Leopardstown and Limerick Monday Tips by Dave Stevos
Leopardstown and Limerick Monday Tips
We had a fairly decent afternoon on St Stephen’s Day on both sides of the Irish Sea. Jacamar got us off to a flier at Kempton at 14s. Master McShee then scored at Limerick, advised as the e/w NAP at 25s. Then came the piece de resistance in the King George with Tornado Flyer hacking up, advised ante-post at 33/1. Hopefully, we can get off the mark at Leopardstown on Monday. Check out Dave Stevos Leopardstown and Limerick Monday tips below.
1.10 Leopardstown – Paddy Rewards Club Chase (Grade 1)
The theme of small fields in Graded races continues at Leopardstown in this Grade 1. Just four of them will go to post and Chacun Pour Soi is odds on. Would I be backing him at odds on after Sandown? Not a hope. Yeah, he is a talented horse on his day but he has now tasted defeat in two of his last three starts. Those two reversals came in the UK and he admittedly has a much better record at Leopardstown. He should win, but he is rising 10 years old now and maybe we have seen the best of him.
Is there anything worth taking him on with? Envoi Allen has been extremely disappointing. His form, bar a facile win at Down Royal, is well off what is needed here. He fell at Cheltenham, was pulled up at Punchestown and this drop back in trip smacks of desperation. Battleoverdoyen is a stayer and he hasn’t won at 2 miles since landing a maiden hurdle in 2018.
Sizing Pottsie is best at this distance and he could be the biggest threat to the winner. He isn’t the most consistent of horses but when he gets it right, he is talented. There was nothing wrong with his comeback behind Energumene in Cork when he finished 3rd. He just got tired in the closing stages after making a mistake two out but he still got to within 10L of the winner. The softer the ground is, the better it’ll suit and at 20/1, a small win bet is advised.
Leopardstown and Limerick Monday Tips: Sizing Pottsie win @ 20/1
1.45 Leopardstown – Future Champions Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)
We backed Arctic Warrior last time out and he ran no sort of race. The 5yo son of Pastorious is kept at Grade 1 level by Willie Mullins so he must show him plenty of ability in his homework. Given his rating of 128, it looks like madness to be running here but surely he has more talent than he has shown the last twice. He can be very keen early in his races and perhaps the key will be to get him to settle and race more evenly.
Largy Debut burst the Kilcruit bubble last time out at Cork. That was only a maiden hurdle but he beat a solid horse and he might be up to this rise in class. Mighty Potter ran well on ground that was quick enough in the Royal Bond last time and the return to soft is a big plus for Elliott’s charge. Grangee gets a nice bit of weight from the boys and she has won her last two in impressive style.
Gordon Elliott also runs Three Stripe Life and he looks a decent price at 11/2. The son of Leading Light was 4th in the Champion Bumper (Grangee 6L behind) and he looked a very useful recruit to hurdling when winning by 6L in a maiden at Fairyhouse. That form isn’t that strong but he could only beat what was in front of him. He likes cut in the ground, he is totally unexposed and at odds of 11/2, he is worth backing for the win. If Arctic Warrior settles, he could be one to back in running at big odds.
Leopardstown and Limerick Monday Tips: Three Stripe Life win @ 11/2
2.05 Limerick – Novice Hurdle (Grade 2)
Eric Bloodaxe is the market leader here for Joseph and Bryan Cooper. He has solid form in the book already at this level. He had decent bumper form, winning twice. The son of Saint Des Saints got his hurdling career off to the perfect start at Naas (19f yld/sft). He then chased home Ginto in a Navan G2 last time out. However, he has never tackled this distance. More importantly, he has yet to race on ground as testing as it will be at Limerick. Will he handle the conditions? Maybe, but at 9/4 he is too short for my liking.
Humble Glory, on the other hand, has won on heavy. However, that was over just 18f in a bumper (Angels Dawn 2nd). I’m not sure about the suitability of today’s trip for him on bottomless ground. Peter Fahey’s horse, Freedom To Dream, has ground concerns too. Brampton Belle steps up in class after a comfortable maiden win at Tramore (21f sft). She is only 7/1 and that looks skinny enough given her achievements to date.
Proven On Heavy
Angels Dawn has already been beaten by two of these but she could exact revenge in these conditions. Sam Curling’s daughter of Yeats ran a huge race on her sole try at 24f on heavy when going down narrowly in a G3 at Navan. Unlike the majority of these she is proven in the prevailing conditions and that could count for a lot.
However, the one I’ll be backing is Barnacullia. Mick Mulvany’s son of Ocovango beat a subsequent Cheltenham handicap winner in a 16f Novice on his last heavy ground start. Last time at Navan on quicker ground he ran a huge race in a G3 behind Hollow Games. On pedigree, this trip will suit and he is proven on today’s ground. At odds of 10/1, Barnacullia is the each way selection.
Leopardstown and Limerick Monday Tips: Barnacullia e/w @ 10/1 NB
2.20 Leopardstown – Handicap Hurdle (0-145)
This looks a wide open heat and I am going to take a punt on the outsider, Future Proof. Formerly trained by Noel Meade, he is now in the care of Philip Rothwell. The 6yo son of Dream Ahead ran a stinker on stable debut at Clonmel but he was never likely to be suited by 20f. Two miles is his optimum trip over timber and I am hoping the return to that distance and this track help spark him back to form.
This horse has won just once over hurdles, a Gowran maiden last year (16f sft/hvy). He has run some nice races in handicap company, including a decent 3rd on his final start for Meade at Down Royal. That came off 123 and he is in off the same mark here. Future Proof ran in this race last year and he was just moving into contention after the third last when he was badly hampered and lost all momentum. He could only manage 10th but with a clear run, he might have hit the frame.
Rothwell’s charge has a good record at this track on the level. His form figures on soft or worse read 1231 and if he is going to win a handicap hurdle, chances are it will be here. The booking of Sean Flanagan is a big plus as he knows this horse well. He has been placed multiple times on him and hopefully he can do the same again today. At odds of 40/1, a small each way bet on Future Proof is advised.
Leopardstown and Limerick Monday Tips: Future Proof e/w @ 40/1 (5 Places)
2.55 Leopardstown – Paddy Power Chase (Grade B)
Last up from Leopardstown is the Grade B Paddy Power Chase. A huge field of 27 will go to post and finding the winner won’t be easy. Off a mark of just 133, Champagne Platinum looks handicapped to run big here for Bolger and O’Regan. This fella looked to have the racing world at his feet after two impressive wins on his first two start under rules. However, he has yet to get back into the winner’s enclosure since and JP has moved him from Nicky Henderson’s to Enda Bolger’s.
He had his first start for his new yard over 2 miles on heavy at Wexford. That was never likely to play to his strengths and he was well beaten. If he strips fitter for that and comes back to the form he showed on two of his last three runs for Henderson, he has more than enough ability to run well off a mark of 133. He finished 7th off 138 in a handicap chase at Cheltenham in 2020 and last year, he ran a cracker in a handicap hurdle behind Mrs Milner off 139.
If Bolger can sort this son of Stowaway’s jumping out, he has a very well treated horse on his hands. No doubt the first-time blinkers have been applied to help in that department and the quiet style of Denis O’Regan should be well suited to this horse. Soft ground is fine, so is the trip and if he produces what he is capable of, Champagne Platinum could hit the frame at odds of 20/1.
