Leopardstown Christmas Festival Preview - 28/12/2020

A £78,000 purchase for Henry de Bromhead’s yard, she made a big impression on his only start in point to points with a convincing win at the back end of October.

Her fee clearly shows that this is a filly who could have a massive future and she should be well in the mix in this maiden field

Had a cracking 2018/19 campaign and that resulted in him finishing a close second behind Minella Indo in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham last year.

Struggled on his return after an 18 month absence when sent chasing at Naas last time out but the return to hurdles and step back up in trip should suit him and this is the perfect opportunity for him to rediscover his Cheltenham Festival form from 2019.

A really interesting sort, he was a dual hurdles and chase winner back in 2019 and despite being unable to pick up a win so far this year, he’s put in some cracking runs.

A two lengths second in the Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham, he’s had two runs over 2m 4f since that run falling in one and then pushing Honeysuckle to the limit when flying home in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle last time out.

Now back up to 3m, a big performance is expected and he’s more than capable of returning to winning ways here.

A fairly consistent sort over hurdles with a win and three places coming in his last three runs, he put in a decent enough performance on the flat at Dundalk at the end of last month.

That run was very much deemed as a prep run for this race and he’s got massive place chances still off an untouched mark of 109 which he’s ran off in all three of his last starts over timber.

Well well well, what can we say about Presenting Percy. One of the most popular horses on the circuit, he was a Grade 2 winning hurdler and then a Grade 1 winning chaser after winning the RSA Chase at Cheltenham back in 2018.

He was sent off favourite in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2019 but failed to deliver and then after a run of poor performances, he found the winning formula once again on his second start for Gordon Elliott when winning the Listed Boomerang.Ie Chase at Thurles last time out.

IF that is a sign of things to come, he’s the one to beat in this field with a career defining season ahead of him.

A massively promising chaser, he rocketed up in the Drinmore Novices Chase last year before a hat-trick of second placed finishes including in the Arkle at Cheltenham earlier this year behind Put The Kettle On.

Returned to action last time out when 12 lengths behind Notebook in the Poplar Square Chase at Naas but this is clearly a horse who needs a big step up in trip and he debuts over 3m in this race and he could well make a massive impression at big odds

A maiden hurdle winner last year for Willie Mullins, he ran a cracker of a race in the Ballymore Novices Hurdle to finish third behind Envoi Allen and Easywork.

Sent off 8/15 fav on chase debut at Navan earlier this month, he failed to make a big impact finishing a 21 lengths third but this field doesn’t look anywhere near the same standard of that race on paper and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get off the mark over the larger obstacles

Sixth of 10 on bumper debut at Naas in February, he improved from that run when a six length fourth of 13 at Firehouse last month with the top four finishing well clear of the rest of the field.

Improvement is on the cards once again and it would be no surprise to see him pose a major threat to the big hitters in this field.