The Irish horse racing broadcaster offers up three selections for the best of the action at Down Royal and Leopardstown.
This year’s festive racing offering is just about as good as I can remember, on paper at least, and it will be a case of ‘action stations’ on Boxing Day – or St Stephen’s Day as us Irish know it – as we all try to keep track of everything going on.
The King George plus Lossiemouth v Constitution Hill at Kempton, and a domestic triple header should make for the perfect cure for any Christmas hangovers but an early winner to break the ice would be even better and I hope I’ve found one in the very first race on the packed schedule. A 2m4f maiden hurdle at Down Royal, due off at 11:40, heralds the start of a frantic day’s fare and I like the claims of IVYBROOK.
Henry de Bromhead’s Air Of Entitlement will be the choice of many here but the mare is penalised for her Cork bumper success, the form of which is nothing special, and lacks a recent run. It therefore makes sense to take her on and Dermot McLoughlin’s charge, in receipt of 1lb before his jockey’s 7lb allowance, is the solid alternative. The Authorized gelding shaped well on his hurdle debut when second to the long odds-on Romeo Coolio at today’s venue in early November, and jumped much better when not beaten far in a strong race at Fairyhouse last time. He was only just behind 2023 Cheltenham bumper winner A Dream To Share that day and if as effective over today’s longer journey should take all the beating.
Gordon Elliott dominates the Grade 1 Racing Post Long Distance Novice Chase at Leopardstown with three of the four runners and while Croke Park has already scored at the highest level in a tactical Drinmore Novice Chase it’s stable-companion BETTER DAYS AHEAD
13/8
I want to be with here.
A breakthrough Cheltenham Festival winner for owner Noel Moran’s Bective Stud and jockey Danny Gilligan in the Martin Pipe Conditionals Hurdle in March, he made a superb start to life over the larger obstacles when slamming Supreme Novice hero Slade Steel at Navan. Today’s step up in trip should suit this point-to-point winner even better and he rates a strong pick.
Later on the card there ONE LAST TANGO looks handicapped to strike in the 2m1f contest at 14:55. A gambled-on winner over hurdles at this meeting last year, this seven year-old has shaped well on several occasions since being sent chasing and certainly wasn’t given an overly hard time on his handicap bow at Clonmel last month. He creeps in at the foot of the weights here and has Charlie O’Dwyer taking 5lb off to boot.
As a big fan of Spillane’s Tower, I’m hoping he can overcome any ground concerns to land the King George for one of Irish racing’s great characters in Jimmy Mangan. However don’t rule out a big run from Envoi Allen, who has drifted out to a very big price and whose defeat in this a couple of years ago was simply too bad to be true.
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