2023 Leopardstown Stephen’s Day Preview & Tips – DS
2023 Leopardstown Stephen’s Day Tips
Dave Stevos has also previewed the best of the UK Boxing Day action, check that out here. His 2023 Leopardstown Stephen’s Day Tips are below.
1.10 – Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2)
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, especially for racing fans. In the preceding maiden I was considering putting up Doctor Glide e/w but he is now too short. It has been a long time since Jim Dreaper has had a good horse to go to war with and I thought his debut effort at Fairyhouse in a traditionally hot maiden was full of promise. I think he’ll run a big race and if you can get 16s or bigger on the day, he is worth backing e/w.
In this Grade 2 for the Juveniles twelve will run and it looks a tricky puzzle. We landed e/w money with Eagle Fang at Fairyhouse three weeks ago but it was a remote third behind Nurburgring and Kala Conti.
Those two re-oppose here and I’m surprised to see that Kala Conti is considerably shorter. Nurburgring looked to have plenty left up his sleeve at the finish and a 5lb swing in the weights might not stop him confirming that form.
Lack Runs
Willie Mullins runs five here and four of them lack a recent run. I know he is capable of getting them fit first time out but even so, this is a tough race to be having a first run back in. Mighty Bandit is the 5/4 fav for Elliott and Jack Kennedy abandons Kala Conti to ride. The form of his maiden hurdle win at Punchestown has worked out well and he’s undoubtedly an exciting prospect.
However, this is still a tough ask on just his second start and I’m going to instead take another chance on Eagle Fang. The fact that local trainer William Durkan now applies cheekpieces suggests that he didn’t put it all in at Fairyhouse and they could elicit a big chunk of improvement.
It’ll be interesting to see whether going left handed suits too. All three of his starts have come going the other way so that’s another potential source of improvement, as is this slightly better ground. Maybe he’s just not up to this level but it is still early days for him so at odds of 80/1, a small e/w interest on Eagle Fang is advised.
2023 Leopardstown Stephen’s Day Tip: Eagle Fang e/w @ 80/1
1.45 – Novice Handicap Hurdle (4yo+)
I’m extremely conflicted about my selection for this race. Since putting him up for his second maiden start, I’ve been waiting for Ataboycharlie to make the move into handicap company. After an exceedingly eye-catching run at Fairyhouse on this third outing the handicapper awarded him a mark of just 111. On his debut run behind Waterford Whispers, he could be chucked in.
He was only 1.5L behind him at Galway and he won a decent novice impressively at Fairyhouse next time and he is rated 123. The third and fourth from that race have run well in maiden hurdles since so it isn’t bad form. You can put a line through Ataboycharlie’s last two starts because his mission was to get a handicap mark.
So why am I conflicted? Well, previous experience has taught me that backing handicap debutants is a surefire route to the poorhouse. Now, there is the odd exception of course and the fact that this son of Make Believe has already placed in a maiden increases the chances that he’ll be let run on his merits. I firmly believe that this is at least a 130+ horse in the making so I simply can’t let him go unbacked. Eddie Cawley has been in great form so at odds of 16/1, Ataboycharlie is the e/w selection.
2023 Leopardstown Stephen’s Day Tip: Ataboycharlie e/w @ 16/1 (6 places) NB
2.20 – Racing Post Novice Chase (Grade 1)
Meh. Four runners and a 1/3 Willie Mullins hotpot. Facile Vega didn’t jump great on his chasing debut and that would have to be a worry for anyone considering lumping on at skinny odds.
Drying ground will suit Sharjah and he is still capable of producing top class form on his day. The same sentiment applies to My Mate Mozzie, an easy winner at Cheltenham last time out. Found A Fifty was beaten over 20f last time and he was 24L behind Facile Vega over hurdles.
Not a race I’ll be getting involved in. No bet.
2023 Leopardstown Stephen’s Day Tip: No Bet
2.55 – Handicap Chase (4yo+)
If Cayd Boy is in the same form as when a good fourth in a Grade B handicap at Fairyhouse last December he is extremely dangerously handicapped off 128 today. He was beat 4L in that race off 135 but he has failed to fire in five runs since.
His two runs this season haven’t been very encouraging. He was beaten 39L over fences at Cork (17f yld) in October then 13 days later he was beaten even further off 132 over hurdles at Galway (22f sft).
I am hoping that the return to a left handed track might spark a return to form. His only good run since that Fairyhouse effort came going left handed at Tipperary (17f gd/yld) where he finished 3rd, 6l behind the winner I Connect.
Overall, Cayd Boy has form figures of 223 going left handed over fences. Going right handed, his form figures read 345P9. He has never run at Leopardstown before so it remains to be seen if the track suits but there is no reason why it shouldn’t. Mark Walsh is up, trip and ground should be fine so at odds of 12/1, Cayd Boy is the e/w selection.
