Leopardstown Christmas Festival: Day 2 Tips

The Leopardstown Christmas Festival continues on Monday 27th December, and the feature race of the day is the Paddy's Reward Club Chase Grade One over two miles. With the four- runner contest making little betting appeal, however, we have enlisted Billy Grimshaw to find us some value in the other races of the day and he provides us his two best bets here...

Leopardstown 1:45 - Future Novices' Hurdle (Grade One)

This race sees the conqueror of Kilcruit LARGY DEBUT return to attempt to prove that 1/14 boilover at Cork was no fluke. He is facing another ominous looking field here with Royal Bond eyecatcher Mighty Potter next in the betting and unexposed hurdler Grangee also a danger lurking in the field. However, Henry De Bromhead’s exciting charge’s defeat of Kilcruit should be taken at face value and with Willie Mullins coming out after the race and offering no excuses for his beaten favourite, Largy Debut deserves his place at the top of the market and arguably should be shorter in the betting here.

Kilcruit was regarded as the hottest hurdling prospect around prior to his defeat and after dispatching him with relative ease, Largy Debut should now be afforded the same respect. Additionally, as Largy Debut had been off the track for nearly 18 months, the potential for improvement from his return to the racecourse is obvious and is another tick in his column.

Leopardstown 14:55 - Paddy Power Chase (Extended Handicap Chase)

LORD ROYAL has been somewhat disappointing for the Willie Mullins team since his novice hurdling campaign. A huge stamp of a horse, he looked every inch a chaser in the making but has struggled to make a discernable impact over fences due to his erratic technique. Today could finally be his day though, with Leopardstown looking like a track that will suit the big gelding and promising jockey Jack Foley taking a valuable 5lbs off his back. That means he is racing here off just 11 stone and with his last run seeming to be nothing more than a pipe opener under a tender ride from Danny Mullins behind Run Wild Fred, he can go well here and hopefully finally start to fulfil the promise that saw some make him their choice for last year’s National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.