Irish racing expert Tony Keenan looks ahead to the top-class racing from Leopardstown this afternoon and he's got a bet for the lucky last.
Irish racing tips: Monday February 2
1pt win Rojuco Mac in 16:40 Leopardstown at 7/1 (General)
The opening day of DRF provided plenty of thrills and spills, and that should continue today, with what looks the race of the weekend, the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup, due to go to post at 15:30.
Perhaps the key question going into the race is how good is the form of the Savills Chase, the key trial run over course and distance 36 days ago? There are reasons to doubt it; little more than nine lengths covered the first six while the runner-up had never been at his best at Leopardstown and Monty’s Star was a little too close in fifth.
That said, the winner Affordale Fury may be able to do better than that. He was one of the least exposed in the field and is not the type to win far while he should prefer the softer ground he gets now. Perhaps he is the pick of the prices currently, though Willie Mullins may well extract improvement from his Christmas runners, not least Galopin Des Champs.
If one wants to go another way, then Gaelic Warrior and Spindleberry are the obvious routes. We don’t know where the ceiling is with the mare while Gaelic Warrior has stacked four good runs together and may never have a better chance to win a big one at Leopardstown. This race has me in knots, however.
My initial plan was to oppose Doctor Steinberg in the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle (13:15) but there is no other 140-plus horse in the field, and he has drifted to a reasonable price since declarations.
Narciso Has should be hard to be beat in the Gannon's City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle (13:50) though the two Gigginstown runners may be able to outrun their odds. Bertutea was an impressive winner at Limerick over Christmas, and the form is quite solid while Barbizon has had a breathing operation since his last run and shaped like one that benefit from such then, travelling well for a long time.
In the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase at 14:55, Kargese could be a little closer to Romeo Coolio in the betting but that is not a strong view.
The uber-competitive Race And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle at 14:25 is an interesting race. County Final has the potential to be let in lightly off 128 though the presence of Staffordshire Knot at the top of the weights, running back 11 days after the Galmoy, is intriguing as he is keeping the weights down for a pair of runners in the same colours.
Wendrock is one of those, and he caught the eye over Christmas when finally stepping up from two miles, though whether he will last this trip remains to be seen. He Can’t Dance is at least as interesting. He was a decent bumper horse, including when third at this meeting last year in a race that proved decent form, and then finished eighth in the Champion Bumper, all the time shaping like a stayer.
He made an underwhelming start over hurdles, but the application of the tongue-tie seemed to work as he put up an improved effort at Thurles before Christmas when facing a difficult task conceding 22lbs to the runner-up. He travelled best for much of the race, trading 1.01 in-running, only to be caught late and winner has boosted the form since.
His last run was outwardly disappointing, but connections seemed to get tactics wrong, sitting in off a slow pace and getting caught behind horses before he finished well, and it seems they will not make that mistake again with the cheekpieces going on.
They are the Elliott headgear of choice these days, and this is a race he often targets, not least with unexposed novices.
There is no Mullins runner in the last, the Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast (C & G) I.N.H. Flat Race at 16:40, and both the front two in the betting have decent claims.
That said, ROJUCO MAC looks a bit overpriced with how his bumper form has worked out over hurdles since, not least the second to Ballyfad at Punchestown when the Byrnes horse looked like the winner for much of the straight.
Other maiden hurdle winners like Raise You Up and Timesareachanging have also emerged from his recent runs, and he has impressed with how he has gone through those runs.
He is also proven on heavy ground and has more experience than most so it would be no surprise to see him involved here.
Published at 08:32 GMT on 02/02/26
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