Simon Holt is back with a look at Monday's racing with owners Gigginstown House Stud backed to land the two top-class prizes at Leopardstown.
ITV4 broadcasts some potentially thrilling jumping at Leopardstown on Monday when DELTA WORK is fancied to repeat last year's victory in the Grade One Savills Chase.
For the second year running, the seven-year-old made a slightly becalmed reappearance in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal, but that run should have put him spot on in his bid to win this prestigious contest as it did 12 months ago when he held off Monalee by a head.
Later, Delta Work maintained his unbeaten chasing record over this course and distance when beating the re-opposing Kemboy and Presenting Percy in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup before staying on into fifth behind Al Boum Photo in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in which he again finished in front of Kemboy with Presenting Percy a faller at the second last when just a few lengths behind the leaders.
Those efforts earned Jack Kennedy's mount a rating of 170, the highest in this field, and he has the more proven form compared to the undoubtedly promising likely favourite Minella Indo who was caught close home by Champ in the RSA Chase at the Festival having possibly been softened up following a sustained duel for the lead with Allaho.
Henry De Bromhead's seven-year-old now moves back into Grade One company after victories at Wexford and Navan this term, and this race will provide the acid test for his Gold Cup credentials.
Earlier, Kennedy and trainer Gordon Elliott are fancied to initiate a big-race double with FURY ROAD in the Grade One Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle over three miles.
An odds-on winner at Punchestown last month, the son of Stowaway ran a blinder at the Festival in March going under by a neck and a nose behind Monkfish and Latest Exhibition in the Albert Bartlett Novices'
Hurdle with Thyme Hill, who has strongly boosted the form this season, just over a length further back in fourth.
That looked a red-hot contest and I just prefer Fury Road's chances to stable-companion Sire Du Berlais, the winner of the last two Pertemps Finals at the Festival, who now steps up a notch in class after beating the re-opposing French Dynamite by half a length on his seasonal debut last month in a Grade Two over two-and-a-half miles at Navan.
Stayers' Hurdle runner-up Ronald Pump also looks a big player after running Honeysuckle to half a length in the Hattons Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse last time, though the form of his Cheltenham effort has taken a few knocks since.
Published at 1620 GMT on 17/12/20
