Marten Julian’s Weekly Roundup 3 February 2026
February 9th, 2026 | Marten's Perspective
The Dublin Racing Festival eventually got under way on Sunday, thanks in no small part to the extraordinary drainage system at Leopardstown. Few courses could have handled that degree of rainfall and it will be interesting to see, notably at Cheltenham, how the horses that ran last weekend respond to their exertions.
There were eight Grade 1 races over the two days but the horse that dominated my mind, following quiet reflection last night, was a runner-up.
The race in question was the Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle on Monday, won in impressive style by Narciso Has, who is now a top price of 7/4 … only 11/10 with Paddy Power … for the Triumph Hurdle.
In my view the performance of Selma De Vary was eye-catching, as much for how she managed to finish second having shown such obvious signs of inexperience.
Held up in last, she was on the keen side throughout but jumped efficiently, even though she spent a little longer in the air than ideal.
She was awkward at the third-last but, leaving the back straight and approaching the next flight, she displayed an eye-catching turn of foot to move effortlessly into third, within a couple of lengths of the two market leaders.
Turning for home she looked a possible threat but she then started to look about her and she lost momentum with an awkward jump at the last, only to then stay on strongly again to beat the very useful Mange Tout for second, four and a half lengths behind the winner.
I can’t recall when I last saw a juvenile hurdler show the gears that this daughter of Zarak produced approaching the second-last, especially when you consider how keen she had been for much of the race.
In France she had finished mid-division in two AW maidens, at two and three, on the Flat at Deauville before finishing second to a subsequent Grade 2 winner on her hurdling debut last March and then fifth to a dual-Grade 3 winner in May, before she won a conditions hurdle in heavy ground at Auteuil in November.
After Monday’s race Willie Mullins said the filly had “missed a lot of time” and would improve a good deal for the run, adding she had “a big future.”
This exciting prospect has an entry in the Triumph Hurdle and we know from last year that the trainer has no qualms about running an inexperienced horse in the race.
At a top price of 8/1 the bookmakers are not taking any chances, but I will be both disappointed and surprised if this filly does not become a top-class performer. That turn of foot, if produced at the right time, could prove lethal.
It’s a big day at Newbury on Saturday with the Denman Chase, Game Spirit Chase and the competitive William Hill Hurdle.
Bye for now
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