Willie Mullins completed a clean sweep of the eight Grade One races at the Dublin Racing Festival in 2024 and Ireland’s perennial champion trainer is odds-on to win at least seven this time around, not least because Gordon Elliott, the current leader in the title race, has opted to steer several of his stable stars away from the two-day meeting.

The strength and depth of Mullins’s squad across the weekend is extraordinary. On Friday afternoon, there were 21 horses priced up at single-figure odds for the DRF’s Grade One events – and all but three will carry a “WPM” saddlecloth.

Another lesson from last year’s meeting, though, is that the idea of first, second or even third-string runners from the Mullins stable is a little out-of-date. Danny Mullins, the trainer’s nephew, upstaged Paul Townend, the stable No 1, on the opening day, riding a 535-1 treble in the first three Grade Ones, and extending a remarkable record over the course of his career that has now seen him notch 21 Grade One wins for his uncle, none of which set off as favourite.

Do not be afraid to take on a Mullins-trained favourite with a stable companion, in other words, and Ile Atlantique (2.55), a useful hurdler who already looks better over fences, is an interesting alternative to the odds-on Majborough, last season’s Triumph Hurdle winner, in the Irish Arkle.

But it is hard to see beyond the outstanding Galopin Des Champs (3.30) in the Irish Gold Cup, the opening day’s feature race, for all that the head-to-head between the dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner and his up-and-coming stable companion, Fact To File, currently stands at one-all.

Fact To File was nearly three lengths in front of Galopin Des Champs in the two-and-a-half mile John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown in November, but the eight-year-old had no answer to Galopin Des Champs’s stamina from the last to the line when they met over three miles for the first time in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown in December.

That win extended Galopin Des Champs’s unbeaten record over fences at Leopardstown to six races and it will be a major surprise if he does not add a seventh on Saturday, ahead of an attempt to become the first three-time Gold Cup winner since Best Mate in 2004 at Cheltenham in March.

Sandown 1.25 The lightly-raced Sole Solution may have been handed a generous opening mark following a comfortable success at Hereford this month.

Musselburgh 1.42 Harry Derham’s recent import Maitre En Science has several pounds in hand of his field on French form and should book a slot in the Triumph Hurdle with a successful British debut.

Sandown 2.00 With question marks over several of the more experienced runners, the novice Classic Maestro is fairly priced at around 6-1 to continue his progress over fences.

Musselburgh 2.17 Freddy Robinson put up a career-best over this track and trip and on similar ground in November and looks overpriced at around 14-1.

Sandown 2.35 While Kalif Du Berlais had just two rivals to beat in a handicap at Cheltenham last time, he was carrying top weight and posted a strong time so 7-2 could be generous in another small field.

Musselburgh 2.50 Derham’s string shows distinct signs of finding form after a difficult start to the winter campaign and course-and-distance winner Fidelio Vallis is interesting here with Alice Stevens – who has a 33% strike-rate for the stable – back in his saddle.

Sandown 3.07 Henri The Second has an excellent record at this track and can register a third course win.

Sandown 3.42 A hold-up running style makes it difficult for the handicapper to get to grips with O’Connell and even a 9lb rise for his latest success may not be enough to end his winning streak.