Who To Follow At Leopardstown On Tuesday

There's some massive names running at Leopardstown this Tuesday including the likes of Monkfish, Saint Roi, Abacadabras, Aspire Tower & Latest Exhibition. However for us, one stands out from the rest and that's the Willie Mullins mare Concertista.

A really promising mare, she finally got off the mark over hurdles when making light work of the Mares Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham in March winning by 12 lengths on the bridle.

Progressed from that on her seasonal reappearance when winning a Grade 2 affair cosily at Fairyhouse back in November and she is undoubtedly the best horse in this race.

What this race will tell us though is if she is a genuine competitor for Honeysuckle in the Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham. She's currently second favourite behind the reigning champion but with a comprehensive victory in this race, don't be surprised to see her go shorter in the antepost betting.

What a start Townend has had to his Christmas Festival at Leopardstown with four winners coming from his first seven rides including stand out victories aboard Chacun Pour Soir and Appreciate It.

He got the leg up on two of the big fancies of the day on Sunday and he gets exactly the same on Tuesday with him set to do the steering on both Concertista and Monkfish.

Those pair are highly rated as it is and with a few rides elsewhere on the card, don't be surprised to see him pick up at least another double.

Going off our horse and jockey to follow, it will come as no surprise to you to see that our trainer to follow is of course Willie Mullins.

He and Paul Townend have kicked off the festival with four winners so far but as well as Concertista and Monkfish, Mullins also saddles big Matheson Hurdle fancy Saint Roi.

Mullins has trained the winner of the Matheson Hurdle on six of the last eight runnings of the race along with all four of the last four runnings of the Advent Insurance Irish EBF Mares Hurdle which Concertista heads the market in so it's clear they're two races he likes to aim his stable stars at.