Leopardstown Races Betting Preview: Sunday, 25th Jan

005 Irish Racing / Niall Cronin / 24 January 2009 / Leave a Comment

It's a big day at Leopardstown on Sunday where Brave Inca goes back to battle with Sublimity in the Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle. We've also got the Irish Arkle on the card, so punters can look forward to an excellent day of racing. Read Niall Cronin's big race tips here...

Big Bucks was one of the big winners at Cheltenham on Saturday, the appetising meeting to today's fixture at Leopardstown, and all week there has been a steady stream of "big bucks" from some big punters on Brave Inca in the feature Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle.

In a recent interview I carried out at trainer Colm Murphy's base, he quipped, "I hope it rains every day between now and then." That was almost two weeks ago, and while things haven't been that extreme, Colm Murphy has got his virtual wish with heavy ground being today's description.

Add in two pacemakers in Allez Petit Luis and Swiftmarc, take out two strong challengers in Sizing Europe and Won In The Dark, and Brave Inca could be set to metaphorically do a bit of structural damage to the grandstand by lifting the roof, in winning his tenth Grade 1 and repeating his efforts in this race back in 2005.

Probably those who have missed the boat with regards the 11-year-old's price, are not going to get another chance and he looks set to go off a short priced favourite ahead of Sublimity, last month's December Festival Hurdle winner.

Sublimity is not to be written off, neither is Muirhead, but Brave Inca it is for me, and give old Hardy Eustace every chance to run into a place, as he clearly just wasn't himself last time out and has proved already this season that he is not one to be written off.

The day's other big race is the Bailey's Arkle where a disappointing field of just five will go to post. Disappointing in numeric terms, but a nice little trappy affair all the same with three of the five having their followers.

For me, Follow The Plan's performance in beating a light-weighted Tatenen here at Christmas is good enough to suggest he can go on to make it two on the bounce for Oliver McKiernan and John Cullen.

That form surely has to be good enough here from Forpadydeplasterer who still has a little to prove although Davy Russell has spoken out about how he would love to be onboard Tom Cooper's stable star.

Jayo looks set to go off favourite but his ultra impressive display the last day at Naas came at the hands of Made In Taipan who was just not himself and for me Willie Mullins' charge still has a bit to prove yet.

The Grade 2 Synergy Security Services Novice Hurdle sees eight go to post with cases to be made for a number of the field but Corskeagh Royale, a course and distance winner here at Christmas when opening his account over hurdles, is given a tentative vote.

It may have took a while for the penny to drop over hurdles, but the six-year-old who was second to Cousin Vinny at Cheltenham last season, maybe progressing well enough to take this under Niall Madden with Paul Carberry out injured.

Noel Meade's biggest threat comes from hat-trick searching Weapon's Ammnesty who will relish the bottomless conditions but may just want a little further than today's 2m4f, although his Limerick run is not to be snubbed at.

Time Electric, a bumper winner here just over a year ago, has failed to go on and reach the dizzy heights many would have predicted following that very facile eight-length win.

He ran as expected when finishing closest to easy winner Zaarito in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown last time and is given one more chance here to open his account over timber and in the absence of the retained Davy Russell, there is none better than Ruby Walsh to deputise.

As expected for a big day at Leopardstown, the handicap hurdle is a very competitive one, but my weekend NAP, comes in the shape of Conor O'Dwyer's Hangover who off 11st, has a further three-pounds taken off by Nicky O'Shea and could take a bit of beating.

An impressive winner of his handicap hurdle on soft ground at Limerick on St Stephens Day, both his maiden hurdle and bumper wins came on heavy ground and the trainer reports him to be in good form ahead of today's assignment, which admittedly is a step up, but unlikely to be a bridge too far.