THERE was shock, disappointment and frustration when, on Christmas Eve, Leopardstown officials took the tough decision to go behind closed doors due to staff shortages and other various reasons.

But today, we’re back. And anyway, it was probably better served like this. There was a cap on crowds at Christmas. It would have been good to be there but it wouldn’t have felt the same as it usually does. Today, it will.

Leopardstown should be thronged with a racing-starved crowd, just like Gowran Park was for the Thyestes. There is work to be done to sustain healthy numbers of crowds at our big meetings but the Kilkenny track showed that the appetite is there and Leopardstown will hopefully feel that benefit today as well and build on that hunger for live racing action.

Honeysuckle leads a very good, if not excellent cast, with high-profile trainers pointing towards the state of the ground and voting with their feet. To be fair, Leopardstown have tried their very best to combat the nature of their freakishly drying track, but you don’t have to be an agronomist to know that applying over 200mm of water artificially probably isn’t an ideal and sustainable way to produce safe ground.

Better solution

A better solution is needed because the Dublin Racing Festival needs to stay alive. It is an excellent addition to the Irish racing calendar. Dublin is a booming capital city and the potential to grow racing further is always boundless. A €2.1 million, eight Grade 1-race event adequately matches that potential for growth and most notably this weekend, the meeting provides a stage for Honeysuckle and Rachael Blackmore to woo their legion of fans.

The defection of Appreciate It has taken the intrigue from the race for the more concentrated racing fan, but anytime you get to see Honeysuckle stretch out is a good time, and she can get to 14 wins out of 14 runs today, to set herself up for a big title defence in the Champion Hurdle.

It shouldn’t be taken for granted that in the other feature Grade 1 of the week, another woman is riding a leading contender – Bryony Frost on Frodon. We’re used to seeing Bryony and Rachael win Grade 1 races but the general public aren’t, and this gives racing a unique selling point that is completely unattainable to most other sports.

Frodon is superstar as well. He’s won almost half of his 34 chase starts and his trainer Paul Nicholls, ever the opportunist, says he’ll love the ground today. Kemboy will as well. He loves the unique test Leopardstown has become and ran right up to form when close up to Gold Cup first and second favourites A Plus Tard and Galvin in the Savills Chase.

Champion trainer

He is one of many big-name Willie Mullins horses punters will follow this weekend. The champion trainer went into steamroller mode at this festival last season, labeling his domination as “fantasy racing” and a similar happening isn’t off the cards when you consider her has horses like Blue Lord, Sir Gerhard, Galopin Des Champs and Chacun Pour Soi all at short prices.

The last named of that quartet is most interesting. He is rather the forgotten horse this season . He was denied the chance to face Shishkin in the Tingle Creek but then struggled to make an impact in that race after he took a chestnut off his hock.

He produced one of the best performances of the season in the Dublin Chase last season and it won’t be a surprise if he returns to that level tomorrow.

Deutsch bidding for poignant maiden Grade 1 win

CHARLIE Deutsch is having a brilliant season and will have high hopes of attaining a first Grade 1 victory with L’Homme Presse in today’s Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices Chase at Sandown (2.20).

The Venetia Williams-trained seven-year-old is unbeaten in three starts this season under Deutsch, fast progressing from handicap company to the top level today.

A win for Deutsch would be tinged with sadness however because it would come just days after his godfather Marcus Evans was tragically killed in a road accident.

Speaking earlier this week, the rider said: “I’ve never lost someone so close to me before. He was such a huge part of our family. He helped bring me up and he really supported my racing.

“Only the night before it happened he was asking about tickets for Cheltenham on the Saturday. Every weekend he would be over and he has known me and my brother Rollo all our lives.

“He would always phone up before a weekend to talk about the horses I was riding.

“He was obsessed with all sport, especially cricket and football, but he loved racing so much.

“He was loving how my season was going as he really rode off the back of it. It would be a dream fulfilled to win a Grade 1 but Marcus was a great character who will be missed.”

L’Homme Presse won off marks of 128 and 136 at Exeter and Ascot respectively, but he announced himself as a top-class novice chaser when winning the Grade 2 Dipper Chase by 10 lengths at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

He faces four rivals at a good ground Sandown today and was trading in and around the even money mark yesterday evening.

Deutsch said: “I’ve not ridden him since the Dipper but from what I’ve seen he seems okay at home. The Dipper is when he really started to become exciting – he really warmed up to his jumping there. I’m very much looking forward to getting back on him on Saturday.

“If he has jumped around Cheltenham it should be quite forward for him at Sandown. I don’t see why it won’t be his sort of test. It will be hard work at the end but we know he stays really well.”