Trainer Willie Mullins won the opening race of this years Dublin Racing Festival but not with the horse most punters would have expected. Given his huge strength in depth, stable second and third strings always deserve maximum respect and so it proved once again, as 16/1 outsider Dancing City stayed on powerfully to beat evens favourite Predators Gold in the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacey & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Danny Mullins led early on the seven-year-old gelding who was taking a huge step up in grade having only won his maiden hurdle at Navan just before Christmas. However, as Jetara moved closer to dispute after the fourth flight, Mullins was content to give up the lead and drop his mount back into mid division.

Settling and travelling nicely off the pace, Dancing City was produced with a well timed challenge to press Jetara entering the straight, leading on the run to the final flight. Stablemate Predators Gold emerged from the pack to throw down a strong bid on the run to the last but couldn't get by the eventual winner who ground it out to win by a length-and-a-quarter.

"The plan was to jump out and make it," said Danny Mullins. "Rachael wanted to ensure a stronger gallop, so a little bit of Plan B at halfway but the horse was there when I wanted him at the finish."

"When you are riding for Willie if something happens and you need to adjust to improve your chances of winning, you do that and more often than not(it works). I think I might have been the outsider of the field and he pops up and wins a Grade 1."

Winning trainer Willie Mullins said: "It was great, I thought the extra trip would suit him.

“Danny was good on him again, he always just pops up when you least think it!

“I thought Predators Gold might win the race but Paul said he was doing a little too much throughout.

“That ground is a lot softer than we thought it would be. I think that suited Dancing City more.

“The point-to-point experience he had let him settle more, he spat out the bit early on whereas Paul's fella was too keen, we ran him over two miles at Christmas and that made him a little keen for this — going up in trip.

“I think he (the winner) looks ready made for the Albert Bartlett, he has the experience, he goes the trip and he'll handle the ground. That's where we hope he'll go.

“It was a good performance, he's improving and on the up.

“Predators Gold looks more like a Ballymore horse.

“I was disappointed with Loughglynn and I Will Be Baie just couldn't handle the ground. Loughglynn didn't jump early on and got worse as the race went on, that was a big disappointment.

“I'm here to find out as well, we think we know but If we did know we'd probably all be driving bigger cars!”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson.

Paddy Powers went 9/1(from 25/1) Dancing City for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle NRNB and 10/1(from 25/1) Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle.