Live racing from leopardstown: Christmas Festival
1.00pm RTÉ 2
Our resident horse-flesh expert ray rosenstock takes a look at the prospects at leopardstown this week
The Snow Queen was still icing her cake when good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephen. “Donner und Blitzen!” he shivered in German, after something less seemly in Slavic. But, for all his grumblings, there would be no hunting for His Highness that day. So he scuttled back to bed in a huff and scribbled off some notes in his diary.
The children, of course, were over the moon in wonderland. “Joy to the world!” they chanted, while the Snow Queen licked her fingers and let slip an icy smile...
A thousand years have passed since then but the weather, as ever, still calls the tune. Rumours filled the air in early December of a white Yuletide – which some of us took with a grain of salt and a sip of mulled wine to ward off the cold!
Whatever the weather, race-goers must be up and about with Jack Frost and the Wren Boys this morning, for it’s a high-noon start to Leopardstown and Limerick’s fourday festivals of racing. Seven Grade 1 events take pride of place at the Foxrock track, where many established and future National Hunt stars are set to deliver a mouthwatering bill of fare.
After his impressive debut over fences at Punchestown recently, Mengli Khan is the star attraction in the featured Racing Post Trophy today: a cracking two-miler in the making for the Gigginstown gang...with Cheltenham calling.
Our three-year-old timber-toppers are adrift of the Brits thus far. There may be young guns waiting in the wings, but Chief Justice and Coeur Sublime are expected to renew their Fairyhouse head-bobbing finish in the Juvenile Hurdle. Verdict? Justice rules.
Quick Grabim is aptly named for Thursday’s Future Novices Hurdle and should oblige under Ruby Walsh. The Paddy Power Handicap chase is another matter, however; a massive field and ultra-competitive as ever. Ben Dundee, Squateour, Fitzhenry, Sizing Rome...and whatever you’re having yourself.
Faugheen, now rising eleven, goes up in trip for the Christmas Hurdle...but will have a herculean task to rein in the mighty Apple’s Jade.
Friday’s Christmas Chase looks tailor-made for Noel Meade’s Road to Respect – in the likely absence of Presenting Percy, of course. The seven-year-old gelding loves it around here and will go on any ground that’s not covered with snow!
Delta Work must take all the beating in Saturday’ s novice chase, en route to the RSA at Cheltenham. A class act.
Highlight of the day is the Ryanair Hurdle in which Samcro carries the sponsor’s colours and hopes...or should that be anxieties? Nothing short of a bloodless victory will justify the programme which connections have mapped out for Sam this season. But, if Willie Mullins saddles his exciting prospect, Laurina, there may a long post-mortem in the Gigginstown boardroom...complete with drawing board. Still and all, didn’t good King Wenceslas have to wait for someone to find his diary and finish off that old carol for him...800 years later?!
Others: Tudor City/any Second Now limerick: Slippery Serpent/brosna George