The speculative option of switching Impaire Et Passe to Cheltenham on New Year’s Day has been resisted and that’s vitally good news for Leopardstown’s final day Christmas festival feature.
As it is, the Grade One Matheson Hurdle is still a lopsided four-runner affair dominated by Willie Mullins.
Only the 100-1 outsider Fils d’Oudairies will take on a Mullins trio topped by last year’s winner State Man. Also in the mix is the smart mare Echoes In Rain but it is the crucial presence of Impaire Et Passe that prevents this from being little more than a €150,000 competitive irrelevance.
Pre-Christmas reports from Impaire Et Passe’s ownership that Cheltenham’s Relkeel Hurdle might be a festive alternative must have sent shivers down officials at Leopardstown and Horse Racing Ireland.
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In the context of HRI planning to cut back on Grade One events in 2024, a lucrative solo in the style of Constitution Hill’s 1/12 exhibition at Kempton on St Stephens Day wouldn’t have been a good ‘look’ for the race.
Thankfully for all concerned, Mullins looks to have got his way in allowing his two big hopes of dethroning Constitution Hill at Cheltenham in March to tackle each other on home ground.
Not surprisingly, State Man is the stable No.1 having continued his domestic domination with a short-odds rout in last month’s Morgiana at Punchestown, a race reportedly in HRI’s sights for demotion in the New Year.
A lack of competition is hardly the fault of an admirable top-class performer like State Man whose tactical versatility is a major plus in small fields around Leopardstown’s inside track.
In contrast, the trip presents a challenge to Impaire Et Passe who lost his unbeaten record in a Hatton’s Grace slog with Teahupoo over 2½ miles at Fairyhouse earlier this month.
If he should be sharper for that reintroduction, his signature display to date still came in Cheltenham’s Ballymore last season.
That can often be a signal of future Champion Hurdle ambitions, but it currently leaves Daryl Jacob’s mount with plenty to prove in a contest like this that Mullins will surely win for a 10th time in 12 years.
Leopardstown’s other Grade One, the €100,000 Neville Hotels Novice Chase, has a much better competitive spread with Mullins’s Grangeclare West facing a formidable task to follow up his winning debut over fences at Naas.
Failure to build on a successful first start last season will have many treading warily around Grangeclare West. But he does hold Corbetts Cross on Naas running and the latter has boosted that form since.
The step up to three miles has had Corbetts Cross topping most betting lists for this contest despite the former dual-Stayers Hurdle champion Flooring Porter getting what look to be his optimal conditions.
That he has to go left-handed was underlined with a vengeance at Punchestown last time when Flooring Porter’s sideways jumping saw him finish well behind Favori De Champdou.
Now going the ‘right’ way on gruelling ground over three miles, and with the form of his previous Cheltenham victory advertised since, Gavin Cromwell’s star shapes as being hard to pass.
Jetara has deviated from her illustrious pedigree in relishing heavy going which could prove her trump card in the Grade Three Mares Hurdle.
Archies Charm can go one better than last year in the opening Opportunity Handicap Chase. A year ago, he ran into no less than the subsequent Cheltenham Festival winner Seddon and is off a 6lb lower mark this time, as well as sporting first-time blinkers.
The final bumper sees Michael O’Leary’s 480,000 guineas purchase Jalon D’oudairies have a second racecourse start. Impressive at Fairyhouse, he faces a far more testing task here, especially having to carry the same weight as such an accomplished older rival in Redemption Day.
Runner-up to Facile Vega in last year’s Champion Bumper at Punchestown, Redemption Day is Patrick Mullins’s pick from three options.
Wednesday’s winner Johngus could attempt a quick follow up in Limerick’s festival finale on a card where Evies Vladimir will earlier try to go one better than he managed at Down Royal on St Stephen’s Day.
The Cromwell runner will need to brush up his jumping for the novice handicap chase although he ran on well enough in the north to suggest an extra quarter mile should be right up his street.
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