Six festive treats in store including the return of Galopin Des Champs in the Savills Chase

Racing Post Novice Chase (Dec 26)

Romeo Coolio v Salvator Mundi v July Flower

With conditions set fair for Leopardstown's four-day festival over Christmas, we've lots of exciting clashes coming up and while many people might suggest that Romeo Coolio is going to dominate this race given that Kopek Des Bordes has been ruled out and Final Demand goes for the Faugheen at Limerick, I'm not quite convinced it's just a one-horse race. It's great to see the race reinstated as a Grade 1 anyway and there will be plenty of future hints to take from the race. Romeo Coolio looks like he's improved from a novice hurdler into a proper novice chaser but he's set a different task here down three furlongs in trip. It will be interesting to see how he copes and it might not be a problem as he's so quick over the fences. He's the standard setter. Salvator Mundi was beaten first time out behind a stablemate and he'll have to be a little more tractable, for all that the Mullins horses are going to improve markedly for their runs in November. The bigger threat might be posed by the mare July Flower, who has looked extremely good over fences, looking a natural on debut at Limerick and following up in good style at Cheltenham. She too may be even better stepped up in distance but her jumping ability is a major positive.

Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase (Dec 27)

Majborough v Marine Nationale v Found A Fifty

A day later we get to see the return of last season's Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Marine Nationale, who got better with racing last season, winning at Cheltenham and following up at the Punchestown Festival. He missed an intended comeback at Navan but provided the ground doesn't go on the heavy side, you'd think he'll be ready to go on seasonal debut. Majborough's jumping was sketchy at Cork and although he'll improve fitness-wise, he'll have to be much sharper in the jumping department around Leopardstown. Going left-handed might help but that jumping is definitely a worry in open company. Found A Fifty was having his third run of the season when beating Majborough so he might struggle to uphold the form, if the latter's chasing holds up. I would think Marine Nationale should be primed to strike here given the way he finished off last season.

Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle (Dec 27)

Sortudo v Le Divin Enfant v Love Me Tender

The two-mile contest for novices could be a little bit up in the air at this stage as I see a number of them have an entry in the Ballymore Novice Hurdle over two and a half at Naas (formerly Lawlor's of Naas) in the New Year. Love Me Tender is among them and if he takes his chance here, he could be the unknown quantity given what he did during the summer season, winning his maiden at Kilbeggan and impressing in a relatively weak Grade 2 at Fairyhouse when last seen in early-October. He looks to have plenty of potential, likewise Sortudo who appeared to get through testing ground very well in his bumpers and when winning his maiden at Cork (replay below). The French import Le Divin Enfant could only do what he did on debut too, having been the subject of positive reports before he came. He could be very good. Joseph O'Brien's Talk The Talk and Gordon Elliott's Koktail Brut add further strength to the potential field.

Christmas Hurdle (Dec 28)

Ballyburn v Teahupoo v Bob Olinger

It'll be fantastic if Teahupoo runs at Christmas having had a very conservative campaign in recent season. As it stands it looks like he'll pitch up at Christmas and everyone will be entitled to an opinion on the rematch from the Hatton's Grace where he and Ballyburn fought out a great tussle. It was great to see Ballyburn back in top form over hurdles having not quite transitioned successfully to chasing. He showed all his ability is still with him. Gordon Elliott and his team got the tactics spot-on last time and Teahupoo was a very game winner, he might even have got a little tired late on having initially got first run on Ballyburn, who obviously looked to come home really strongly. There's an extra half a mile on offer at Leopardstown and you'd hope Ballyburn will relax over three miles, especially with the comeback run under his belt. I still can't figure out how Bob Olinger beat Teahupoo at Cheltenham in March - that was an expensive day! But it will be good to see him back too, for all that he's not always at his best at Leopardstown. Ballyburn may have most potential to offer but I'm on the fence a bit, personally.

Savills Chase (Dec 28)

Galopin Des Champs v Inothewayurthinkin v Fastorslow

With the John Durkan one-two looking likely to go to the King George, it looks like this might develop into a rematch of the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup, with Galopin Des Champs taking on Inothewayurthinkin who was superb when he produced that performance to win in March having found Galopin too good in last year's renewal of this race as well as the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival. However, Inothewayurthinkin looked a work in progress then and so it proved. He has the run under his belt now whereas Galopin Des Champs has missed time in his routine and skipped the John Durkan. He's probably better at Leopardstown than anywhere else but he might be vulnerable to a race-fit rival. I should mention John Durkan third Fastorslow as well, mainly due to the fact that I thought he'd improve significantly for his outing at Punchestown - he looked big pre-John Durkan and very encouragingly in the circumstances as he'd been off the track a year before that.

December Hurdle (Dec 29)

Lossiemouth v Brighterdaysahead v Anzadam

Brighterdaysahead has missed her intended engagements in beginners chases and the plan would now appear be to stick to hurdling and go for this Grade 1 contest which she won in brilliant fashion 12 months ago. Obviously, she wasn't at her best at Cheltenham afterwards and it was a disappointing effort at Punchestown. However, on reflection one would imagine that huge effort last Christmas may well have left a mark on her season and it'll be interesting to see her back here on seasonal debut. How the tactics stack up again will be fascinating but, either way, Brighterdaysahead will have to be near that peak form from last year if she is to go and beat Lossiemouth, who has had the benefit of that seasonal debut in a weak Morgiana. She bids to overcome a fall in the Irish Champion last February. That aside, she has been dominate in three runs since then and we'll hopefully learn whether she's a genuine two-miler or if connections might need to consider going for the Mares' Hurdle again come the Cheltenham Festival. I wouldn't completely dismiss Anzadam should he take his chance. He showed signs of temperament at Newcastle but the Fighting Fifth was his first run for a long time and I'd be more inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt than some others. If he steps forward, mentally and physically, he could be capable of a huge effort at Leopardstown. I could see him being a lot tighter for the comeback run in England and we don't quite know how good he could be just yet.

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