14:30 Leopardstown

Sunday 28 December 2025

All12:1012:4513:2013:5514:3015:0515:40

Savills Chase (Grade 1)

Off time: 14:31 | Winning time: 6m 22.7s

Affordale Fury³¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Sam Ewing| T: N Meade| OR: 157| D

7/1

Very smart chaser. 8/11, didn't need to be at best when winning 6-runner listed chase at Thurles (22f, good to soft) 31 days ago by 4¾ lengths from Appreciate It, well on top finish. Difficult ask in this company.

Form: 15/2-221

Champ Kiely⁴⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: H Cobden| T: W P Mullins| OR: 158

11/1

High-class chaser. 16/5, good short-head second of 5 to Only By Night in Poplar Square Chase at Naas (16f, soft) on reappearance 49 days ago, just failing. Significantly back up in trip.

Form: 14131-2

Fastorslow^t³⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Ricky Doyle| T: M Brassil| OR: 168| D

9/2

Dual Punchestown Gold Cup winner who also won the 2023 John Durkan. Remote third to Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File in this year's John Durkan but it was his first outing for 12 months and he's entitled to be sharper now.

Form: 12U1/4-3

Galopin Des Champs²⁴²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 176| CD

6/5

Top-class chaser who is 7-7 over fences at Leopardstown, including the last 2 runnings of this. Last seen easily winning Punchestown Gold Cup in April. The one to beat again.

Form: 2/31121-

Gerri Colombe⁴²¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 168| BF| D

12/1

Top-class chaser but not seen since below-par 13½ lengths third of 5 to Envoi Allen in Champion Chase at Down Royal 14 months ago. Entitled to need this.

Form: 11221/3-

Grangeclare West³⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Brian Hayes| T: W P Mullins| OR: 166| CD

33/1

High-class chaser at his best, finishing second to Galopin des Champs in last season's Irish Gold Cup over C&D. Should be sharper for his reappearance in John Durkan but more a place than win contender.

Form: 62535-8

I Am Maximus³⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr D O'Connor| T: W P Mullins| OR: 170

50/1

Posted a top-class handicap performance when finding only reopposing stablemate Nick Rockett too strong when bidding for back-to-back wins in the Grand National at Aintree in April. Well beaten in John Durkan on reappearance and his campaign will presumably be geared around Aintree again.

Form: 11/P82-9

Inothewayurthinkin^t³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Mark Walsh| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 176

13/2

Produced a top-class performance when proving 6 lengths too strong for Galopin des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. Never involved in the John Durkan on his reappearance but likely to make more of an impact back at 3m.

Form: 1/7541-5

Lecky Watson³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: W P Mullins| OR: 159| D

20/1

Very smart chaser. 66 lengths seventh of 10 to Gaelic Warrior in John Durkan at Punchestown on reappearance. Should strip fitter now.

Form: 5/111F-7

Monty's Star²⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 157| D

28/1

A little short of the very best but he is high class, including fourth to Inothewayurthinkin in last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup. Well beaten in the Coral Gold Cup (handicap) on his Newbury reappearance.

Form: 2/2543-0

Stellar Story^p³⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Danny Gilligan| T: G Elliott| OR: 154| D

33/1

Smart chaser. 14/1, 13¾ lengths third of 5 to Grey Dawning in Betfair Chase at Haydock (25.6f, good to soft) 36 days ago. Uphill task.

Form: 14223-3

Non-Runners

Croke Park⁵⁷

Weight: 11-10| Age: 7

T: G Elliott J: Keith Donoghue

Forecasts

Galopin Des Champs (6/5), Fastorslow (9/2), Inothewayurthinkin (13/2), Affordale Fury (7/1), Champ Kiely (11/1), Gerri Colombe (12/1), Lecky Watson (20/1), Monty's Star (28/1), Grangeclare West (33/1), Stellar Story (33/1), I Am Maximus (50/1), Croke Park (66/1)

The returning GALOPIN DES CHAMPS can take Cheltenham Gold Cup revenge on Iknowthewayurthinkin and land a third successive win in this race. Fastorslow may prove best of the rest.