RACING NEWS:THE COLD snap may be hitting much of the country, but no weather problems are expected to hamper Leopardstown's prestigious Christmas festival, which could yet attract the top-class English runner Voy Por Ustedes for next Monday's Lexus Chase.
The former two-mile champion was described yesterday as being “80-20 in favour” of travelling to the south Co Dublin track for a prize that his owner, Robert Ogden, won with the ill-fated Exotic Dancer 12 months ago.
“We are desperate to get a run into him,” Odgen’s racing manager, Barry Simpson, said yesterday. “He has only been out once this season and he boils up so quickly that he needs a race.
“We have three options for him, but it is 80-20 in favour of running in the Lexus. The issue with Ireland may be the ground, as it will probably be soft and holding which would be against him.
“But he wants to go left-handed and we believe that is the key to him,” he added.
The five-day entry stage for the Lexus is today, but one name who won’t be on the list is the Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Tranquil Sea, who will instead drop back to two miles and a furlong for Sunday’s Grade One Dial-A-Bet Chase.
“I would like to think he has improved since Cheltenham and this seems a nice opportunity for him to prove that,” trainer Edward O’Grady said. “It may not be his ideal trip, but we’re looking forward to it as there aren’t many opportunities for him.”
The official ground description at Leopardstown yesterday was “soft”, and manager Tom Burke is confident the weather won’t interfere with the four-day festival that begins on St Stephen’s Day.
“Obviously it has been very cold but we have managed to avoid the frost, snow and all the bad weather going around,” Burke said.
“It looks like we’re in for a cold week, but there are some indications that temperatures are going to slowly rise towards Christmas. We are quite confident everything is going to go well. We’re in good shape at the moment.”
The St Stephen’s Day feature at Leopardstown will be the Grade One Bord na Mona Novice Chase, which features the season’s leading novice, Sizing Europe.
Edward O’Grady is keen to take on the former AIG winner, however, with his own high-class novice Osana, who has won both his starts over fences, including a defeat of Roberto Goldback at Navan. “I have little doubt the horse with the best form at the moment is Sizing Europe who looks the best horse around,” O’Grady said. “But my horse has taken to fences well. It will be a very good renewal.”
Limerick’s St Stephen’s Day feature will be the Grade Two Guinness Greenmount Park Novice Chase over two and a half miles, a heat that Willie Mullins landed last year with Financial Reward.
The champion trainer has three of the 18 entries remaining in the race, including the Arkle hopeful Sports Line and last week’s Clonmel winner Apt Approach.
Mullins also has the option of running Our Monty, winner of the Cork National over three-and-a- half miles, on his last start, a performance that saw him raised 25lb in the ratings.
