Leopardstown Racing Festival Saturday: Dave Stevos
Leopardstown Racing Festival Saturday Tips
The weather in the UK means that two of the three big meetings are under threat. Morning inspections have been called at Sandown and Wetherby but at least Musselburgh should go ahead. Leopardstown faces no such problems with the two-day Dublin Racing Festival due to start on Saturday. The ground is yielding to soft on the chase course and soft on the hurdles course. We have four Grade 1s and a couple of top quality handicaps to get stuck into on Day 1. Check out Dave Stevos’ Leopardstown Racing Festival Saturday tips below…
1.05: Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)
First up on a superb day of racing at Leopardstown on Saturday is this Grade 1, 22f Novices’ Hurdle. A field of 13 are due to go to post and you could genuinely make a decent case for 10 or 11 of them. The favourite Gaillard Du Mensil holds obvious claims following his wide margin maiden hurdle win here over Xmas (20f sft). Visually it was a very taking performance and he should have no issues tackling this extra 2 furlongs. He does look short enough at around 15/8 though. At the prices, I think Fakiera could go well for each way players.
This 6yo son of Cokoriko should relish stepping up in distance from 20f. He was 6L behind Ashdale Bob when they met in a Grade 2 at Navan (20f sft/hvy). Fakiera got outpaced half a mile from home but he finished strongly, just like he did when winning over the same C&D on his previous start. I think this new distance is really going to suit him and it should, along with the first time cheekpieces, help him to travel better.
Fakiera is entered up in the Ballymore (21f) and Albert Bartlett (24f) at Cheltenham. How he runs in today’s race will determine his target and I reckon the latter race would be more suitable for him. Gordon Elliott’s charge is 3lb better off with Ashdale Bob than when they met at Navan. That, along with the extra distance, should enable him to get much closer to that rival. He has run well on his two previous visits to Leopardstown and at odds of 12/1 he could sneak into the frame.
Leopardstown Racing Festival Saturday: Fakiera e/w @ 12/1 NB (5 Places W Hill)
1.35 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase (Grade 1)
All eyes will be on Champion Chase favourite Chacun Pour Soi in this 17.5f Grade 1. He is 4/9 for Saturday’s race and 11/10 for Cheltenham. The son of Policy Maker will be looking to make it 7 wins from 8 starts since joining Willie Mullins from France. He has looked as good as ever so far this season, winning easily at Cork and then at Leopardstown at Xmas. The drying ground is in his favour, Paul Townend has picked him over Min and it is hard to see him getting beat.
Min looks to be the biggest threat and he will be partnered by Patrick Mullins. Now a 10yo, the son of Walk In The Park has been a superstar for connections. He landed his 7th Grade 1 when beating Tornado Flyer at Punchestown on his sole start this season. However, he was nearly 4L behind Chacun Pour Soi when they met in this race last year. If the favourite is at his best it will be tough for Min to turn that form around. However, you can be sure he will give his running and he won’t be far away.
Notebook has 6.5L to find with the jolly on their meeting over Xmas. Henry De Bromhead’s charge likes it at Leopardstown as his form figures of 112 at the track illustrate. He will appreciate the conditions but I am not sure he is quite up to the level of the two at the top of the market. Tornado Flyer may not appreciate the drop back in trip while Sizing Pottsie has questions to answer after a tired tumble last time out. This isn’t a betting race for me and I’ll just be watching with a view to Cheltenham.
Leopardstown Racing Festival Saturday: No Bet
2.10 Irish Arkle Novice Chase (Grade 1)
The betting suggests that Energumene is going to be very difficult to beat in this 17f Grade 1. Willie Mullins looks to have another very talented 2 mile chaser on his hands in this 7yo son of Denham Red. He is already rated 159 over fences after commanding wins at Gowran (20f hvy) and Naas (16f hvy) and he looks more than ready for the step up in class. However, this is undeniably the toughest test of his career to date. At the prices, I’d rather look elsewhere for a bet.
The one I like for each way purposes is Darver Star for Gavin Cromwell and Jonathan Moore. We were on this fella at Xmas when he chased home Franco De Port. He has to find 4.5L with that rival but I don’t think Darver Star showed his full potential that day. Felix Desjy set a fairly searching pace and Moore used up a lot of petrol to chase him down around 7f from home. Bryan Cooper was happy to wait with his mount in rear and the way the race unfolded really suited his horse.
The big effort that Darver Star made mid-race turned out to be very costly and he didn’t finish off as strongly as he usually does. Felix Desjy is likely to set a similar sort of pace on Saturday and Energumene made all last time out so it is likely to be a very strongly run affair again. If Jonathan Moore can wait until the final 3 furlongs to make his move on Darver Star I think he is capable of going very close in this race. At odds of 12/1 he is the each way pick.
Leopardstown Racing Festival Saturday: Darver Star e/w @ 12/1
2.45 Handicap Chase (Grade B)
A maximum field of 20 horse have been declared for this ultra-competitive 17.5f handicap chase. The one I’ll be taking a punt on at huge odds is Kildorrery for Ted Walsh and Conor McNamara. This horse isn’t the easiest to win with but he is a talented sort on his day. He comes into the race off a mark of 130, 3lb lower than he was when beaten just 4.5L in this contest in 2019 as a 6yo. With his jockey’s 5lb claim he is effectively 8lb lower today.
He shaped much better than the result suggests last time at Fairyhouse off 134. Just like with Darver Star, his jockey made his move far too early and after travelling into the race really well he ultimately finished very weakly. He will be held up in rear and as is the case with horses with his running style, luck and a clear passage will be needed. However, the drying ground will suit him, he has solid course form in the book and he is feasibly handicapped. With 6 places on offer from SkyBet, Kildorrery is the each way selection at 28/1.
Leopardstown Racing Festival Saturday: Kildorrery e/w @ 28/1 (6 Places SkyBet)
3.15 Irish Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)
The feature race at Leopardstown is the Irish Champion Hurdle. Honeysuckle added her name to an illustrious list of previous winners last year and she is back to defend her crown. This mare is a winning machine and she has yet to taste defeat in 9 starts under rules. She is effective from 16f to 20f and she scored at the latter distance last time out at Fairyhouse. Henry De Bromhead’s star was all out to hold off the late challenge of Ronald Pump and dropping back to 16f shouldn’t inconvenience the 7yo daughter of Sulamani.
The bare form of that last win doesn’t jump off the page in the context of this race. She was getting 7lb from the runner up and Beacon Edge, who was a close 3rd, didn’t do much for the form on his next outing. In fairness to Honeysuckle she only ever seems to do enough to win and she has won her last three races by a combined distance of just 1.5L.
Can Sharjah Back Up His Xmas Run?
Sharjah is rated 5lb superior to Honeysuckle but he has to concede 7lb to her. He was fancied by many to put it right up to her in this race last season but he was 11L back in 6th. However, he produced what was arguably a career best when beating Aspire Tower here last time out and a repeat of that would see him go very close. He isn’t one to bank on though as he has never been the most consistent of horses.
The one that looks a shade overpriced is Abacadabras for Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy. He flopped last time out but he wasn’t right. The son of Davidoff ran a huge race at Cheltenham when beat a head behind Shishkin. He also won a Grade 1 novice hurdle over C&D in 2019. A repeat of that would surely put him in the shake up here and I think the bookies have overreacted to his last run. 9/1 looks a big price for a horse with his ability and at those odds an each way interest in Abacadabras is advised.
Leopardstown Racing Festival Saturday: Abacadabras e/w @ 9/1
3.50 Handicap Hurdle (Grade B)
The last race I’ll be looking at from Leopardstown is this 16f handicap hurdle. With 24 runners it is clearly going to be a tough puzzle to solve. However, I strongly fancy one to run a massive race at very tempting odds. Long time followers of my tips will remember me putting up Golden Jewel for this race last season. He ran a cracking race for us at odds of 33/1 to grab 2nd and with a clearer run he would have won. We were also on him on his previous start, also at Leopardstown, at the Xmas meeting. He again ran a blinder on that occasion to finish 3rd at 33/1.
The bookies have chalked Eddie Cawley’s charge up at 25/1, far too big a price in my view. Okay, he is 8lb higher than when an unlucky 2nd last year. But, the form of that race looks very strong and I think he is more than capable of making an impact off his current rating. He was beat just 1L off 127 at Down Royal two runs back and he was only out to stretch his legs when beat in a chase at Clonmel back in December.
Given his last two runs in handicap hurdles at this track, Eddie Cawley has likely laid out this horse for this race. The soft ground is perfect for the son of Brian Boru. Chris Timmons’ 3lb claim means he carries a nice low racing weight. It is hard to believe this horse is winless since May 2018 and he deserves to get his head in front. Hopefully today is the day for Golden Jewel and at odds of 25/1 he is the e/w NAP of the day.
