Dublin Racing Festival: Johnny Ward's tips for day one

Make sure you check out the On The Wire Dublin Racing Festival podcast for vibrant chat about two spectacular days' racing.

And welcome to the many British racegoers - and even the odd British runner - over the weekend. With the Six Nations commencing, it's a great weekend for sports fans.

One of them, JP McManus, has at least two big contenders today. Be lucky.

2.30 Leopardstown: Saint Roi

It will clearly be a difficult task for Saint Roi here but, given he failed to place in all hurdling starts (tough tasks) at Leopardstown, it was encouraging how easily he won on his first go at the chase track here at Christmas.

He's one of a scatter of really talented horses in this and his appeal is two-fold: his price each-way and the likely strong pace in the race, which he will sit off under the returning Mark Walsh.

4.10 Leopardstown: Get My Drift

Mouse Morris' only runner on the card bids to maintain the stable's fine form.

Morris has enjoyed a winner, two seconds and a third from his last five runners to have completed and Get My Drift is a course maiden hurdle winner who since ran a blinder here off a higher mark than he has here.

He's a supeb jumper of a fence and the headgear is notable. He is really hard to oppose.