Horse racing tips: Leopardstown and Limerick – Eamonn Hames’ top betting preview for Friday, December 29
Eamonn Hames guides you through Friday's racing from Leopardstown and Limerick
LEOPARDSTOWN
1.20
LAST year’s impressive winner LET’S DANCE will be seriously hard to beat.
Willie Mullins’ five-year-old has a huge engine, faces ideal conditions here and seemingly only has the misfortune of a heavy fall at Punchestown standing in her way.
She does take chances with her hurdles, but that’s the chance a real slick hurdler takes.
Forge Meadow was left with the race at her mercy when the selection crashed out at Punchestown.
The Jessica Harrington trained five-year-old’s hard-pulling tendencies had often cost her previously, but she settled well and powered clear to win with plenty in hand.
The selection’s stablemate Karalee may come out best at the weights, but Forge Meadow is a much more potent threat under these conditions.
Dawn Shadow is a useful type and the UK raider Lady Buttons will not lack for trying, but third may be the best she can hope for.
1.55
IT was pretty impressive seeing MONALEE jump a fence for the first time at Punchestown.
Henry De Bromhead’s six-year-old always looked a chaser last season, but the proof really is in the pudding.
He took care of two decent yardsticks with the utmost ease and all while being far from 100% fit.
This is a proper chaser, a proper Grade 1 horse and he probably won’t face anything resembling a challenge until the Spring Festivals.
Rathvinden has been making up for lost time this season and sets the standard after his Drinmore second, but a place is the best he can shoot for.
Not only is the selection likely to improve past him today, but his stablemate Bon Papa and Mossback are also likely to flourish for the step up to three miles.
Jury Duty should get the closest to giving the selection a race though. Gordon Elliott’s six-year-old won the Florida Pearl last month, stays all day and looks one for the four-miler at the Cheltenham Festival.
There will be no hanging around here with plenty of pace on and Jury Duty will be eating up the ground all the way through and past the line.
2.30
THE manner of FAUGHEEN’s return in the Morgiana Hurdle said it all - the machine is back.
The way he set a searching gallop and overcame a few clumsy leaps to win by a devastating 16 lengths was truly jaw dropping.
There aren’t many that could do that to a Champion Hurdler like Jezki, but this nine-year-old did.
Willie Mullins thinks he only had him at 90% that day too, so who knows what he will do to these rivals.
There is always the dreaded bounce factor to consider, but he’s had 40 days to recover and Willie Mullins could not be any happier with his current condition.
These rivals simply cannot be compared with him and a double-digit winning margin is the bare minimum expected here.
The Closutton second string Cilaos Emery comes out next best at the ratings and he should confirm that if ridden cold by David Mullins.
The five-year-old was beaten by Mick Jazz last season, but their careers have went in opposite directions since and that form should be turned around.
Campeador is a class act, but his record has more letters than numbers recently and The Game Changer is clearly outclassed.
Eamonn Hames' best bets for Leopardstown
1.20 Leopardstown - Let's Dance
1.55 Leopardstown - Monalee
2.30 Leopardstown - Faugheen
3.05 Leopardstown - Midnight Stroll
3.05
THE best bet of the day is MIDNIGHT STROLL in the competitive Top Oil Irish EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle.
Robert Tyner’s five-year-old is a chaser through and through, but he’s improved at a rapid rate in his short time hurdling and is arguably worth a shot in better company.
His mark of 127 has connections going down the handicap route though and even though he is burdened with top-weight - he should have far too much for these.
Mischievious Max comes out best at the weights, Paul Townend is an eye-catching booking for Slippery Serpent and Lesley Dawn is fitted with a hood for her first foray into handicapping.
MOST READ
LEOPARDSTOWN
12.20 Whatareudoingtome
12.50 Ballyward
1.20 Let's Dance
1.55 Monalee
2.30 Faugheen
3.05 Midnight Stroll (nap)
3.35 Daly Tiger
LIMERICK
12.30 Beyond The Law
1.00 Kate Appleby Shoes
1.35 Moores Road
2.10 Delta Work (nb)
2.45 The Ballyboys
3.15 West Coast Time
3.45 Jammy George