Leopardstown Christmas Festival

Looking forward to seeing how Sports Line gets on against some potential top-notchers in that Grade 1 novice. Also, will be interesting to see what Willie has planned for Beroni and Our Monty. I presume both aren't Chepstow bound looking at their multiple entries.
 
What will make the pace in the December Festival Hurdle?

Looking through the entries, I can't see anything that particularly wants to go on - could this make Solwhit vulnerable again?
 
Galileo said:
Mullins suggested Sportsline might miss Stephens Day as he is a tricky ride and he wanted Ruby for him.
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Sports Line looked as straightforward a first-time-out novice chaser as you could hope for at Navan. Jumped straight and true all the way round, and did it on the bridle. Townend is a great jock anyway, so not sure what WPM is worried about.
 
Galileo said:
Think Murphy would be mad not to run his mare in this.
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Colm Murphy is leaning towards taking the easier option with Voler La Vedette as he prepares his star mare for an outing at Leopardstown next Tuesday.

The five-year-old is unbeaten in her last three starts over obstacles and was very impressive in blowing away Go Native by 13 lengths at Down Royal last month.

Following the defection of the injured Hurricane Fly, Voler La Vedette is as short as 3-1 for the Leopardstown Golf Centre December Festival Hurdle, but at this stage Murphy prefers the ITBA Fillies Scheme European Breeders Fund Mares Hurdle on the same card.

"She worked nicely and we're just going to keep our options open regarding which race she goes for on Tuesday," said Murphy.

"The big one is still a possible with Hurricane Fly coming out and if one or two of the other principals don't turn up, we'll definitely look at it.

"At the moment, we are favouring the mares' race but there has been no definite decision."
http://www.goracing.ie/Content/HRI/hrinewspa.aspx?id=A45325841261488103A
 
So, he beats the Supreme Novices winner and subsequent winner of the Fighting Fifth and is afraid to take on the main Grade 1?? Makes no sense whatsoever...
 
I might be totally off-base on this but I remember hearing from someone that Grade 1 winners aren't eligible for the Nicholson Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham.

If true, would imagine that has at least something to do with it.

Anyone?
 
Found this on the Race Conditions

The David Nicholson Mares Hurdle (4:40pm) is a Grade 2 hurdle run over run over two miles and about four and a half furlongs. It is open to mares only, aged five and above.

So not sure Trackside
 
trackside528 said:
I might be totally off-base on this but I remember hearing from someone that Grade 1 winners aren't eligible for the Nicholson Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham.

If true, would imagine that has at least something to do with it.

Anyone?
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ya as far as i know this is true, well, no grade 1 winners have ran so far in it
 
neo05 said:
ya as far as i know this is true, well, no grade 1 winners have ran so far in it
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There is, thankfully, no such thing as a Grade 1 race for mares in the Jumps Pattern. However, should any mare be able to win a G1 against open competition, there can be no indigenous rule restricting them from running in any specific G2. The question of course would be, if you had a mare demonstrably able to win in top company against the boys, why would you bother running in a lesser event against her own?
 
One of my favourite cards of the year; unfortunately haven't had the time to go through it in the same depth as previous years.

Rite Of Passage looks solid in the opening 2m2f maiden hurdle (looks the weaker of the two races), albeit at a very short price.

I was hoping to take Universal Truth on in the other maiden hurdle, but 11/4 looks a surprisingly fair price. Mr. Cracker caught my eye when finally looking as though he was getting his act together in a decent conditions hurdle at Naas. If he can build on that effort ( thesteady pace wouldn't have helped that day), he may well go close here. Oscar Close's Gowran second to Roi Du Mee looks decent form in the context of this race, and he looks over-priced at 9's (likely to drift on Betfair as well).

Handicap hurdle looks a minefield, but both Lastoftheleaders and Colm Murphy's Bobs Display have ideal profiles for the race. The Murphy horse can be given a solid chance on his penultimate second to Clan Music at Punchestown and looks to have scope for further improvement if her last effort can be excused. Rates a decent enough E/W bet for me.

In the similarly fiendish handicap chase, the ground looks paramount. I'm convinced Fantoche is capable of landing a decent prize off his current mark on good ground ~ one to bear in mind when he gets his conditions I reckon. I have a feeling they will go off like shit off a shovel, which might just set it up for something to come from well off the pace. Rock Street is a horse I've followed off cliffs in the past but he has something to prove going left-handed. The only thing I'm sure of is that Frontier Lady is too short in the market. Place lay material IMO.

I'll be looking to lay Sizing Europe in running whilst Alaivan looks something of a good thing in the juvenile hurdle.

In the big race of the day Toor Brook Honours looks a big price having made the well-touted Sizing Mexico pull out all the stops on his debut at Fairyhouse. 17.5 on Betfair looks too big.
 
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Kitty Hawk Miss is a pretty interesting runner in the next maiden hurdle at Leopardstown - a rare Jim Bolger hurdler.
 
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