#Down Royal

Letsbeclearaboutit and Keith Donoghue winning the maiden hurdle Monday: Punchestown Gavin Cromwell enjoyed a productive afternoon as he landed a double on the card, headlined by Letsbeclearaboutit winning the 3m½f maiden hurdle. The eight-year-old justified favouritism under Keith Donoghue, pulling 22 lengths clear of Rowdy Romeo in second, and…

Fans are in for a treat on Saturday with some of the sport's stars on show including Cyrname and Paisley Park. Our betting guide highlights favourites worth opposing Wetherby Racecourse Cyrname and Paisley Park are the headline acts on bet365 Charlie Hall Chase day but both ended last season on a low note and redemption is no formality at…

Colin Tizzard can sign off in style with a win for Eldorado Allen in the Betway Bowl (2.55). The top trainer is soon to hand over the reins to his son Joe and the grey has a fine chance of victory at Aintree. He stayed on determinedly behind star chaser Allaho in Cheltenham's Ryanair Chase last month and is in an upward curve. Earlier, Pied Piper…

13:37 Fairyhouse - Martha Divine 13:57 Wetherby - Hattons Gardens 14:40 Kempton - West Balboa 15:00 Warwick - Iwilldoit *All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change. Each and every day of the racing year we bring you a bumper NAPs Table to give you the inside…

Henry de Bromhead's charge was a brilliant winner of the Prestbury Park blue riband last season, but little has gone right for him since. The nine-year-old was found to be under the weather after being pulled up when bidding for back-to-back wins in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November and was withdrawn on the morning of last month's Savills…

It was another fantastic festive period of equine action as Leopardstown and Limerick took centre stage at the end of December. Not surprisingly, Kilkenny trainer Willie Mullins continued to dominate the training sphere over the days after Christmas as he saddled 16 winners, of which were five Grade 1's. In total Mullins had 73 runners over the…

Picking up from my last column to cover the remainder of the holiday program (December 28 to January 1) in what was the busiest post-Boxing Day period for some time, the narrative seemed to me more of the same - some horses enhanced their reputations, a bigger number diminished theirs, and a standout performance to breathe new life into some…

Though still in its relative infancy, the two-day Dublin Racing Festival on Saturday and Sunday has become a huge part of the Irish jump-racing scene already. The Leopardstown meeting takes place in early February and has fast become an all-guns-blazing dress rehearsal for the Cheltenham Festival for some of Ireland's leading National Hunt…

Saturday sees the 174th running of the Grand National at Aintree. The Charlie Longsdon-trained Snow Leopardess heads the betting but here we run through the entire field, in order of allotted weight. 1) MINELLA TIMES (Henry de Bromhead) Rating (out of 10) 6, weight 11st 10lbs Created history for Rachael Blackmore last year but he has only run twice…

Maxxum: has been given a 17lb rise by the handicapper Gordon Elliott has ten chances in this Pertemps qualifier, but there are few as eyecatching as Maxxum. The short-priced Navan winner has had only two runs since joining Elliott and looked to have plenty in the tank when winning with ease over 2m6f. He can progress further and may be the one to…

Conflated put himself firmly in the Cheltenham Gold Cup picture with a dominant success in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown. The Gordon Elliott-trained eight-year-old was a surprise winner of the Irish Gold Cup over the course and distance last season and went on to run well before falling two from home in Cheltenham's Ryanair Chase before pushing…

The third day of the Leopardstown Christmas festival belonged to Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy, who landed a 101-1 treble courtesy of Sam's Choice, Maxxum and Conflated. Maxxum was cut to 4-1 (from 16) with Paddy Power for the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham after easily overcoming his rivals in the Pertemps qualifier. The five-year-old defied a…

Bob Olinger (left) must overcome Flooring Porter (right) if he's to win Leopardstown's Christmas Hurdle This division is all over the place at the moment but if Monday's rescheduled Long Walk Hurdle told us anything, it was that the old guard still has plenty to offer in the new world of staying hurdling. Paisley Park taught the new dogs a few…

Success on this day last year fuelled Paul Nicholls' ambition that Bravemansgame could deliver the champion trainer with a 13th victory in the King George and everything so far has gone perfectly to plan. The seven-year-old, who gave Ahoy Senor a significant beating in the Kauto Star over course and distance last season, made a flawless return in…

Conflated put himself firmly in the Cheltenham Gold Cup picture with a dominant success in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown. The Gordon Elliott-trained eight-year-old was a surprise winner of the Irish Gold Cup over the course and distance last season and went on to run well before falling two from home in Cheltenham's Ryanair Chase before pushing…

Winner of the Irish Gold Cup here last season, the 2/1 favourite was always travelling sweetly towards the head of affairs and was in front two out. Jack Kennedy's mount was last off the bridle and he had this won some way out, drawing five lengths clear of Kemboy (18/5). His task was made easier when favourite A Plus Tard was withdrawn at…

2022-12-28Conflated in the Cheltenham Gold Cup picture after dominant win at Leopardstown The Gordon Elliott-trained eight-year-old was a surprise winner of the Irish Gold Cup over the course and distance last season and went on to run well before falling two from home in Cheltenham's Ryanair Chase before pushing Clan Des Obeaux close in the Bowl…

Another busy afternoon of festive racing lies ahead on Wednesday, with five meetings taking place across the UK and Ireland. ITV Racing turns its attention to Ireland with four races from Leopardstown, including two Grade 1 contests, while there are also a couple of races from Leicester The broadcast on ITV4 is on air from 12.40-3.30pm and our…

2022-12-28Wednesday Leopardstown top racing tip: Kemboy set to lead from the front in Savills Chase The market revolves around the short-priced favourite, A Plus Tard, who is rated 180, but who is able to race on level terms with opposition rated 151-168. However, he comes here under a cloud after pulling up as the odds-on favourite for last…

Leopardstown 13:10 - Falcon Eight (each-way) Leopardstown 13:45 - Flooring Porter Leopardstown 14:20 - A Plus Tard Leicester 14:35 - Issam (each-way) Leopardstown 14:55 - Gentlemansgame Leicester 15:10 - Honneur D'ajonc (each-way) *All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but…

Consistency had been a notable trait in A Plus Tard's star-studded career before bombing out in the Betfair Chase, and Henry de Bromhead is optimistic the scintillating Cheltenham Gold Cup winner is back to himself. Cheveley Park Stud's dual Cheltenham Festival winner had never finished out of the first three in his 19 starts before pulling up at…

1pt win Eric Bloodaxe in 1.10 Leopardstown at 12/1 (bet365) 1pt win Washington in 2.35 Leicester at 11/2 (General) ITV's Christmas Festival rolls on to Wednesday with six races on ITV4 headed by four from Leopardstown and the 28-runner Pertemps qualifier kicks things off in typical head-scratching style. There has been one single-figure price…

Jungle Prose has thrived since joining Gordon Elliott and has shown marked improvement to rack up a four-timer. She was unable to justify good support on her first start for the yard at Gowran Park in September, but she offered some encouragement and, with cheekpieces added, built on that promise to register a decisive success in a mares' handicap…

We hope you enjoyed a fantastic Christmas Day - but now is the time to switch your attention to the scintillating horse racing action from Leopardstown's three-day fixture, starting on Monday. Continue the jolly festive period by grabbing this excellent £40 in free bets sign-up offer, courtesy of leading bookmaker Betfair. Bet £10 get £40 in free…

PAISLEY PARK is tipped to regain his Stayers' Hurdle crown in the feature race of day three at the Cheltenham Festival. The 2019 hero is back to his Grade 1 best this season and he can lift the Paddy Power-sponsored prize for jockey Aidan Coleman, trainer Emma Lavelle and owner Andrew Gemmell. Coleman was thrilled yesterday when Put The Kettle On…

The festive season is one of the busiest periods of the year for horse racing, with 11 meetings taking place between Ireland and the UK on St Stephen's Day alone. Leopardstown and Limerick both host four-day meetings, with Grade 1 races among the action at both tracks, while Down Royal also stages a card on December 26. Across the water, races like…

HITMAN has the King George in his sights. This speed track will be right up his street and he was impressive when scoring at Haydock last time. There's more to come and Paul Nicholls has a cracking record in this race. Stablemate Bravemansgame is right in the hunt but L'Homme Presse looks a bigger threat. He is a proven Grade 1 performer who gave…

There's four Grade 1s to feast upon this Monday, as the rearranged Long Walk Hurdle (1245), the Kauto Star Novices Chase (1320), the Christmas Hurdle (1355) and the showpiece King George VI (1430) will all be settled at Kempton. There's also some Grade 3 action from Wetherby in the form of the highly popular Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase…

Aside from everything that goes with the Cheltenham Festival in March, there is no better time of the year for racing disciples than Christmas with the finest of equine action everywhere you look. he cream of the Irish crop is certainly at Leopardstown over the next four days, although the opening show is a bit of a slow-burner at the Foxrock…

Nicky Henderson tends to target a smart sort at the two-mile novice hurdle (12:10) that kicks off Kempton's Boxing Day card and he has won the prize five times in the last ten years, most notably in 2015 with Altior who memorably went on to win a red-hot running of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Henderson had Mares'…

PAConstitution Hill is set to face just four rivals when he puts his unbeaten record and huge reputation on the line in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. # Preview Constitution Hill, Facile Vega, A Plus Tard - A star-studded cast for Christmas festivals Donn McClean looks ahead to the coming days' racing for The42. Donn McClean MANY STARS OF the…

Bravemansgame and L'Homme Presse feature among a final field of nine horses declared for the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton. Paul Nicholls has long since considered the Boxing Day showpiece as a tailor-made target for Bravemansgame, who was a brilliant winner of the Kauto Star Novices' Chase on this day last season. The seven-year-old…

It was when winning the Christmas Grade One in 2020 that the eight-year-old first announced himself as a leading player in the staying division and although having to settle for second behind stablemate Minella Indo at Prestbury Park later that season, got his crowning moment earlier this year when romping away with the blue riband in the hands of…

Five winners have been aged eight and another trio were aged seven, while we've seen one winner apiece aged six and nine in the past decade. The only six-year-old was Clan Des Obaux, who represents the same connections as this year's sole six-year-old Hitman, who coincidentally also carries the same official rating (160) into the race Clan Des…

Delta Work has become a little bit of a forgotten horse. True, he was well beaten in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase on his seasonal debut, but he is never at his best on his seasonal return, and he reportedly came home lame that day, so you can allow him that. Gordon Elliott's horse was one of the top staying novice chasers last season. He beat Le…

Appreciate It made a winning debut over fences for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend at Punchestown. As he often does, Townend kept things simple by bouncing into an early lead on the 2021 Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner. A problem last season meant he was only seen once, in the Champion Hurdle when he finished seventh behind Honeysuckle. Sent chasing…

With more than £1.1 million in prize-money already banked from his 46 previous starts the popular 10-year-old, who is one of three likely runners in the race for trainer Paul Nicholls, will bid to increase his career earnings with a third outing in the prestigious Grade One. In 2020 the Nickname gelding produced one of the stories of the season…

The Randox Grand National is underway and racegoers have returned to the world's greatest steeplechase for the first time in three years. Punters have not been at Aintree to cheer on the Grand National runners since 2019, after the race meet was cancelled in 2020 and held behind closed doors last year. They braved rain and chilly temperatures on…

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls says Frodon's Ladbrokes King George VI Chase odds of 5-1 are an'insult' and evidence that the 2020 winner continues to be underestimated. Bryony Frost's mount is one of 10 entries for the £250000 chase run at Kempton on Boxing Day. But, despite the fact the nine-year-old won by over two lengths last year and also…

Punchestown's John Durkan Memorial Chase card, frozen off last Sunday, is set to be run this Monday, eight days later. Thursday's Naas card has been re-scheduled and is set for Tuesday, Fairyhouse's Saturday card, defeat admitted on Friday morning, has been moved to Wednesday, and what was originally a week that was starved of Irish National Hunt…

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Eddie Fazzone could barely speak, his vocal chords shot from rooting for his filly Dream Central. But he had plenty to say. The Schenectady native and Mont Pleasant High school graduate, who runs the popular Eddie F's seafood restaurant in Saratoga Springs with his wife, Lisa, a Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons grad, first owned…

Jury Duty: Gordon Elliott star has interesting Grand National claims One of the features of the three-day Randox Health Grand National meeting is that so many Cheltenham Festival winners return in a bid to follow up. That means there can be some value to be found with horses at bigger prices. Here are four dark horses who could give the big names…

A FREAK 999-1 winner landed punters a £14000 payday after coming from absolutely nowhere to win easily. Bookies had totally written off the chance of Invictus Machin nearing the end of the 2m1f maiden hurdle at Down Royal on Saturday. Seemingly languishing in mid-pack, the Gavin Cromwell-trained four-year-old looked well and truly beaten. The…

The Grade One-winning hurdler was brilliant in winning three times over fences last season and would have been four from four had he not crashed out at the final fence in the Turners' Novices' Chase at the Festival in March. He is a best priced 11/4 to provide trainer Willie Mullins with a third Gold Cup success following the back-to-back wins of…

Cheltenham Festival 2022 is just weeks away. Key runners will continue their preparations at Leopardstown, with contenders for the Gold Cup and Champion Chase on show Honeysuckle and Appreciate It could meet in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle Top class horses are put through their paces at this weekend's Dublin Racing Festival at…