15:00 Leopardstown

Friday 28 December 2018

All12:1012:4513:2013:5014:2515:0015:35

Savills Chase (Grade 1)

Off time: 15:00 | Winning time: 6m 6.50s

Balko Des Flos¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 166| C

8/1

Narrowly touched off in last year's renewal by Road To Respect before winning the Ryanair at the Cheltenham Festival (2m5f). Not as good either start this season, plenty to find with defending champion based on last month's Down Royal Grade 1 form.

Form: 3214-43

Bellshill²⁴⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Ruby Walsh| T: W P Mullins| OR: 168| D

8/1

Showed his class with Punchestown Gold Cup success in the spring, having just failed in Irish Grand National previously. 8/10 career wins have come going right-handed (beaten only once) compared with 2-11 record going this way around.

Form: 1F3/151-

Coney Island⁴⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Mark Walsh| T: E P Harty| OR: 158| C| D

14/1

Appeared to be going places when winning at Ascot in December 2017, though failed to complete either start thereafter. Blew the cobwebs off at Navan last month over timber but the jury is very much out in this company and plenty to prove.

Form: 12/1PP-3

Disko⁴¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: R M Power| T: N Meade| OR: 164| C

14/1

Lightly-raced and has four wins in seven starts over fences. Beat Anibale Fly in good fashion over similar trip at Punchestown in April 2017, hasn't raced since winning 2m3½f Down Royal Grade 2 some 419 days ago. Has plenty potential.

Form: 33131/1-

Edwulf^t¹⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr D O'Connor| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 161| CD

25/1

Remarkable story created when he won the Grade 1 Irish Gold Cup (3m) in February, considering he had nearly died 11 months earlier at Cheltenham. Not at that level since and opposable on balance.

Form: P/P187-5

Kemboy⁴³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: D J Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 157| D

8/1

Finished off last term with a couple of wins over the larger obstacles including a Grade 3 success at Limerick in April. Reappeared by staying on strongly to win Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase (2m4f, good) last month. Stays this far and still improving.

Form: 14F11-1

Monalee⁵⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: N D Fehily| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 159| BF| C| D

11/2

Grade 1 winner here over 2m5f and runner-up in the RSA at Cheltenham last term as a novice, he also fell over C&D last Christmas. Beaten favourite on seasonal bow at Down Royal last month, career-best demanded this time.

Form: 1F12F-3

Outlander^p⁵⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-10| J: M A Enright| T: G Elliott| OR: 159| CD

25/1

Finished best of all to win this race in 2016, though only third behind Road To Respect last year. Mixed bag since and last month's Down Royal Grade 1 suggests balance of power firmly with his younger Gigginstown-owned rival now.

Form: 2PP8-23

Road To Respect^h⁵⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade| OR: 169| CD

9/4

Excellent form over 3m+ as a chaser, including when winning this race last year. Fourth in Cheltenham Gold Cup before third behind Bellshill at Punchestown, impressively landed Down Royal Grade 1 on reappearance and plenty in his favour now.

Form: 12143-1

The Storyteller¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott| OR: 158

20/1

Main beneficiary when Al Boum Photo sparked kamikaze finish to the Growise Champion Novice Chase over 3m½f at Punchestown in April, holding off Monbeg Notorious to prevail amid the carnage. That form won't be strong enough to fend this lot off.

Form: 7151-54

Shattered Love^t¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 155| CD

6/1

Mare was a promising novice last season, winning over C&D at this meeting and impressing with JLT success at Cheltenham Festival. Well beaten behind The Storyteller at Punchestown final start. Second both runs since, back up in trip, must improve.

Form: 1125-22

Non-Runners

Anibale Fly¹⁹

Weight: 11-10| Age: 8

T: A J Martin J: B J Geraghty

Forecasts

Road To Respect (9/4), Monalee (11/2), Shattered Love (6/1), Kemboy (8/1), Bellshill (8/1), Balko Des Flos (8/1), Anibale Fly (10/1), Coney Island (14/1), Disko (14/1), The Storyteller (20/1), Outlander (25/1), Edwulf (25/1)

ROAD TO RESPECT won this Grade 1 last year and, on the evidence of last month's Champion Chase success at Down Royal, may be even better now. He had Outlander (goes well here) and Balko Des Flos cooked a long way out that afternoon and should prove a tough nut to crack. Bellshill beat the selection at Punchestown in the spring but Willie Mullins' charge undoubtedly would prefer going right-handed. C&D winner Anibale Fly, third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, could be the biggest danger ahead of improving Kemboy and the returning Disko.