Tony Keenan has been among the winners lately and he's back with an each-way fancy on the Sunday card at Leopardstown.
Irish racing tips: Sunday December 29
0.5pts e.w. Minella Post in 12.10 Leopardstown at 16/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3)
The final day of the Leopardstown Christmas meeting has a new race in the Neville Hotels Premier Handicap Hurdle at 3.05, a replacement feature race for the two mile Grade 1 novice chase on St. Stephen’s Day, and having moaned about the loss of that old race, it should be acknowledged that this new one has drawn an excellent field.
There are lots with chances, as might be expected. Sa Fureur is 18lbs well-in relative to his mark over fences and won well in a Listed handicap chase last time though the loose horse ahead of him then looked a help as he has never fully convinced with his attitude.
Mr Percy has a lot of upside and should have finished closer to Bleu De Vassy last time, though the handicapper hasn’t missed him on 136, and his hurdling will be tested in this big field for all that he has flat handicap experience, while there are a few JP McManus runners with claims like Comfort Zone.
Perhaps the form of the Brown Lad, run over the same trip at Naas in November, will prove important. The first five came clear there and the form looks strong, the fourth having won the Pertemps qualifier at this track yesterday.
The first, second and third all run here and the winner The Busy Fool should go well again. He was well-positioned at the front on a steady pace at Naas but was returning from an absence then and is completely unexposed in handicaps, though my slight preference would be for the third Sir Allen.
A good juvenile hurdler, he struggled in his second season over hurdles but often shaped like further than two miles would suit, and having dropped in the weights and come back to form on the flat, he looked an unlucky loser at Naas, getting shuffled back on the turn in and having to come from near last, finishing well to get third. His chance does seem captured in the current bookmaker prices (around 10/1).
No Looking Back is an outsider with a chance, too. He was a good novice, beating Brazil and finished second to Irish Point when giving that one nine pounds and not getting the run of the race, efforts that would have him in the high-130s at least but he is off 132 here.
He missed some time after that season, and was off set very difficult tasks, but his record outside of Grade 1 races reads:141122P, and his recent effort in the Morgiana over what now looks an insufficient trip was likely needed.
There is also a trainer angle with him, Oliver McKiernan doing well in Christmas meeting handicaps (five winners from 30 runners with 13 places for a level-stakes profit of 16.67 points between 2014 and 2023) and he brought a similar type back to win at Limerick earlier this week with Meet And Greet.
State Man is the standout name on the rest of the Leopardstown card and should get back on track in the Neville Hotels Hurdle at 2.30 with the betting reflecting his chance while the market looks similarly correct in the other Graded race, the Beat The Bank.ie Irish EBF Mares Hurdle at 1.20.
Jetara won this race last year and had excuses last time when in season but the fact she was sent off 2/1 against Home By The Lee and Bob Olinger then suggests she should be going close there while there has also been support for the progressive World Of Fortunes. She has to improve to figure here but has been visually good of late.
Argento Boy should be hard to beat in the opening Grant Fit Out Maiden Hurdle at 12.10 with the expectation that he will improve for his initial outing this season when second at Punchestown, a race where he met his share of traffic problems, the winner boosting the form since.
MINELLA POST does look a little overpriced, however.
His bumper form was decent, twice making the frame, but he improved a chunk in his first run over hurdles at Punchestown earlier this month.
Sent off 50/1, he belied those odds to finish a good fifth, doing best of those ridden off the pace around the inner track, and shaping as if a longer trip and a more galloping track would suit better, both of which he gets today.
The race produced a good Timeform timefigure and the form looks solid; the winner had been third in the Champion Bumper, the second had run to a good level on hurdles debut while the third won at Limerick yesterday, and Minella Post might well have been second best on the day with how he finished off.
His trainer seems to be bringing him along gradually and while this might still be a little early in his development, he is worth a small each-way interest.
Published at 0842 GMT on 29/12/24
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