ATTENTION today [Saturday] will be rightly focussed on the Dublin Racing Festival where there are four Grade 1 clashes, including the Arkle Novice Chase at 2pm.

Willie Mullins has four of the seven runners in the Arkle and, less than half an hour later, he will be dashing to the on-course betting shop to watch his Laurina contest the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown.

The prospect of very soft ground at Sandown has prompted Mullins to send his mare to London for this two-and-a-half-mile contest, won by the Mullins’ camp in 2015 with Gitane Du Berlais. The glorious spare ride on Laurina has fallen in the lap of Nico de Boinville.

Laurina was reported to have burst a blood vessel when she ran at Grade 1 level over Christmas, pulling up in the Racing Post Novices’ Chase at Leopardstown. Connections believe this was a one-off, and she will start favourite today to beat six geldings, all of whom must concede 7lbs to her.

Mullins has won the Arkle at Cheltenham in four of the last five seasons and by 3pm today we could be saying that once again he holds all the aces in this division.

Winter hopes to regain form after Irish Escape

ALMOST a year ago to the day, Winter Escape was being tipped by many for stardom. Trained at the time by Aidan Howard, the gelding was sent off at just 9/2 for the Grade 1 Flogas Novice Chase at Leopardstown but he burst a blood vessel and never regained his best form in five subsequent starts for the yard.

In the hope that a change of scenery can sometimes do wonders, owner J.P. McManus has sent Winter Escape to British trainer Ben Haslam and the horse pitches up in a handicap chase at Wetherby today.

Once the highest rated novice chaser in training in Ireland and Britain, the nine-year-old wears a hood for the first time and is worth watching closely.

Incidentally, that Wetherby race is due off at the unusual time of 1.38pm. Today marks the start of a month-long experiment by racing authorities to trial “non-standard race times” in a bid to minimise race clashes for broadcasters.

Leopardstown is spared this weekend, as the meeting is on terrestrial television, but Naas next Saturday will be the first Irish fixture to have non-standard off-times.

Another McConnell raiding party at Musselburgh

JOHN McConnell is striking new heights season upon season, and while the exciting juvenile hurdler Never Do Nothing may the flagbearer for the yard this weekend at the Dublin Racing Festival, McConnell sends four horses to Musselburgh on Sunday, three of whom sport the colours of Caroline Ahearn.

McConnell is no stranger to fielding runners in the UK, and has started the careers of a number of his stable stars at Musselburgh, namely Hannon and Never Do Nothing in the same race on New Year’s Day in consecutive years.

With a 25% strike rate with his runners in the UK over the last 12 months, and a very impressive 50% strike rate with his runners over hurdles, his four runners at Musselburgh are certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Brian Hughes and Daryl Jacob divide the rides, and the unbeaten hurdler Construct looks to hold the best chance of success in the ‘Scottish Supreme’ at 2.15pm. Emmet Mullins’ Rocket Lad in the 3.20pm is another one to look out for.