The Dublin Racing Festival with its eight Grade 1 races should have finalised a lot of plans and punter choices for next month’s Cheltenham Festival.

Clues consumed clever ones stashed away. But while it consolidated some horses’ position in the markets for their respective Cheltenhma targets, it left as many questions.

And remember that only four Festival winners from 2022 (Honeysuckle, Sir Gerhard, Facile Vega, Vauban) had raced at the Dublin Racing Festival so a bit more scrutiny is needed.

Willie Mullins predictably dominated – winning six of the Grade 1s and two more races with likely Cheltenham contenders. But he had three beaten odds-on favourites too, even though he won those races with second string runners.

The Gold Cup first – what’s not to like about Galopin Des Champs’ performance? He settled, jumped well, and went right way on the run-in to show he stayed this three-mile test easily.

But do any questions remain? The race was slowly run, and he had a quick closing sectional. The race also has a poor record in throwing up a Gold Cup winner. Only two since 1996 is a poor return for one of Ireland’s premier staying chases.

And most of the good horses who won it and failed in Cheltenham did so through lack of stamina.

However, he has the same profile of a progressive second season chaser that Imperial Call and Sizing John had. So there will be no more clues.

The second placed on Saturday, Fury Road is a best 50/1 for the Gold Cup. You take the 8s A Plus Tard hoping he is the horse of 2022 and if so, Galopin will have to gallop every step of the way.

Galopin Des Champs is a worthy favourite even with still some doubts.

Champion Hurdle

Very much like Galopin Des Champs, there were no faults in either the rider or the horse in the Grade 1 Chanelle Pharma Champion Hurdle winner. State Man dictated things on his terms to win his third Grade 1 of the season and it looked as though he had improved again from Christmas. But how far is this from Constitution Hill? The time was not spectacular.

Honeysuckle is now diverted to the Mares Hurdle, and like it or not, it seems sensible as she is clearly the third best hurdler going into the Champion Hurdle. And whatever you think of it, what a race the Mares Hurdle could be – Honeysuckle, Epatante, Love Envoi, Marie’s Rock, Echoes In Rain, Brandy Love are all possibles.

The one doubt on State Man was that his rivals in behind finished in a bunch, with only three and a quarter lengths separating Honeysuckle from Zanahyir and Pied Piper closer to Vauban than he was in the Triumph.

Fraud

Of the two-milers Blue Lord turned into Blue Fraud according to a twitterer. Is he a legitimate Champion Chase contender? I fear not, that Energumene and Edwardstone are better horses but then Allaho is alive and kicking in Closutton if the Ryanair is chosen. Gentleman De Mee is probably better on better ground but has one way of running and with Editeur Du Gite and possibly a positively ridden Energumene in the Champion, he could be pushed out of his comfort zone.

The two-mile novices got a shake up too as El Fabiolo took over from Appreciate It and Dysart Dynamo at the top of the Mullins pecking order.

El Fabiolo did make two mistakes and on this year’s form, will not need any errors against a free jumping Jonbon. How much does that Aintree neck defeat flatter him last season?

Appreciate It appeared to disappoint Willie Mullins here and will the Turners be the choice? Banbridge covered some amount of late ground from before the last to catch the placer getters and is a live contender.

Sir Gerhard is now reported to be more likely for the Brown Advisory.

At nine years and a point-to-point winner in his youth, the Turners must be more suitable for Appreciate It.

Impressive

And then enter Mighty Potter, hugely impressive over the two miles and five on the Sunday. He is three years younger than Appreciate It, and is a hugely exciting horse. It might have been a Mullins B-team he beat but it looked he had any amount in hand and the distance is ideal.

Dysart Dynamo was never my idea of a Cheltenham winner and though he seemed to run a bit below what was expected, his run style against such a competitive group surely makes him vulnerable to a held-up horse.

Good Land did his job well in the Nathaniel Lacy, though some of his opposition are targeted at the Albert Bartlett. He may have more to do to in the Ballymore and Gaelic Warrior could end up here too.

Facile Vega was the third odds-on Mullins-trained favourite at 4/9 to flounder. He has still to match his hype in my opinion for all that this race can be written off.

He had jumped well at his own tempo on his Fairyhouse debut and was adequate when again out front in the Grade 1 at Christmas. Here, however, he was sloppy even after High Definition departed.

On what he has done on track over hurdles so far, it simply does not justify the hype. I’d not want him even at the now 7/2 for the Supreme. High Definition’s jumping looks a worry too as he was fast and too low over an early hurdle also before he stumbled.

The Spring Juvenile left questions marks too. Danny Mullins seemed confident Gala Marceau had improved since Christmas but Lossiemouth took a share of the moral honours as she was given a poor ride. 7/4, 3/1, 5/1 you take your choice of the three Mullins runners at the top of the Triumph market.

Who was the most likely DRF winner to follow up at Cheltenham? I’d got for Mighty Potter though if Banbridge and Appreciate It line up in the Turners, it’ll be a helluva race to watch.