Kevin Blake

TWO Grade 1 contests take centre stage at Leopardstown on Saturday and the main event is the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase.

The two-mile chase division is wide open at present and many will be hoping that this race will produce a clear-cut Irish candidate for the Queen Mother Champion Chase in March.

The Alan King-trained Uxizandre will set a high standard of opposition for the home team, but he will face stiff competition from a couple of potential improvers.

The Willie Mullins-trained Ballycasey has failed to deliver on a tall home reputation over longer trips, but this shorter distance could well do the trick and he is of major interest. Another that makes appeal is the Sandra Hughes-trained Bright New Dawn, as the seven-year-old is capable of improvement back at this shorter trip.

The other Grade 1 on the card is the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle and with recent winners including the subsequent Champion Hurdle winners Hurricane Fly and Jezki, it is always a contest worth paying close attention to.

Willie Mullins held an exceptionally strong hold at the entry stage, but it looks likely that Nichols Canyon will be his representative.

A 111-rated performer on the flat, he has made a promising transition to hurdling, winning the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse last time. This will be a stiffer task for him, but he is open to further improvement and is likely to prove tough to beat.

The most valuable handicap of the meeting is the Paddy Power Chase and the Ted Walsh-trained Foxrock is likely to be very popular following his eye-catching run at Punchestown last time. The Tony Martin-trained Gallant Oscar would also be respected if he lines up.

On the undercard, the hurdling debut of Dermot Weld’s top-class bumper performer Silver Concorde in the maiden hurdle will be eagerly anticipated.