13:45 Leopardstown

Wednesday 27 December 2023

All12:0512:3513:1013:4514:2015:0015:35

Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)

Off time: 13:45 | Winning time: 4m 11.5s

Absurde⁵⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: D E Mullins| T: W P Mullins| BF

14/1

Made winning start over hurdles at Killarney in May and though only sixth when odds-on at Galway on latest start in this sphere, not much went right for him that day. Since done very well on the Flat, winning the Ebor before finishing fifth in the Melbourne Cup. One of 4 from the Mullins yard.

Form: 16

Caldwell Potter¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| D

6/1

Fairly useful bumper winner who shaped well when runner-up on hurdles debut at Punchestown last month. Duly went one better in a big-field Navan maiden (2m, heavy) and he's clearly a good prospect for the Gordon Elliott yard (also represented here by Down Memory Lane).

Form: 8/163-21

Daddy Long Legs²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-12| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| D

9/4

Short-head second in 1½m newcomers race at Saint-Cloud in May 2022, only outing on Flat in France. Changed hands for for €210,000 in July of that year and he looked very good indeed when making a winning hurdles debut at Thurles (16.5f, good to soft). Paul Townend's pick of the 4 Mullins runners.

Form: 1

Down Memory Lane⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr D O'Connor| T: G Elliott| D

5/2

Won sole start in points and 12-runner bumper at Fairyhouse on Rules debut in February. Made it 3-3 when landing the odds switched to hurdles at Down Royal (16.9f, soft) and while this is a much stiffer task, he looks destined for big things.

Form: 11-1

Fascile Mode²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: M J M O'Sullivan| T: T Mullins| CD

14/1

Bumper winner on debut here last term and also successful on his first run over hurdles/seasonal reappearance this time round at Punchestown (16.2f, good to soft) in October. However, he came up short in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse and again looks vulnerable.

Form: 1404-16

Predators Gold³²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr P W Mullins| T: W P Mullins| D

4/1

Looked a good prospect when making a successful debut in 16-runner bumper at Punchestown in April. Also impressed on his hurdles bow/return at the same course (19.4f, soft) last month. His future looks bright but this represents a steep rise in class and Paul Townend prefers Daddy Long Legs.

Form: 1-1

Smooth Tom⁴⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-12| J: Keith Donoghue| T: A Slattery| C| D

28/1

Useful Flat performer who made a winning hurdles debut at Listowel in September. Made it 2-2 in this sphere when taking a Naas novice (16f, soft) last month but this is much more demanding.

Form: 11

The Big Doyen⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Mark Walsh| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 135| D

11/1

Useful hurdler who completed a simple task when making all in a Tipperary maiden in July. Followed up at Galway the following month and since held his own in better company, finishing third in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham (21f, soft) last time. Still, he looks vulnerable back down in trip here.

Form: 59-1123

Westport Cove^h³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Brian Hayes| T: W P Mullins| D

40/1

Fairyhouse bumper winner on his introduction in January. Tailed off in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival next time but back on track with a hurdles debut success on return at Thurles (16.2f, soft). However, he is the least appealing of the Mullins-trained quartet here.

Form: 10-1

Forecasts

Daddy Long Legs (9/4), Down Memory Lane (5/2), Predators Gold (4/1), Caldwell Potter (6/1), The Big Doyen (11/1), Fascile Mode (14/1), Absurde (14/1), Smooth Tom (28/1), Westport Cove (40/1)

DADDY LONG LEGS and Down Memory Lane are two very smart prospects and look set to fight out the finish. Choosing between them isn't at all easy but Willie Mullins has landed six of the last eight runnings of this and Daddy Long Legs, who is Paul Townend's pick of the yard's four runners, was a most impressive winner on his hurdles debut at Thurles and he is marginally preferred. Down Memory Lane's stablemate Caldwell Potter is third choice.