WE’re off to see the Wizard, the wonderful…. Well no, but it feels like a good song to hit the road to Leopardstown for day one of a much anticipated Dublin Racing Festival.

There is not much delay, getting into the track in good time. But what’s going on – I know we have a bank holiday but has the time changed, am I an hour late and didn’t know it?

The place is packed. The crowd is four deep around the parade ring before any horse has even entered it for the first race. Where have all these people come from and so early?

A quick scout around and it’s the same everywhere. The marquee is full, the sports lounge is full, it’s a passage of time to find a way through the Champions Lounge, the Hurricane Fly bar is full, the Paddy Power shop is full, even the Racing Hall away from the main centre is well full for this time of day, and out front there are plenty of people in the stands and the betting ring already. Even Harry Findlay is front and centre.

In the stands, looking down on the brimming ring of business before the first race, you are reminded how good it looks and what a mistake it is having the virtually ‘invisible’ betting ring at the Curragh. Not that it could ever hope to match the volume of people present here.

It was definitely a ‘many young men of 20’ on Saturday – and most of them seemed to have various regional British accents.

The ladies did emerge later in the day but many wanted selfies looking good at the races – yes, the dress code was dress up! There was a more mixed group on Sunday and a few more families.

The first race gets off to a roar from the stand – not quite Cheltenham level but we’re catching up! The winner, Good Land, gets a cheer home too.

Funderland

On RTÉ TV, the day is presented as the “equine version of Funderland – roller coaster stuff” we’ll be “glued to your seats.” Wise on a roller coaster!

Barry Geraghty is strong in his praise for rising star Michael O’Sullivan on the first winner.

“You can’t emphasise enough how good Michael was. He waited in front, he judged what he needed to save to hit the line in front and that sounds simple to do, but on a big weekend, high pressure and a lot of expectation, to be as cool as that. He’s got a great head on his shoulders.”

“Doing the simple things in every sport isn’t always easy,” Ruby added – and, on cue, didn’t we see that in the very next race. He’s a prophet too, is Ruby.

The 125/1 stable companion of the 1/3 odds-on favourite Lossiemouth throws a spanner in the Juvenile works. There’s another reverse for a Mullins favourite in Appreciate It but there’s always another to pick up the pieces and Daryl Jacob and El Fabiolo are convincing winners.

Out and about it’s a struggle to find the one path through the Champions Bar and I’m told the outside section had run out of wine.

Inside to watch Gerri Colombe win in Sandown, a conversation gets picked up. A group of gentlemen are catching up on acquaintances. It’s been a while and a good night with old friends is remembered. But some are gone “He’s dead now.” “He is in his bollocks, is he?” comes the shocked reply.

Time to go back racing. Galopin Des Champs and Townend makes no mistake in the big one before the rains come to spoil it a bit but John Kiely has weathered worse days, and basks in the winners’ enclosure with a proud Brian Gleeson and son John after taking down the Mullins favourite in the bumper.

Sunday

Day two, I had to leave the house at 11am, Keith Donoghue giving Ted Walsh as good as he got on the Nick Luck morning preview on Racing TV. After being described as “a bit screwy upstairs” in the past Keith has a quick reply – “That’s coming from Ted!”

It’s a bright sunny spring-like morning and a bank holiday to follow the big weekend of racing – Barry Connell on the TV is brimming confidence for next March after his two Grade 1 winners - good times. Appropriately leaving Dundalk, The Corrs come on the radio – “Come on Leave Me Breathless..” Come on now, Honey, do it for us.

The track is definitely a bit quieter today, there’s a good start with the predictable McManus winner but for a smaller trainer in Liz Doyle. You wonder have the stewards got caught in the bar queues as there is an unnecessarily long stewards’ inquiry that predictably leaves things as they are in the finish.

“Why’s that bloke on stilts walking the track?” an English visitor remarks before the Mares Handicap Hurdle.

What’s this? We did have stilt walkers among the crowd but our English friend got a bit mixed up – it’s Jack Kennedy on ‘crutches’ making his way across the track to watch with Team Elliott.

That old theatre expression comes to mind as they turn into the straight in the Ladbrokes Novices Chase. What was it, again? Exit, Pursued by a bear? This was Enter, pursued by a Mullins – five of them. What is the collective noun of a gang from Closutton – a cavalry of Closuttons?

And guess what? Davy Russell wasn’t meant to retire suddenly on a December Sunday. Even though he acknowledged Jack will be back soon, surely he is silently savouring the thought of partnering the exciting Mighty Potter at Cheltenham and going out on the biggest stage his career deserves? Even fellow trainer Gavin Cromwell came up to admire the winner in the enclosure.

The handicap chase gives a brief respite from the Mullins onslaught as it is Elliott again with The Goffer. The forgotten British runner Top Ville Ben has his large group of admirers when he returns in a creditable third place spot.

A midland UK visitor beside me on the balcony looking down into the parade ring before the Champion Hurdle is amazed as the crowds gathered. “You’d never see this at a British track, they’d all be in the bars.”

Honeysuckle gets a round of applause as she goes out. In the race, it always looks as though she is half a beat behind State Man and it’s not to be. On the run to the last, it’s clear she is not going to pull back the Mullins favourite.

It feels a bit like the Barry Keoghan line in The Banshees of Inisherin – “There goes that dream.”

But Ted on TV comes up with a better line. “This is Leopardstown, not Lourdes, and you don’t get miracles here.” Anyone want to pass on his number to Martin McDonagh? He could get a job as a new script writer. Are there any Banshees in Kill?

If our English friends were amazed at the throngs around the parade ring before the race, take this home, the crowds converged back around the SECOND place spot as the mare returned.

You’ll not see many runner-up finishers having racegoers climb up on benches to take photos. State Man, who are you? He might have put her out of the winner’s circle but Honeysuckle is not out of the hearts of Irish racing fans.

There were complaints for the queues for a “pee” and a “pint” on Saturday but I do think lads are often blinkered in searching for another loo – there are plenty around the grandstand. Coffee kiosks had long queues too – you simply can’t have enough of them these days,

One gripe might have been that the big screen, with the passage of time, is now more a middle sized screen and on such a bright day and full stand, a bigger one might be nice going forward. Plus the commentary was a second or two ahead of the pictures.

But it was two terrific days of sport. It left enough questions as answers, even for Willie Mullins.