Rest of
Leopardstown
Saturday
12.05 Paddy Power I Have No Idea What Day It Is 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle 2m
An unlucky loser when falling at the last while in the driving seat 20 days ago at Cork, Manoir De Mirande is given the nod to put that disappointment behind him. He’ll need to run to a higher standard to win this race, as there are some smart flat recruits in opposition, but his experience of a previous run in this discipline should stand to him (even if it didn’t end as hoped). Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown won this race 12 months ago. In the same colours, Willie Mullins’ French recruit Dschingis Desire is entitled to obvious respect after her private sale that followed a debut win in a mile-and-a-half maiden. Stablemate Dead Cert, owned by Patrick Mullins, must have been doing something right in order to have been sent to Auteuil on debut for a three-year-old hurdle last March (fell at the last when safely held as 14/5 favourite). Ole Ole has strung two smart runs back-to-back since joining Gavin Cromwell and can fight it out again now.
SELECTION: MANOIR DE MIRANDE
Next best: Dschingis Desire
12.37 Paddy Power From The Horses Mouth Podcast Beginners Chase 2m 1f
With the exception of a 150/1 boilover last year through Jeannot Lapin, this race has tended to be dominated by odds-on favourites (Haut En Couleurs at 1/3, Dysart Dynamo at 2/5 and Marine Nationale at 1/2 won the previous three runnings). Last season’s easy County Hurdle winner Kargese is likely to be short enough on the basis of her Grade 1 hurdling form, although she needs to bounce back from a defeat on her Cork chasing debut behind the useful Kala Conti, who had the benefit of a run (unlike this five-year-old). With Willie Mullins’ runners thought to be ready to improve from their comebacks, she looks the most likely winner.
Lovely Hurling was a quality novice hurdler last season and he ran on for a never-dangerous second to Final Demand in a Navan beginners’ chase 40 days ago. If taking confidence from that and Kargese misfires, he has the talent to take advantage. James’s Gate doesn’t look to have been the easiest to train down the years but he has clear ability. Whether he can show it to his fullest after a 343-day layoff is the concern. Watch the market for a possible indication of his readiness.
SELECTION: KARGESE
Next best: Lovely Hurling
2.22 National Maternity Hospital Foundation Handicap Hurdle 2m
Joueur Masque won a weak enough maiden hurdle decisively at Punchestown in June before failing to land a telling blow on his return from a break, but expect him to be sharper now, and to appreciate the better ground on offer here. He was sent off the 7/2 favourite on that occasion and is 1lb lower now. It will be well worth keeping an eye on if the market comes for him, being quite unexposed.
Cases can be made for plenty of these. Sainte Lucie never quite kicked on from the promise she showed when readily taking a juvenile maiden hurdle at Punchestown around this time last year. However, this is a marked class drop from the Grade 1s she went on to contest and it will be fascinating to see if she has supporters in here off a mark of 127. It’s possible she could have matured for another season in the Willie Mullins system. Free Flow didn’t set the world alight on his return at Naas recently, though he looks one to enjoy the sounder surface now and his rider’s claim helps offset the fact he’s 2lb out of the handicap.
SELECTION: JOUEUR MASQUE
Next best: Sainte Lucie
3.00 Paddy Power Chase
(Extended Handicap Chase) (Listed) 3m 100yd
A cracking handicap chase and one that J.P. McManus so often likes to target. He has won five of the last 10 renewals, and owned two seconds in the years he didn’t win during that period. The one who might prove best handicapped of his challenge this time around is Waterford Whispers, who admittedly has been frustrating to follow over fences thus far. Connections are hopeful a return to racing left-handed can help the 2024 Martin Pipe runner-up, who was rated 135 over hurdles after that effort and is on a tempting chase rating of 130 if putting it all together. Trying this longest trip he’s ever faced could be another help to him, and he has gone close at this meeting before.
Weveallbeencaught has been towards the head of the ante-post markets in the lead-up, and that’s probably fair after a fine second to stablemate French Dynamite in the Munster National. That was only his second start since joining Eric McNamara. American Grand National runner-up Ballysax Hank has every chance of being in the thick of things off 139. His trainer, Gavin Cromwell, struck in this 12 months ago, and the same stable’s Now Is The Hour could be slightly overpriced if back to the form he was going to show when coming down at the second last in the National Hunt Chase. Captain Cody is an obvious threat too.
SELECTION: WATERFORD WHISPERS
Next best: Now Is The Hour
3.30 Paddy Power The Flat One Flat Race 2m 4f
In an end-of-season review piece in The Irish Field, leading handler Sam Curling put Arcadian Emperor forward as his horse to follow from the campaign just gone, and he starts life with top connections here. Willie Mullins has won six of the last nine runnings of this race, so should know what’s typically required to collect. The private purchase won well on his sole start at Lisronagh in March.
Of those who have run, Generous Risk looks the best equipped to have a crack at this and put his experience to good use, though he doesn’t set an unsurmountable standard. Newcomers Beechwood Road (Peter Fahey), Brother Bernard (Declan Queally) and Diamond Kal (Colm Murphy) are entitled to respect and worth a second glance in the market, while Jonathan Sweeney has won with well-backed bumper horses over the festive before, so his Barnahash Mason is entitled to sneak onto the shortlist.
SELECTION: ARCADIAN EMPEROR
Next best: Generous Risk