Leopardstown Tips for Monday 29th December

Last Updated on 29/12/2025 by Andy Clark

One final day of racing goes to post at Leopardstown on Monday as the Christmas Festival draws to a close with another classy racecard featuring competitive handicap action and a Grade One race over hurdles on the closing eight-race card.

For Irish TV punters, there is televised action on RTE2 with four live races, including the day’s feature Grade One contest, the December Hurdle, where Lossiemouth locks horns with Brighterdaysahead in what should prove a fascinating duel between the potential Champion Hurdle contenders.

1:22 Leopardstown – Irish Stallion Farms EBF Kerrymount Mares Hurdle (Grade 3) (4yo+) 2m4½f

The eye is immediately drawn to Gordon Elliott’s Wodhooh, who was impressive when making a winning reappearance at Cheltenham last month. Still, in receipt of 8lbs the vote goes to SIXANDAHALF (9/2) from the Gavin Cromwell yard, and the Snow Sky mare can cause an upset here.

Still only a five-year old with just four starts over hurdles to her name, there is a strong impression that she has plenty of improvement in her and having won on her hurdles debut last term, she went on to finish runner-up in the Mares’ Novice Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival before a good third in a good event at Punchestown.

Better for a run on the flat to blow away cobwebs, she reverted to hurdles to chase down Colonel Mustard at Sligo back in October; that rival won a Grade Two next time and acquitted himself well in the recent Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.

On bare form, she likely has a little bit of improvement to find if she’s to trouble Wodhooh, but the concession of weight by that one to the selection could prove a difference-maker and with this step up in trip a potential source of improvement, she can come out on top here.

1:57 Leopardstown – Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase (4yo+) 3m½f

ST DENIS’S WELL (SP) might be worth chancing here, dropping in class following an eye-catching run in a more competitive contest when last seen.

Ian Donoghue’s charge was a hurdles winner the time before, exploiting a much-reduced mark to strike at Navan under this rider and the Famous Name gelding was given far too much to do in the recent Porterstown Chase at Fairyhouse, won by Better Times Ahead.

Sixth there, he was just behind a subsequent winner at this meeting on Saturday pas,t and he could still be fairly treated on the pick of his hurdles form racing off the same mark. This is easier than his most recent Fairyhouse assignment and reunited with his good claiming rider, who can take 2lbs off his back, and he can go well for an in-form yard.

He may well have gone close in this contest twelve months ago, still in the mix and going well when unseating three out off a mark higher than his current rating, and it wouldn’t be a big shock if he were to be competitive again.

2:32 Leopardstown – December Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo+) 2m

LOSSIEMOUTH (4/7) and Brighterdaysahead lock horns here with potential Champion Hurdle aspirations on the line; Willie Mullins’ star is taken to come out on top in what could prove a fascinating duel between the pair.

Winner of her last three starts, including the Morgiana Hurdle last month, the Great Pretender mare arrives with a fitness advantage over her rival who is making her seasonal debut, and that could prove the difference maker between the two.

She was impressive at Punchestown latest, scoring by almost 20 lengths without being extended, and she’s fully effective at this trip despite her best winning form all coming over further. Likely to be sent out to make the running as she did last time, her stamina for further could well expose any lack of fitness in Gordon Elliott’s star and she can double up for the season before turning her sights to Cheltenham.

3:05 Leopardstown – Neville Hotels Premier Handicap Hurdle (Listed Race) (4yo+ 0-150) 2m4½f

The RTE2 closing race can go the way of Henry De Bromhead’s AIR OF ENTITLEMENT (8/1), and last season’s Cheltenham Festival winner can resume winning ways.

The Westerner mare took the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle back in March, beating Sixandahalf, who runs earlier in the card, and there was no caste lost in her subsequent defeat in a Grade One at Fairyhouse behind Aurora Vega in ground that possibly was against her.

Runner-up on her reappearance, again on testing ground, she possibly just lacked in fitness behind reopposing Fad Eadrainn, and she’s now 4lbs better off that rival here. With that under her belt she should prove a lot straighter now and can prove a different proposition on this better surface, where it wouldn’t come as a shock if she were to bounce back now tackling a handicap for the first time.

Potentially well-treated on the pick of her novice form a big run could be on the cards in the TV closer.