Entries for the seven Grade 1 races taking place at both Leopardstown and Limerick this Christmas have been released with Britain’s leading staying chaser Grey Dawning very much catching the eye on day three of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.

The Dan Skelton-trained eight-year-old, so impressive in winning the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park a little under two weeks ago, is among 21 horses eyeing up the feature event, the Savills Chase on Sunday, December 28th.

Grey Dawning could clash with an array of home talent, led by Cheltenham Gold Cup winners and the superstars of Irish chasing, the Gavin Cromwell-trained Inothewayurthinkin and Willie Mullins’ renowned Leopardstown specialist Galopin Des Champs, winner of this race for the past two years.

The tussle for the Grade 1 John Durkan Punchestown Chase will be long remembered and the heroes of that hour, Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File, are also entered, with their trainer Willie Mullins including Aintree Grand National winners Nick Rockett and I Am Maximus in a team of eight.

Last season’s King George VI Chase winner Banbridge has been entered by Joseph O'Brien, while Martin Brassil has put in his three-time Grade 1 winner Fastorslow. The five-time Grade 1 winner, but long-absent, Gerri Colombe tops an entry of four for trainer Gordon Elliott.

An earlier Grade 1 on the same afternoon is the two miles and seven furlongs Christmas Hurdle, and high among the entries here are Grade 1 BAR 1 Betting Hatton’s Grace first and second, the Gordon Elliott-trained Teahupoo and Willie Mullins’ Ballyburn. Very soft ground at Leopardstown might tempt connections of Teahupoo to run this time, and a rematch between the pair, separated by just a nose on Sunday, is more than a possibility.

The race has also attracted the first and second from last year, the Joseph O'Brien-trained Home By The Lee and Henry de Bromhead’s subsequent Stayers' Hurdle winner Bob Olinger. Lorna Fowler’s Colonel Mustard has enjoyed a couple of much deserved recent wins and he’s among the 17 entries, as is Declan Queally’s improver Tackletommywoowoo.

The new Champion Hurdle favourite Lossiemouth tops the 11 entries for the two-mile December Hurdle on the fourth day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, Monday, December 29th. She got her season off to a flyer when romping to victory in the Grade 1 Unibet Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown last month, her third win in a row after scoring at Cheltenham in March and at Aintree the following month. Her trainer Willie Mullins has also entered Anzadam which lost his unbeaten record when runner-up to Golden Ace in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on Saturday, as well as El Fabiolo, Irancy and Winter Fog.

Heading the opposition to the Mullins team is Gordon Elliott’s Wodhooh which put her narrow defeat to Lossiemouth at Aintree behind her when making a winning seasonal reappearance at Ascot last month and the Barry Connell-trained William Munny, last seen when chasing home Kopek Des Bordes in the Michael O'Sullivan Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

The first of the Festival’s Grade 1 races is the two miles and one furlong Racing Post Novice Chase on St Stephen's Day and a hugely exciting renewal is on the cards with the Willie Mullins-trained Kopek Des Bordes set to feature on the back of his stunning success on his first try over fences at Navan. One with more experience is Romeo Coolio which added to his beginners' chase win at Down Royal with a very easy victory in Sunday’s Grade 1 Bar 1 Betting Drinmore Novice Chase over an extended two and a half miles at Fairyhouse, with trainer Gordon Elliott not ruling out the possibility of him dropping back in distance in future.

Also unbeaten over fences is Henry de Bromhead’s July Flower which followed up on her Limerick success with a battling win in the Grade 2 Paddy Power Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices' Chase at Cheltenham in November, while the Edward and Patrick Harty-trained Irish Panther scored a taking win at Naas to put him in contention for top honours going forward.

Yet another race to savour will be the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase, the first of two Grade 1 races on Saturday, December 27th. An entry of 20 horses has been received with Barry Connell’s Champion Chase winner Marine Nationale leading the way. There are any number of other potential headline makers from Willie Mullins’ stable including Il Etait Temps, a Grade 1 winner on his first start in almost 12 months at Sandown in April and more recently the runaway winner of the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase.

The champion trainer has also given entries to last season’s leading novice Majborough, the mare Dinoblue, El Fabiolo and Energumene, while last year’s winner Solness is there for Joseph O'Brien, who has also entered Banbridge. Found A Fifty is a most notable entry for Gordon Elliott with Captain Guinness one of three for Henry de Bromhead.

The Grade 1 Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle has attracted an initial field of 30 horses with Willie Mullins’ Bambino Fever the standout entry. Her win in the Grade 2 Coolmore NH Sires EBF Mares INH Flat Race at the Dublin Racing Festival set her up for subsequent success at Cheltenham and at Punchestown and she’s a thoroughly exciting recruit to the jumping game. Mullins has also included his three-time hurdle winner Love Me Tender and the unbeaten Davy Crockett which landed a second success over hurdles at Listowel in September, and Doctor Du Mesnil, a runaway bumper scorer at Cork in April.

Gordon Elliott has a number of his own to choose from and among them are the impressive Naas maiden hurdle winner Port Authority and Sunday’s Grade 2 Bar 1 Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle victor Koktail Brut. The latter just got the better of Noel Meade’s Blake and the Gavin Cromwell-trained The Passing Wife for his Sunday success, and they could all meet again in a race that could also feature Henry de Bromhead’s Mister Pessimistic, the Ross O'Sullivan-trained Switch From Diesel and Declan Queally’s I’ll Sort That.

Meanwhile at Limerick on Sunday, December 28th, the Grade 1 Guinness 00 Faugheen Novice Chase will feature Final Demand, twice a Grade 1 winning hurdler who looked a natural on his first run over fences at Navan in November for Willie Mullins who has nine others engaged in the two-mile, five-furlong showpiece.

The aforementioned Romeo Coolio, trained by Gordon Elliott, also has the Limerick race as an option along with the Grade 1 at Leopardstown on St Stephen’s Day over half a mile shorter.

Keen to gatecrash the established order, however, will be Oscars Brother, trained by young Tipperary-based trainer Connor King. His stable star was a Grade 2 winner on his latest start, the Boodles Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown in November.

Leopardstown Christmas Festival - Friday, December 26 entries

Leopardstown Christmas Festival - Saturday, December 27 entries

Leopardstown Christmas Festival - Sunday, December 28 entries

Leopardstown Christmas Festival - Monday, December 29 entries

Limerick Christmas Festival - Sunday, December 28 entries