LEOPARDSTOWN’S CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL
For Dubliners the magic of Christmas runs on a bit longer than in other parts of the world – four days longer in fact. The Leopardstown Christmas Festival injects a new lease of life to the party season and draws in friends from Dublin and its hinterland to the ultimate meeting-up venue in the country.
For some the Festival is the best possible cure for Santa claustrophobia – the urgent impulse to escape the fairy lights and telly re-runs to get a lungful of bracing Foxrock air ,exchanging the embrace of in-laws and distant cousins for glad reunions with mates from near and far.
For others it’s the best possible way to re-connect with the heart and soul of Ireland which is best portrayed in its greatracing traditions. This is where town meets country and we get a chance to meet the cast of human and equine talent which make Irish racing our most successful international sport.
Pick any day of this great Festival and you will discover just what has made it the must-do event for generations of race-goers and socialisers.
Don't forget that Children under 14year of age go for FREE!!
Day 1 – Dec 26th - Stephens day and Durkan Day 
Durkan New Homes Novice Chase
Some of the most exciting novice chasers in the country hold entries in the Durkan New Homes Chase, set to be run over two miles and a furlong on St Stephen’s Day, including Tranquil Sea, Cooldine, Forpadydeplasterer and Aran Concerto, all of whom have been plying their trade over longer distances over fences to date. The Tom Mullins-trained Made In Taipan, an impressive winner of his only chase to date at Naas at the beginning of November, is another interesting entry, as is Ebaziyan, the 2007 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner from the Willie Mullins yard, who has yet to jump a fence in public. It may also be significant that the only overseas entry is the Paul Nicholls-trained Tatenen, a really impressive winner of both of his starts over fences to date and as short as 5/2 already for the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham in March. As a four-year-old, he will be in receipt of 11lb from his elders should he make the trip.
Durkan New Homes Juvenile Hurdle
Tharawaat and Lethal Weapon, two of the most promising juvenile hurdlers around, are set to go head-to-head in the Durkan New Homes Juvenile Hurdle. JP McManus’s gelding Lethal Weapon, who was trained by David Wachman to win twice on the flat during the summer, has easily landed both of the hurdle races that he has contested since joining the Christy Roche yard. He has form on both good and soft ground, and he could be one of the leading juvenile hurdlers in Ireland this season. Equally as exciting is the Gordon Elliott-trained Tharawaat, who was trained by Barry Hills on the flat and who ran out a really impressive winner of the Grade 3 juvenile hurdle at Fairyhouse on Hatton’s Grace Hurdle day. Again, Paul Nicholls adds a touch of spice by entering Pepite De Soleil, a Fly To The Stars filly who hasn’t raced for the Ditcheat trainer yet, but who won a listed hurdle race at Auteuil in September, and whose lofty position in the Triumph Hurdle market suggests that big things are expected.
Day 2 – Dec 27th Paddy Power Day 
Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase
Paul Nicholls has entered four in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase, which is hardly surprising given his policy of targeting the top Irish races this season. Whichever combination of Master Minded, Natal, Takeroc and Twist Magic he decides to run will represent a formidable raiding party. Leading the home defence is the Colm Murphy-trained Big Zeb, who hasn’t raced this season to date, but who was never out of the first two in five completed starts last term, and rounded off his campaign with an emphatic win in the Grade 1 Swordlestown Cup at Punchestown in April. Entries for Justified, Mansony, Thyne Again, Finger Onthe Pulse, Newmill, Scotsirish, Sky’s The Limit and Schindlers Hunt ensures that this prize will not be going for export too readily.
Paddy Power Handicap Chase
The Davy Fitzgerald-trained Operation Houdini heads the sponsor’s betting on the Paddy Power Chase. The six-year-old gelding has been desperately unlucky of late, losing the Cork Grand National in the stewards’ room on his penultimate start after getting home by a short head from Alickadoo, and then going down by a length to the smart Notre Pere in the Troytown Chase at Navan after looking like the most likely winner at the second last fence. Raised 7lb for his Cork National ‘win’, he has been given another 7lb by the handicapper for his Navan run, but he is an improver, and his weight of 10st 9lb in the long handicap suggests that he will get in on a nice racing weight.
As is befitting a three-mile handicap chase sponsored by a bookmaker, there are any number of entries with chances. Hoopy made the headlines at Cheltenham in November after his jockey ‘borrowed’ another rider’s whip out in the country, but that shouldn’t detract from the horse’s performance in running out a game winner of the amateur riders’ chase. His mark of 10st 7lb in the long handicap looks reasonable. Polmar has raced just twice for Willie Mullins, and one of those times was over hurdles, but there was a lot to like about this ex-French gelding’s performance in finishing third to Glenfinn Captain on heavy ground at Clonmel in October, and he could be attractively weighted on 10st 7lb. Callherwhatulike was third in the three-mile novices’ chase at this meeting last year and her handicap mark of 126 is reasonable, while Nor’Nor’East, is an interesting entry from the Jonjo O’Neill yard.
Day 3 – Dec 28th Lexus Chase Day 
Knight Frank Novice Chase
Trafford Lad and Forpadydeplasterer, first and second in the Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse at the end of November, could be in line for a re-match in the Knight Frank Chase on the third day of Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival. These two were among our top staying novice hurdlers last season, each of them landing a Grade 1 prize and both of them filling third and fourth places respectively in the Ballymore Properties Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. They both looked like embryo steeplechasers last season, and that potential is being fulfilled this term. Dusty Sheehy and Tom Cooper have exciting young chasers on their hands. With Aran Concerto, Breedsbreeze, Siegemaster, The Tother One, Tranquil Sea and Footy Facts all holding entries, this could be one of the races of the week.
Lexus Chase
The overseas raid on the Lexus Chase is going to be difficult to resist this year, with the seven-strong UK entry making up almost one-third of the total. Heading the list is last year’s Lexus Chase third and Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup winner The Listener, who has made Leopardstown a home from home, and who is on a recovery mission of sorts after a lack-lustre display in the JNwine.com Chase at Down Royal on his most recent visit to these shores. He is joined in the raiding party by the Charlie Mann-trained Air Force One, second in the Hennessy at Newbury at the end of November, Jonjo O’Neill’s Exotic Dancer, and Donald McCain’s Cloudy Lane, as well as a formidable trio from the Nicholls yard, Neptune Collonges, Noland and Big Buck’s.
It would be a phenomenal training performance by Mouse Morris if he could get War Of Attrition back to the sort of form that he was in when he landed the 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup and, if he can, the Gigginstown House gelding will be the one to beat in this. Snowy Morning, Mister Top Notch, Thyne Again and Notre Pere also hold a Lexus Chase entry, as does last season’s Irish Grand National winner, Hear The Echo.
Winter Style at The Lexus Chase
Speed, glamour, excitement and a blast of fresh air – just what a girl needs to perk up those cold winter days. Luckily, there’s a grand tradition in place that will provide all that and more – the Leopardstown Christmas Racing Festival from Friday December 26th (St Stephen’s Day) to Monday December 29th.
On Sunday 28th December, the glamour stakes will be under Starter’s Orders when Lexus Ireland hosts the most stylish competition of the annual Leopardstown Christmas National Hunt Festival – Winter Style at The Lexus Chase.
With a guaranteed minimum prize fund of €200,000, the Grade 1 Lexus Chase is the richest race in the winter national hunt calendar. And, with a competition prize pack valued at 15,000, Winter Style at The Lexus Chase is the richest Ladies Day prize of the winter season also.
Presented by Lexus Ireland in association with The Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt, the winner of Winter Style at The Lexus Chase will be the lady whose style, poise and glamour personifies festive style and the winter season. Leading the selection panel this Christmas will be Lexus Style Ambassador and Ireland’s most-stylish woman, Lisa Fitzpatrick.
The €15,000Winter Style at The Lexus Chase prize pack* includes:
- Transfers to The Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt, including Lexus chauffeur transfers
- Two nights in the hotel’s ultra-exclusive Presidential Suite (where each nightly stay costs €5,000!)
- Pampering in the hotel’s ESPA spa
- Dinner for two at Gordon Ramsay at Powerscourt
- A €2,000 Dundrum Town Centre shopping spree
*Bookings subject to availability; terms and conditions apply
Day 4 – 29th Festival Hurdle day 
This season has seen a resurgence of sorts from the old stagers in the two-mile hurdling division, with Hardy Eustace beating the young bucks in the Morgiana Hurdle, and Brave Inca getting to within a whisker of beating Catch Me in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle on his first run in 19 months. Both of these stalwarts, who have an aggregate of 23 years under their girths, are all set to take their respective places in the December Festival Hurdle. Brave Inca’s record in the race in three attempts is 211, Hardy’s is 732. He’s getting closer.
It’s not going to be easy for the olds hands this time, however. The Champion Hurdle second favourite, Henry de Bromhead’s Sizing Europe, is set to take his chance in the race, as is the Noel Meade-trained Aitmatov, while the Edward O’Grady pair Catch Me and Clopf are also on the list of entries. Among the youngsters who hold entries are River Liane, Hurricane Fly and Won In The Dark.
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