Sunday ITV Racing Tips: Best bets for Leopardstown and Musselburgh on February 4

It's day two of the Dublin Racing Festival and ITV will be showing five cracking contests, four of which are Grade 1 affairs.

Then to really get your fill of Sunday racing they've added another five races from Musselburgh too. You lucky people.

Let's begin with a quick run through our tips, with the reasons why we've picked them further down the page.

If you fancy a punt or two, check out the Planet Sport race centre which will show you all the live odds, racecards and results.

And if you want to hear about what top jockey and Planet Sport Bet Ambassador Harry Cobden thinks about his chances at Musselburgh go here. 

Good luck and please gamble responsibly.

(Please be aware selections could become non-runners after article's first publication)

 

Sunday's selections:

13.10 (Leopardstown) Fact To File

13:20 (Musselburgh) Liari

13.40 (Leopardstown) Ballyburn

13:50 (Musselburgh) Beau Balko

14.10 (Leopardstown) El Fabiolo

14:25 (Musselburgh) Titanium Moon

14.45 (Leopardstown) State Man

15:00 (Musselburgh) Absolute Notions

15.20 (Leopardstown) James Du Berlais

15:35 (Musselburgh) Tommy’s Oscar

 

13.10 (Leopardstown) Fact To File

Fact To File can upset esteemed stablemate Gaelic Warrior in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase, a drop back in distance is not seen as a major inconvenience for Ballyburn in the Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle.

 

13:20 (Musselburgh) Liari

Liari can maintain his unbeaten record for Paul Nicholls in the bet365 Scottish Triumph Hurdle.

A winner on his hurdling debut at Wincanton in October, the son of Cracksman looked to have raised his game significantly when following up in Listed company at Aintree.

His task is not straightforward in Scotland, with Cheltenham winner An Bradan Feasa a worthy rival, but Liari is fancied to come out on top.

 

13.40 (Leopardstown) Ballyburn

Ballyburn looks an exciting prospect with a good hurdle debut second at Fairyhouse preceding a 25L success in a 2m4f maiden hurdle here at the Christmas Festival. Leading contender.

Farren Glory represents leading connections. Was unlucky to fall in the G1 Formby Novices Hurdle at Aintree (UK) on Boxing Day however makes for appeal as set to bounce back.

King Of Kingsfield produced a 6L course and distance maiden hurdle win on Boxing Day. Not to be discounted.

 

13:50 (Musselburgh) Beau Balko

Beau Balko represents a top jockey and trainer. The six-year-old brings strong form with a pair of runner-up efforts at Wincanton and Hereford over 2m during December. Leading chance.

Cedar Hill won at this festival in 2022. Unlucky to fall here New Years Day and may return to best form. Mint Gold scored by 1.25L a course and distance handicap chase two runs ago. Interesting.

 

14.10 (Leopardstown) El Fabiolo

The feature race on day two of the Dublin Racing Festival. El Fabiolo was an impressive G1 Novice chase winner at this meeting twelve months back and followed up with victories at the Cheltenham Festival and Punchestown.

Won on seasonal return at Cork and looks hard to beat once more. Dinoblue scored by 7.5L in this grade over course and distance at the Christmas Festival. Main danger.

 

14:25 (Musselburgh) Titanium Moon

Titanium Moon maintains excellent winning form having won her past four outings including last July at Stratford by 8L over 2m. Top chance.

Hypotenus ran well at Fairyhouse when third tackling a G3 hurdle over 2m. Rates highly. Panjari placed third in a 2m1f Cheltenham handicap hurdle two starts ago and cannot be dismissed.

 

14.45 (Leopardstown) State Man

It is impossible to look beyond State Man in his bid for back-to-back victories in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle.

Bar a defeat to Constitution Hill in last season’s Champion Hurdle, the seven-year-old has never really been troubled when completing over obstacles and more of the same is anticipated.

 

15:00 (Musselburgh) Absolute Notions

Gordon Elliott’s Irish raider Absolute Notions can prove a class apart in the Pertemps Network Group Handicap Hurdle.

The 2022 Goffs Land Rover Bumper winner mixed it with the very best as a novice hurdler last season, finishing third behind subsequent Grade One winner Inthepocket in a Grade Two at Naas before filling the runner-up spot behind Good Land at the Dublin Racing Festival on this weekend 12 months ago.

Absolute Notions was disappointingly pulled up when favourite to bag a Grade One victory of his own at Aintree in the spring, with his trainer putting the performance down to the rain-softened ground.

The six-year-old made light of testing conditions when making a successful reappearance at Fairyhouse in November, but he was a 1-12 shot that day, so he was entitled to win whatever the terrain.

Elliott has continually insisted his charge will be better on a sounder surface and switching to handicap company for the first time with a mark of 143, he should prove hard to beat.

 

15.20 (Leopardstown) James Du Berlais 

James Du Berlais produced a smart fourth tackling a Listed 3m handicap chase here. Now back down in trip and rates a leading player with this looking an ideal opportunity.

Meetingofthewaters found success by 4.5L that day and holds every chance again on that effort.  Inothewayurthinkin maintains good place form including a G1 Novice chase third at Limerick. Holds claims.

 

15:35 (Musselburgh) Tommy’s Oscar

Tommy’s Oscar has been given plenty of time to recover from that effort and his recent form suggests he is simply a better horse over the larger obstacles these days.

He is perhaps more comfortable over two miles than over the two-and-a-half he encounters this weekend, but Musselburgh is a sharp track and the ground is rarely testing, so he might just get away with it.