Hi all,
There’s no ITV Racing on Sunday, but the Leopardstown and Limerick Christmas Festival’s continue with yet more high-class action.
Leopardstown’s highlights are the Grade 1 Savills Chase and the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle, while Limerick stages the Grade 1 Faugheen Novice Chase.
Christmas Sunday
This year’s Savills Chase (2.30) could be one of the races of the festive period. Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin takes on dual Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs. The latter has won this race for the past two years but lacks a recent run this time. Fastorslow, third in the John Durkan on his return, should come on for that outing, while Gerri Colombe, runner-up to Galopin Des Champs in the 2024 Gold Cup, returns from a 421-day absence. Throw in Grade 1-winning novice Champ Kiely and it has all the ingredients of a Christmas cracker.
The Christmas Hurdle (1.55) is the other Grade 1 on the card and sees Stayers’ Hurdle favourite Ballyburn clash once again with Teahupoo, who had the upper hand in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle.
At Limerick, the Grade 1 Faugheen Novice Chase (1.40) also promises plenty, with the exciting Final Demand heading the betting ahead of similarly talented stablemate Jimmy Du Seuil.
Add in a competitive Tim Duggan Memorial Handicap Chase (Listed) (2.15) and it looks a strong afternoon of racing.
Here’s my look at Sunday’s three Grade 1’s.
Leopardstown
1:55 – Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2m7½f
Ballyburn was beaten a nose by Teahupoo in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse last time. It’s hard to split them again, although Teahupoo looks the slightly better value at 2/1.
The Yellow Clay, a stablemate of Teahupoo, was a high-class novice last season. He should strip fitter for his Navan reappearance and will appreciate the drying ground. He’s unexposed over staying trips and looks the most likely to trouble the front two in the betting.
2:30 – Savills Chase (Grade 1) – 3m½f
Galopin Des Champs bids for a hat-trick in the race but lacks a recent run. If you knew he was fully tuned up, 2/1 would look an excellent price.
Inothewayurthinkin should step forward from his John Durkan return, but three miles is still on the sharp side for him. Around Leopardstown at this trip, I don’t see him beating a race-fit Galopin Des Champs.
At bigger odds, Champ Kiely makes appeal. He was narrowly beaten by Arkle runner-up Only By Night in a thrilling finish to the Grade 3 Barberstown Castle Chase (2m) on his seasonal return. Given he won a Grade 1 novice chase over 3m1f at Punchestown last spring, that was a strong effort over a trip short of his best. Harry Cobden comes over for the ride. At 16/1, Champ Kiely looks solid each-way value.
Verdict: If he's fit, Galopin Des Champs can become only the second horse to win the race three times. Stablemate Champ Kiely can get into the frame in yet another mouthwatering contest.
Limerick
1:40 – Faugheen Novice Chase (Grade 1) – 2m5f
Just four runners here and the focus really centres on two of them: Final Demand and his stablemate Jimmy Du Seuil.
Dual Grade 1 winning novice hurdler Final Demand made a hugely impressive chase debut when a comfortable winner of a Navan beginners’ chase (2m4½f) last month. The 6yo was always expected to be better over fences than hurdles, but few would have anticipated such an assured jumping display. I’d go as far as to say it was the best debut novice chase performance I’ve seen in years.
Jimmy Du Seuil, a useful hurdler in his own right, won a beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse on his first start over fences. He jumped soundly when making all and remains open to further improvement over the larger obstacles.
The top-class racing hasn’t finished yet. On Monday there’s another two further Grade 1s — the December Hurdle (2:32) at Leopardstown and the Challow Hurdle (3:00) at Newbury. ITV Racing will cover four races from Newbury, two from Doncaster, one from Kelso, plus the December Hurdle.
Good luck with your Sunday bets.
John