Gold Cup trip find out Fact To File?

OF all the winning performances at the DRF, the most surprising to me was Fact To File in the Irish Gold Cup. Not because he didn’t have the ability to win competitive Grade 1s, but rather that because three miles on slow ground at a galloping track seemed too much of a test for him.

Mark Walsh had few stamina concerns, however, as he pressed the lead from four out and went clear before the last. This was a performance that put some priors in the bin though its repeatability at Cheltenham is uncertain; the track there will be no issue for Fact To File, but the Gold Cup trip might be.

The Irish Gold Cup established a form pecking order among the previous Grade 1 chases this winner, the John Durkan well ahead of the Savills, as Gaelic Warrior finished second. He left the impression that he had a bigger performance in him if settling better and might be more suited to the Gold Cup than the winner and it is a help that he is entered.

Time seems to have caught up with Galopin Des Champs, Paul Townend again happy to track the pace rather than force it, but there could be another Grade 1 win in him if circumstances fall right.

Better run

Monty’s Star ran much better than his 40/1 price, leading briefly over the second last before paying for that move, though he is on a long losing run. The Savills winner, Affordale Fury, seemed to be to doing everything right for the first three quarters of the race but emptied fast and was found to be lame. He might need a short break. Spindleberry found things going wrong from the outset. She raced keen and got bumped early, never really going, and this was a world away from the races she usually contests.

That said, she should continue to be a force against her own sex and worth another go at this level again as little went right.

Majborough vs Marine - wait for round three

FROM a riding point-of-view, the weekend felt like Mark Walsh’s world with the other jockeys just living in it, and Majborough put up a performance on par with that of Fact To File.

The cheekpieces were transformative for him, though it is possible his Christmas run came up a bit soon after the Hilly Way, but this was the best performance of his career, particularly his jumping which was notably straight.

His time here was strong, though Cheltenham will be a different test, the track sharper and the ground likely faster, while his main rival Marine Nationale faced disadvantages here.

The ground was one of those, but so too was his track position. He got caught further back than ideal at the start, not helped by jumping into the back of Solness at the first, while that one was not on a going day and did little to soften up Majborough.

Different attributes

The reigning champion chaser made a brief move from two out which again showed his pace and predictably couldn’t sustain it in the slog this race became but Cheltenham will test different attributes.

Of the other J.P. McManus winners, Kaid d’Authie was another headgear special, and he jumped well for all the form is suspect with Final Demand bombing.

Western Fold caught the eye in second, producing a strong finish after looking like he would be left behind after three out on ground he doesn’t like while coming off a break.

Standout juvenile

Narciso Has continues to look the standout in the juvenile hurdle division. His performance in Monday’s Grade 1 wasn’t as impressive as his win at Christmas, but that may be no bad thing as such efforts can take something out of horses, especially on this ground, and he always looked in control.

Selma De Vary shaped well in second, especially with her trainer saying the run was needed, but she has a lot on to reverse form with the winner.