Both Leopardstown and Limerick serve up terrific cards on Thursday. We preview the big races and provide our top tips.
Leopardstown
13:50 Leopardstown
Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo+, 3m, Class 1, 8 runners)
Vroum Vroum Mag will have been licking her wounds, since tasting defeat for the first time at the hands of Apple’s Jade at Fairyhouse. Patrick Mullins believes that she can bounce back at the first attempt, though.
“We think she’s come on for the run in Fairyhouse and we’re hoping she can get back to winning ways.”
Noel Meade’s Snow Falcon is another that’s had to pick himself up and dust himself down, after falling 3 from home when going well in the G2 Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury. Previously, the 6-year-old had impressed, when winning the G2 Lismullen Hurdle at Navan and beating both De Plotting Shed and Shaneshill.
Clondaw Warrior won comfortably at Clonmel, but this is a much bigger test. Can the Overbury-sired gelding show the ability that saw him win the Galway Hurdle Handicap, in July?
Betting Tip: Vroum Vroum Mag (3 Points Win)
15:00 Leopardstown
Lexus Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+, 3m, Class 1, 14 runners)
Don Poli is back to try and win this race again, but it’s hard to see another labouring performance from the Poliglote gelding being enough to land the spoils this time around and stablemate Outlander looks to be Gordon Elliott’s most serious contender.
He’s a Grade 1 winner, but has got into the habit of finishing runner-up and that may well be the best he can hope for, with both Djakadam and Valseur Lido taking part.
Djakadam was too good for Outlander in the John Durkan and connections can have few complaints as Davy Russell gave him every chance.
It’s Valseur Lido who gets the nod, however. An 11-length defeat of the veteran Silviniaco Conti was franked in the King George on Boxing Day, when Conti finished just a short-head behind Cue Card and only 3.5 lengths away from the outstanding Thistlecrack.
The 7-year-old only found the sadly-departed Vautour too good, in the Ryanair and a huge campaign is expected from him.
Betting Tip: Valseur Lido (2 Points Win)
Limerick
14:15 Limerick
Irish Independent Hurdle (Listed) (4yo, 2m, Class 1, 5 runners)
Limerick’s feature race will certainly be overshadowed by the 2 big encounters at Leopardstown, but some very-interesting young guns will be cocked and loaded for this Listed event.
Missy Tata will be looking for a 5th consecutive victory, and the filly’s 4-length defeat of Slowmotion (last time out at Naas) was very impressive – despite co-favourite Koshari looking short of experience. Swamp Fox was 3rd and faded in the run-in.
Allblak Des Places and Cap D’aubois represent Willie Mullins, but both appear to be held, on paper.
Betting Tip: Missy Tata (2 Points Win)
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