REVIEW OF THE DAY

LEOPARDSTOWN SATURDAY

The weather may have improved dramatically on the second day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival but the plight of punters didn’t change with three odds-on losers and the rare occurrence of a Willie Mullins-trained Grade 1 winner returning at 16/1.

In the feature race, the Paddy Power Dial-a-Bet Chase, Twinlight had looked well exposed as below top class, although he had three Grade 2’s on his record.

However, he travelled well all the way and even though Hidden Cyclone made a bold bid from the second last, Twinlight had him covered and he stayed on the best on the stands rail. It was the runner-up’s fourth second place finish in a Grade 1 over fences.

English raider Uxizandre went off 2/1 favourite but never looked happy, jumping to his left and was well beaten from three out. His compatriot Simply Ned took third.

This may have been Twinlight’s finest hour and even at 16/1, he makes little appeal for the Champion Chase.

The big handicap, Paddy Power Chase, worth €106,800 to the winner, went the way of Tony Martin and owner John Breslin.

Denis O’Regan partnered Living Next Door (20/1) to overhaul the favourite Foxrock and Vics Canvas.

Earlier, Dermot Weld’s Cheltenham bumper winner Silver Concorde (1/2) found the Martin/Breslin runner Blair Perrone (10/1) too good in the Paddy Power Maiden Hurdle. As a son of Dansili, Silver Concorde can surely do better on decent ground.

Willie Mullins fared little better than yesterday with three beaten favourites, two at odds-on. Nichols Canyon, whose jumping had not been perfect when winning the Royal Bond, ploughed through the second hurdle away from the stands and crashed out.

The other Mullins runner, McKinley, seemed to run into Sizing John, and was pulled up injured at the same stage.

It left the Alan and Ann Potts-owned Sizing John to make all the rest of the running to give Jonathan Burke his first Grade 1 winner.

Following the post-race interviews with Des McDonogh after Fiscal Focus win on St Stephens Day, it was no surprise to see Theophilus (4/1) complete a double in the Jackie Bolger colours in the opening three-year-old hurdle.

Buiseness Sivola, well beaten at 8/15, does not look one of the Mullins stars. The Charles Byrnes-trained third Battle Hymn looks a nice replacement for Solwhit’s owners.

Shantou Ed (8/1), trained by Pat Fahy in the J.P. McManus colours, beat Jessie Harrington-trained favourite Rule The World to take the two-mile handicap hurdle.

Oliver McKiernan suffered another narrow loss in the closing bumper when Nina Carberry’s persistence carried the Noel Meade-trained Russian Bill (7/1) to a nose win over Cappacon.

LIMERICK SATURDAY

In the featured Tim Duggan Chase, Page Turner, partnered by Ambrose McCurtin, bravely held of the challenge of locally-trained favourite Federici. Enda Bolger’s runner-up had his run halted by mistake at the second last but the winner stayed on well for trainer John Joe Walsh. Buddy Bolero, sixth on his first run for Tony Martin, can likely build on this run.

Joncol’s half-brother Fine Article got off the mark in the opening maiden while Maxine and Eugene O’Sullivan teamed up to win the Hunters Chase with Cork Citizen.

Whistle Dixie always travelled well to win the mares bumper for Steven Clements and Gordon Elliott where the Liz Doyle-trained Seeking Susan made good late progress in second.

CHEPSTOW SATURDAY

The first point of call in a long distance chase on soft ground is to look at the Venetia Williams runners. The seven-year-old Emperor’s Choice (9/1), carrying 10st 8lb, produced a dogged run to get on top inside the final furlong to give his trainer a second win in the Coral Welsh Grand National. He was always up with the pace but looked beaten as the Stuart Crawford-trained Glenquest (33/1) got a good leap at the last to go two clear.

Half-way up the run-in the leader faltered as Benvolio and Emperor’s Choice closed in unison. In a head to head drive, Aidan Coleman just got the nod by a short-head on Emperor’s Choice over the Sam Twiston-Davies ridden runner-up who had also raced prominently. Previous winner Monbeg Dude (4/1) stayed on without ever looking like winning. The well fancied Shotgun Paddy made a bad mistake early on and was pulled up when out of contention.

The Triumph Hurdle is one of the most difficult races for ante-post punting with little form on offer to begin with. After Kalkir’s defeat at Leopardstown, Peace And Co, who had impressed at Doncaster shortened in the markets to take favouritism.

In the same ownership of Simon Munir and Issac Souede, Bristol De Mai, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, jumped on to the scene at Chepstow with an impressive British debut to win the Grade 1 Finale Hurdle. This looks the strongest juvenile form to date and the grey looked much more of a National Hunt type than Peace And Co.

November Maralin point winner Stilletto (3/1) won the opening maiden hurdle in good style for Roger Brookhouse and Philip Hobbs.

The Welsh racing feature day proved one to remember for five claimer Sean Bowen who rode a treble, including two for his father Peter.

KEMPTON SATURDAY

In the absence of Sprinter Sacre and Sire De Grugy, the Two-Mile champion division has no obvious leader and the Grade 1 Desert Orchid Chase did little to identify a new contender.

It brought an Irish win though and a second Grade 1 win for the Henry de Bromhead stable on the day when Special Tiara (5/1) made all in spectacular fashion for Barry Geraghty.

Throwing some spectacular leaps, the winner had favourite Balder Succes (11/10) in trouble before the straight and though the second closed, he never looked like winning. The Ryanair might prove a better Cheltenham target for Alan King’s chaser, though he looks a shade below top class.

The Grade 2 Wayward Lad Novices Chase saw reformed rogue Vibrato Valtat give Noel Fehily and Paul Nicholls another big Kempton win when he ran on resolutely to beat Three Kingdoms.

The favourite Gods Own (13/8) made most of the running but might only have finished fourth if Deep Trouble had survived a bad mistake at the last when in contention.

The form of the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter has taken a few knocks now. Grandouet ran poorly on his reappearance and does not look like making chasing his career.

Bivouac (Barry Geraghty, 9/4 favourite) gave Nicky Henderson a welcome win over Paul Nicholls when beating San Benedeto in the opening juvenile hurdle but it does not look top class from.

COMMENTARY CONFUSION

Confusion reigned for a time at the finish of the Paddy Power Chase as Des Scahill mixed up the John Breslin-owned pair Wrong Turn and Living Next Door. Tony O’Hehir did not sound assured either in the RTE commentary.

In winter weather, it might be worth making a rule that when an owner has more than one runner and a distinguishing cap is declared, it should be that - easily distinguished from the other runner.

It’s understandable that owners want to keep similar colours but in a big field on a gloomy day is can be difficult to tell a white cap from a yellow one. The simple solution would be to have a totally different colour on the second runner.

BOOKMAKER OVERREACTION

Bookmakers give little way but can be guilty of over-reaction to a defeat. When it is clearly out of character with a horse’s known form, punters can take advantage.

Uxizandre went out to 16/1 for the Champion Chase after his defeat in the Paddy Power Dial-a Bet Chase but Leopardstown was not likely to suit him and this was not his true running. The Champion Chase market is all over the place and now at general 16/1 odds, he still has a shot.

Vautour out to a general 7/1 for the Arkle after yesterday defeat. It was obviously not his form of last year and Willie Mullins and Paul Townend suggested such. That price could look very generous after his next run.