Andrew Asquith provides an overview of the key things to note on Monday.
Stats point in the direction of Doctor Steinberg
Willie Mullins has won six of the last 10 renewals of the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novices’ Hurdle (13:15), notably with the most exciting Final Demand 12 months ago, and if you pair that record with a 39% strike rate for Paul Townend at this track, Doctor Steinberg looks very interesting in this year’s edition.
He finished behind stablemate and subsequent Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Kopek des Bordes in a bumper on his debut in March 2024 and he built on previous promise in that sphere when running out a wide-margin winner at Ballinrobe last season.
Doctor Steinberg has been in impressive winning both of his starts over hurdles this campaign, too, settling matters with a nice turn of foot on his hurdling debut at Galway in October and readily following up in a Grade 2 event at Navan last month.
That form was boosted when the runner-up won the River Don at Doncaster next time and Doctor Steinberg screams of one who has much more to offer with the situation requires. He can put himself high on the list for one of the novice hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival with another success now moving into Grade 1 company.
Dippedinmoonlight caught the eye last time
The Race And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle (14:25) looks a fiercely-competitive contest where you can make a strong case for many, but Dippedinmoonlight very much caught the eye at Fairyhouse last time, and she represents an ultra-shrewd yard.
She’s a bumper winner who also showed fairly useful form when winning on the Flat, and she was seemingly been brought along with handicaps in mind in this sphere.
Indeed, she was strong in the betting when making her handicap debut earlier this month, and she looked some way ahead of her mark, impressing with how well she travelled through her race, but just unable to hold off a really strong stayer on her first try at three miles.
Dippedinmoonlight was ridden positively, kicking clear briefly after the second-last flight, but headed coming down to the last. She did pull clear of the remainder, though, and her Horse In Focus Flag marks her out as a horse to be positive about.
Furthermore, excellent conditional rider Michael Kenneally takes off an invaluable 7lb, more than offsetting the 5lb rise in the weights she endured for her latest run, and the Jockey Uplift Flag has been awarded as a result. She’ll need luck in running in this big-field event, but she’s almost certainly a very well-handicapped mare.
Champs can make it four in a row
It looks a belting renewal of the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (15:30) and, though Galopin des Champs lost his unbeaten record over fences at this course when third to Affordale Fury and I Am Maximus in the Savills Chase over course and distance last month, he’s still the one to beat on the pick of his form.
He can be forgiven of displaying signs his standard is slipping given the amount he’s done over the years, but he still left a positive impression on what was his first start for eight months, doing well to get back to the front briefly off the home turn.
Galopin des Champs stayed on at the one pace in the lengthy straight, leaving the impression the run was needed, while the ground was also perhaps on the fast side for him, too (Timeform described the ground as good).
His record when fresh isn’t a glowing one, either, so he will likely have come on plenty for that outing, and conditions at Leopardstown on Monday will be much more to his liking. He remains Timeform’s highest-rated chaser in training and is well worth another chance to confirm he’s still capable of top-class form in his pursuit of four straight wins in this Grade 1 contest.
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