Grey Guy can defy heavy ground to brighten up novice feature race

The four-day Leopardstown Christmas extravaganza kicks off with a £25,000 jackpot guarantee, the sort of competitive fields that make landing the Jackpot a considerable feat and perhaps most significantly of all in terms of form, heavy ground.

With further showers of rain forecast between now and St Stephen's Day, Leopardstown spokesman Tom Burke said yesterday: "From what we are being told at the moment, we have no reason to panic but whatever is being said, the course will ride very heavy."

In those circumstances whatever the trip every horse will have to draw on reserves of stamina which serves to make the featured Denny Gold Medal Novice Chase even more interesting.

Noel Meade's in-form team is represented by Dardjini and primarily Hill Society who is sure to be well-fancied considering his fine record over fences which was only spoiled by being brought down at Fairyhouse when looking to have smart performers like Private Peace and Irish Breeze in his sights.

The fact that that race was over two and a half miles and that he has been racing over distances in excess of Friday's shouldn't mean too much on this ground but even so he is worth opposing with Arthur Moore's strapping young horse, Grey Guy.

Even when winning his maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse at the start of this year, Grey Guy has always looked a potential chaser and there was absolutely nothing in his winning chase debut at Navan last month to suggest we should think otherwise. He made only one slight mistake but cruised home a winner when Glebe Lad, who had looked held, fell at the last.

It's a slight worry that Grey Guy has only had the one run over fences but against that, he acts well on soft ground, has a high cruising speed and has impressed his rider Conor O'Dwyer in two schooling runs around Punchestown's testing obstacles.

Space Trucker never really looked happy at Sandown last time when a beaten favourite and should do better now. But he is usually better on better ground so it could be that Magical Lady, an easy winner at Thurles, could make her presence felt more. Nevertheless, Grey Guy looks nap material.

It could turn out to be a very good St Stephen's Day indeed for Conor O'Dwyer who looks set to repeat his Denny Juvenile Hurdle success on Grimes 12 months ago this time on Khairabar who should jump to the very top of the Triumph Hurdle market if taking this in the style expected.

This will be easily the most competitive juvenile hurdle contest run so far this season with the admirably tough Rainbow Frontier and Hamamelis taking part but Khairabar hinted at something rather special when sauntering home on his jumping debut at Fairyhouse and it will be a disappointment if he can't follow that up. The O'Dwyer-Christy Roche-JP McManus team can also be fancied to take the Kerry Spring Maiden Hurdle with the newcomer Vivo. This one returned to the track after a long lay-off to record some notable performances in the top handicaps on the flat this summer and also graduated to Group class when third to Quws in the Blandford Stakes at the Curragh, significantly on soft ground.

Like Kahairabar, Vivo was also bought out of John Oxx's yard and Roche would hardly introduce a hurdling newcomer in such a good maiden if he didn't believe he cope with a big field and heavy ground.

O'Dwyer teams up Chateau Martin, attractively weighted in the Move-Over-Butter Handicap Hurdle, but he may have to settle for the runner-up spot here behind Dons Delight. Norman Williamson flies over from England to ride at Leopardstown and on the strength of Dons Delight's last run, a good second to Windgap Hill at Cork, the trip should be worthwhile.

Indeed, Williamson could also team up successfully with Tom Taaffe for Dudley Do Right in the opener. It's quite surprising that this horse is still a maiden over flights but he has some excellent form, including a second to Native Estates at Fairyhouse last time. The likes of Taoibhin and Major Sponsor are interesting opposition but a peak form Dudley Do Right should be up to beating them. The concluding bumper has become a very significant event with the last two Cheltenham Festival bumper winners, Florida Pearl and Wither Or Which, making their debuts here. Their trainer, Willie Mullins, isn't represented this time but it should still produce a decent winner and Aidan O'Brien's Divided Opinion could be the one settle the argument.

Paul Carberry, who starts a 10day suspension on Monday, can get on the scoresheet courtesy of Toni's Tip in the Dial-A-Bet Handicap Chase.