Two bets in the Grade One features at Leopardstown as Matt Brocklebank looks to add to winners at 10/1, 10/1 and 18/1 already this month.
Racing betting tips: Monday December 28
1pt win French Dynamite in 1.15 Leopardstown at 16/1
1pt win Allaho in 2.25 Leopardstown at 10/1
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
Double-figure prices about ALLAHO (10/1 General) in Monday’s Grade One Savills Chase at Leopardstown look too good to resist.
He’s already got quite a long rivalry with 5/2 market leader Minella Indo and while Henry De Bromhead’s rising star – who has mopped up a couple of nice opportunities at Wexford and Navan since reappearing this season - leads their mini-battle 3-1, there was only a length between them when they last met.
That came in the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham where Allaho tanked through the race alongside Minella Indo at the head of affairs and battled all the way to the line as the pair each made mistakes at the second-last (Allaho) and last fence (Minella Indo).
Champ eventually came to collar the pair of them right on the line, of course, but it’s seriously good form with Battleoverdoyen – who has come out this term to slam Easy Game and Samcro at Down Royal before finishing fourth in the John Durkan – 22 lengths back in fourth, and the likes of Aye Right, Slate House and Pym well beaten off.
Allaho is a big unit of a horse and has seemingly needed his first outing of the season in the past, improving around a stone for a seasonal reappearance run last Christmas before winning really easily at Fairyhouse en route to the Festival in March.
This time he’s had a pipe-opener and, rather than mop up a penalty-kick, he was thrown into the deep end along with stablemates Min, Tornado Flyer and Melon in the John Durkan at Punchestown.
He finished last of the six finishers in the fog there but I’m not willing to read too much into that effort during a time plenty of Willie Mullins’ horses were short of peak fitness, and stepping back up in trip, on what is essentially a speed track, with Paul Townend back in the saddle, looks certain to suit.
I really like his prominent run-style in this content too as, with so many high-class chasers all taking each other on around the tight Leopardstown bends, it’s not hard to envisage a typically rough race – especially on the turn for home - which we’ve seen here a few times in recent years with horses clipping heels and getting knocked about.
Allaho might just be able to stay out of trouble if getting into a better jumping rhythm and on form he’s the over-priced runner in what is a superb field.
Tornado Flyer was beaten only a length by Min which represents a significant career best if you take it at face value, though he’s not a guaranteed stayer over this far. Neither are A Plus Tard, Samcro, Melon or Fakir D’Oudairies which looks to leave established trio Delta Work, Kemboy and Presenting Percy as the main dangers to the two ace second-season chasers.
They’re all pretty well found in the market which isn’t the case with six-year-old Allaho (last three winners were all six) and he looks open to as much improvement as anything in the race.
Sire Du Berlais has a job on his hands in the Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle and seems plenty short enough given he’s never even run in a Grade One before, let alone won one.
I wasn’t all that enamoured with Fury Road’s comeback win and Ronald Pump is the obvious alternative after flashing home late to give Honeysuckle’s unbeaten record a small scare in the Hatton’s Grace.
He’s not exactly been missed either, though, so it’s worth taking a chance on Mouse Morris’ youngster FRENCH DYNAMITE (16/1 General), who was beaten just half a length by Sire Du Berlais in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan.
A three-mile point-to-point winner, he looks exactly the sort of horse his trainer develops into a high-class staying chaser in future, but he won his maiden hurdle over two miles so clearly isn’t a slow horse by any means.
He’s another strapping sort though and is certainly entitled to strip fitter for his first run of the season, with the move up in distance and fitting of a tongue-tie potential sources of improvement here.
Published at 1500 GMT on 27/12/20
Responsible gambling
We are committed in our support of responsible gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, or visit begambleaware.org.
Further support and information can be found at GamCare and gamblingtherapy.org.
