IT IS a huge weekend of national hunt racing with the Leopardstown Festival and for most Irish runners a final chance to see if they are true Cheltenham Festival material.

The big race over the two days is the Irish Gold Cup (Sunday, 3.40) with a small, but select, field of just five and MINELLA INDO trying to put his fall in the Savills Chase behind him.

It may not be last chance saloon for the Henry De Bromhead runner to prove his Gold Cup worth, but he certainly needs a convincing victory to keep himself in the first half dozen in the betting and a wet week will certainly have played in his favour and be against Kemboy.

The biggest danger is likely to come from last year’s hero Delta Work, a length and a half winner from the Mullins’ charge last year, and another who came to grief in the Christmas feature.

To my eyes he is a stayer that can’t win a Cheltenham Gold Cup as his jumping at speed on much better ground is simply not good enough and this is his best chance of Grade One success this season over a course and distance that quite obviously suit him.

Also on Sunday, I fancy that APPRECIATE IT will maintain his 100 per cent record over timber when he contests the Grade One Chanlle Pharma Novice Hurdle at 2.10.

He should once again take care of Irascible, Keskonrisk and Ballyadam, second, third and fourth behind the Mullins’ charge in the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle over the course and distance last back end with his relentless galloping style. I actually think an extra half mile will see him really come into his own, but his high cruising style makes him a highly effective young hurdler over the minimum trip.

He is going to start a rather restrictive price though and a better value bet on the second afternoon of the weekend could well be UNEXPECTED DEPTH in the three-mile handicap hurdle due off at 2.40.

This is going to be a real slog in the deep ground and the selection should relish the challenge having won over three miles at Punchestown on his seasonal debut and followed up with a third of 20 behind Dandy Mag when he possibly went for home too early. I suspect that his partner will try and hold him up for a wee bit longer.

As far as this afternoon’s card is concerned at the Dublin track, Chacun Pour Soi will go off at short odds to land the feature Dublin Chase over an extended two miles, at 1.35, but I think the value bet could be TORNADO FLYER at around the 25/1 mark.

He ran well when a close up second to Min, re opposes here, in the John Durkin and granted a pace to run at here he could well upset his rivals.

Earlier on, at around the 10/1 marker, ASHDALE BOB can bounce back from an unfortunate early fall in the Lawlor’s Naas Novice Hurdle last time out in the two-and-three-quarter mile Grade One novice event at 1.05. He possibly has most to fear from the likely Willie Mullins string Stattler who was hugely impressive in winning over a shade shorter last time out here.

Further down the card, have a second look at PONT AVEN in the two-mile handicap chase at 2.45. He has finally found his mojo over fences and has the hood on for the first time to eek out a bit more improvement under Danny Mullins.

Back on the mainland, the rearranged Cleeve Hurdle (Wetherby, 1.58) should go to MAIN FACT who for some reason didn’t really fire at Ascot last time out. Perhaps he just needed this short break to recharge his batteries following a busy time both on the flat and over hurdles and the more rain that falls the better his chance will be.

I am going to oppose The Big Breakaway in the Grade Two Towton Novices Chase at 2.35. He will certainly be more at home going back left handed after back to back defeats at Exeter and Kempton Park, but still didn’t look a natural chaser on both those runs and HURRICANE HARVEY could have his number here.

The selection only just does enough in his races and is another best going this way around following a heavy defeat at Wincanton two outings back.

At Sandown Park, the rearranged Cotswold Chase (2.20) could see the evergreen and ultra game YALA ENKI (nb) gallop his rivals into submission. He will relish conditions at the Esher track and can see off Bristol de Mai (better going the other way around) and Santini who without doubt is a much better chaser jumping off a quicker surface.

The extended three mile handicap chase at 3.30 looks wide open where stamina will certainly be at a premium. Ask Me Early is on a hat-trick, but he is up in the weights and in class and may well have to give second best to A TOI PHIL who looks very nicely weighted off a mark of 138.

The selection was a regular winner in Grade Three and Grade Two company in Ireland and shaped well on his debut for Gary Moore last time out at Kempton Park over track and trip very much on the sharp side for him.

On the all-weather I shall be having a couple of wagers on MUMS TIPPLE (Lingfield, 1.11) and CASHEL (nap) in the Kempton Park 5.55.

The former comes back following a long break after a hugely disappointing second season for Richard Hannon. But the fact that he is persevering with the four-year-old says plenty, while Cashel is finally returning to form and all his best runs on sand have come over this course and distance.

SUNDAY’S DOUBLE:-

BRANDY LOVE — 4.40 LEOPARDSTOWN (NAP)

appreciate it — 2.10 leopardstown