Racing

Leopardstown betting tips: Honeysuckle looks a sweet proposition

Our two racing writers have teamed up for this week’s preview. Cheltmental (David Young) and Architect Tips (Steven Dowler) have combined to offer their verdict on Saturday’s Leopardstown meeting, featuring an enormous £28,000+ Rollover Win 6.. They are both in agreement that Honeysuckle looks to be the biggest banker of the afternoon. If you agree with their tips then join their Place 6 Syndicate and their Win 6 Syndicate.

12.50 (NOVICE HURDLE)

AT: We kick things off with the first of four grade one races on today’s card and it’s a cracking novice hurdle.

Quite a few of these can be given a chance such as Home By The Lee and Elixir D’Ainay. However, I really like LONGHOUSE POET who has been behind Elixir D’Ainay twice already but was giving away hurdles experience the first time they met and was third when behind him again last time out over 2m4f. He closed rapidly on the runner-up at the backend of the contest to suggest that today’s extra two furlongs will suit and that can see him reverse the form.

Andy Dufresne is well regarded by his connections so it was a stunning performance to see LATEST EXHIBITION get the better of him last time. That is rock solid form and he clearly appreciated the step up in trip as he won going away. He’s clearly a high-class horse with more improvement to come and is the one they all have to beat.

CM: I’d like to think FURY ROAD is the real deal as a staying novice hurdler. I was expecting him to quicken more than he did after a mistake at the last but that was run on heavy ground, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Selections: FURY ROAD, LONGHOUSE POET, LATEST EXHIBITION

13.25 (DUBLIN CHASE)

AT: Willie Mullins has many of his top-class horses crossing swords here. It promises to be some race with plenty of Champion Chase reputations on the line. I’m a huge fan of Cilaos Emery, who can’t be dismissed, but stablemate MIN is a huge price here. He is the clear top rated in the line-up and a dual winner of this race in recent years. His main aim will surely be the Ryanair Chase, which I think he will win, but connections must think he can go well in this race again having won it the last two years.

Paul Townend is off him, which is interesting, to ride the promising CHACUN POUR SOI. He was behind A Plus Tard last time out but travelled the better of the two despite lacking fitness compared to the winner. I am expecting a completely different level of performance in this race, he should reverse the form with A Plus Tard and needs to go close to winning this if he’s to going to have any chance of winning the Champion Chase.

CM: It’s brilliant to see Willie Mullins fire so many darts at this race. Particularly as the Champion Chase is the one championship race that has eluded him.

I think MIN will end up in the Ryanair but he’s the one they all have to beat in this race. He’s been most impressive in each of the two occasions he’s won this. CILAOS EMERY I think is slightly underrated and I fully expect him to be involved in this. I also think he will enjoy better than soft ground.

Selections: MIN, CHACUN POUR SOI, CILAOS EMERY

14.00 (ARKLE NOVICES CHASE)

AT: I know he is 2lbs worse off but I expect FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES to be ridden more forcefully this time as that’s when he is seen to best effect. He was only beaten by a length last time despite his rider losing an iron briefly and wasn’t given a particularly hard time. That was a good performance and I can see him reversing the form with Notebook if ridden positively.

This could go either horribly wrong or work out very nicely. However, I think a strongly run 2 miles will suit BAPAUME well. He travels and jumps very well and there is sure to be a lot of pace up front. Whether BAPAUME wins or not today, I am confident he will run a big race.

CM: Considering I can’t have Bapaume as a 2 mile chaser I’d better skip by him but I do think Willie Mullins has a strong chance with MELON. Now he doesn’t win often enough and has run poor here since his Maiden win (before being Gelded) so I couldn’t be strong on his chances but I would hope he’ll be close at the finish.

NOTEBOOK looks the most solid option and I do think he’ll uphold the form with Fakir D’oudaries, who might be trying too hard to reverse those placings whereas NOTEBOOK can just keep doing what he has been, which is winning.

Selections: FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES, BAPAUME, NOTEBOOK, MELON

14.35 (HANDICAP CHASE)

AT: A tricky handicap here which I am finding very hard to solve. However, ECLAIR DE BEAUFEU has run well in two graded races recently and was fourth on this card last year in the Ladbrokes hurdle, albeit off a 10lbs lower mark. He’s taken well to fences and was solid over hurdles including when looking booked for second in last years County Hurdle at Cheltenham but for falling at the last.

ECLAIR DU BEAUFEU is actually 1lb here taking his riders claim into account and I can see him showing up well.

PALOMA BLUE is the class act in the race and was the best of these over hurdles. He is another who has taken well to fences and has faced good opposition in his career to date. He is a C&D winner and will enjoy this better ground for a stable who do well at this meeting. I think PALOMA BLUE is the most solid option in the race to run a big race as he is definitely capable of winning a big handicap.

CM: This looks a typical trappy handicap but I’d shorten it down to three off the bat. PALOMA BLUE has to have a chance on this better ground compared to Ascot and I think he’ll go close. ÉCLAIR DE BEAUFEU looks to be a potentially nice handicapper but his form is in and out. BATCIO showed me enough the last day to suggest he can win a race like this and I think that look round the track will have put him spot on so he gets the vote

Selections: ECLAIR DE BEAUFEU, PALOMA BLUE, BATCIO

15.00 (IRISH CHAMPION HURDLE)

AT: This is a huge day for HONEYSUCKLE, who will surely be aimed at the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. If she comes through the Irish version here in flying colours.

Honeysuckle is an unbeaten classy mare, who obliterated a top field in the Hattons Grace at Fairyhouse last time out. I think she is just superb and the drop back in trip shouldn’t pose any problem. I would not dismiss KLASSICAL DREAM who ran a nice race on his return before a bad mistake last time out which cost him any chance of winning.

He was a high-class unbeaten novice and I still believe he is a Champion Hurdle contender despite not winning either start this campaign. I genuinely believe he is the only horse in the line-up capable of beating the star mare, Honeysuckle, as it’s too soon to be writing off this three time grade one winner.

CM: D-Day for HONEYSUCKLE as she races away from her apparent optimum conditions (going right at 2m 4f). She’s looked classy enough to handle it but with those unknowns she’d be a risky betting proposition. Honeysuckle likes to be up with the pace but over 2m in a Champion Hurdle she’ll find it very different. Nothing exciting here, but I’d expect the winner to come from the front two in the betting and I’d prefer it was HONEYSUCKLE.

Selections: HONEYSUCKLE

15.45 (LADBROKES HURDLE)

AT: Joseph O’Brien runs a few in this hot handicap and one of my horses to follow for this season EMBITTERED enters handicap company for the first time. He was a high-class bumper horse, won well on his hurdles debut beating Blackbow, who is smart. Then he was far from disgraced in two grade one events on his last couple of starts, the latest of those coming over C&D.

This race is much easier, despite the large field, and his opening handicap mark looks fair along with his nice weight of 11-1 with his in-form claimer taking off a further 7lbs. I think EMBITTERED has got outstanding claims at odds that look insulting as I would have made him favourite.

CM: This looks a very competitive handicap as you’d expect with this many entries but I can’t really get away from UNEXCEPTED and he’s a potentially worthy favourite. Based on his first start for Willie Mullins I think he’s much better than a 137 horse

Selections: EMBITTERED, UNEXCEPTED