Leading Irish racing journalist and TV analyst Donn McClean marks your card for the quality action at Leopardstown this afternoon.
Mullins bandwagon rolls on and on
The Willie Mullins bandwagon rolled through the third day of the Christmas festivals too.
Three more winners at Leopardstown yesterday, including the Grade 1 Dornan Engineering Christmas Hurdle with Klassical Dream, and Concertista at Limerick brought the champion trainer’s tally for the three days to 13.
The Grade 1s are obviously the highs, Tornado Flyer’s King George, Ferny Hollow’s Racing Post Chase, but you can also get excited about the youngsters trying a new discipline: Sir Gerhard’s maiden hurdle, Icare Allen’s juvenile hurdle, Haut En Couleurs’ beginners’ chase, Galopin Des Champs’ beginners’ chase. It has been some week so far for the champion trainer.
It could get better today too, because Sharjah is odds-on to win the Matheson Hurdle again. This is Sharjah’s race these days, and it is a race that has had a few owners. Grabel won it three times, Istabraq won it four times, Hurricane Fly won it four times. Sharjah has won the last three renewals, and he is odds-on to emulate Istabraq and Hurricane Fly today and win his fourth.
Remarkably, despite being a three-time winner of the race, Sharjah has never been sent off as favourite to win it. He will be favourite today all right, but his stable companion Echoes In Rain might get closer to him than she did in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown last time.
The pace was slow that day, and she was far too keen, on her seasonal debut. She never allowed herself get into a racing rhythm. The ground will be softer today than it was at Punchestown, and the pace should be faster. Felix Desjy doesn’t always lead these days, but he is usually fast early on, while Petit Mouchoir usually races prominently. A faster pace should help her settle better than she did at Punchestown, and she shouldn’t be as fresh today as she was on her seasonal debut. Also, champion Jockey Paul Townend is back on board today, and he is three for three on her.
Echoes In Rain is officially rated 21lb inferior to Sharjah and she only gets the 7lb mares’ allowance today. It is an arduous task, and she has to progress now this season if she is going to take her place among the top two-mile hurdlers. But she was so good against fellow novices last spring, there is still every chance that she can make the transition.
Royal runner
It will be good to see Shewearsitwell back in action in the Grade 3 mares’ hurdle earlier in the day. Willie Mullins’ mare looked really exciting when she won the Grade 3 Joe Mac Hurdle at Tipperary in October last year. We haven’t seen her since, so it will be very interesting to see how she goes today on her first run in 451 days.
She has been priced up defensively though, and Royal Kahala could represent some value against her. Peter Fahey’s mare was a really progressive novice last season, winning a bumper and two races over hurdles at Fairyhouse, before going down to the talented Roseys Hollow in the Grade 3 Solerina Hurdle back at Fairyhouse in February, giving her 4lb, when her rival got a dream run up the inside.
She was well beaten when sent off as favourite for the mares’ novices’ hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but she came home lame that day, so you can obviously easily allow her that. And she proved her wellbeing last time with a fine run to finish second to Dysart Diamond in the Listed Grabel Hurdle at Punchestown on her return this season.
Things didn’t go her way that day. She made a mistake at the third last flight, just as the pace was increasing, and she had to play catch-up after that, around the home turn and through traffic. She stayed on well over the last and up the run-in, getting to within a half a length of the winner by the time they got to the line.
She should progress from that, her seasonal debut. Also, the step up to two and a half miles and the easier ground today should allow her step forward again, and that could enable her reverse placings with Dysart Diamond, to whom she was conceding race fitness at Punchestown.
Heaven Help Us is a player too, she made a bad mistake at the second last flight in the Punchestown race, and Telmesomethinggirl comes into it, despite the burden of her Grade 2 penalty, but Royal Kahala is the bet.
Life on Mars
Top weight Mars Harper could go well in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle. A game winner of a rated novices’ hurdle over two miles and three furlongs on soft ground at Downpatrick in October, Gordon Elliott’s horse did well to get as close as he got to the 140-rated Camprond – who ran really well in the Greatwood Hurdle next time – in a three-horse race at Cheltenham’s October meeting.
Mars Harper’s last two runs have been over three miles and, while he ran well on each occasion, he shaped as if a drop back down in trip could see him step forward again. On his penultimate run at Punchestown, he moved up nicely into second place as they rounded the home turn before his run flattened out in the home straight. Then last time at Navan, he hit the front at the second last flight but weakened on the run up the hill.
This intermediate trip is probably his optimum, he could go beyond his rating of 126 now, dropping back down in trip, with Rob James’ claim reducing his burden by 7lb.
For more of Donn's work visit www.donnmcclean.com
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