Horse racing betting tips for Leopardstown and Limerick on Friday, December 29 as JP McManus targets further success

It has been a busy end to the year for JP McManus.

The Limerick millionaire famously gifted the GAA €32 million earlier this month and he’s been busy winning some of that money back over the past few days at Leopardstown.

Indeed he took the entire €125,000 pot in Wednesday’s 2m Grade 1 Chase with the only three finishers all in his colours and a few well backed other winners has seen him enter the Leopardstown winners’ enclosure four times already this week.

He arrives at the Foxrock venue on the final day of their Christmas Festival with another strong hand and his WATERFORD WHISPERS (2.55) looks like a good story in the Timeless Sash Windows Irish EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle.

The Henry De Bromhead-trained five-year-old has won two novice contests this winter already and looks well treated off a mark of 123 on his handicap debut.

The horse he beat in his maiden hurdle win at Galway won here on Tuesday and he’s a big Westerner gelding that should have no issues with the heavy going.

He looks like a type who will improve and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him develop into a smart horse in time and be much better than his mark suggests here.

McManus can also collect in the Grade 1 €100,000 Neville Hotels Novice Chase with CORBETTS CROSS (1.45).

He was bought off Paul Byrne last year and was unlucky not to win the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham having ducked out through the wings of the closing hurdle.

He had a lovely chasing debut behind Grangeclare West and looked a real staying star of the future when winning over 2m5f at Fairyhouse’s Winter Festival.

Stepping up to three miles should really see further improvement and although it’s a deep race he looks the most likely winner to keep McManus’ good run going.

It could be a decent day for Henry De Bromhead with his MAGICAL ZOE (1.10) fancied in the €40,000 Grade 3 BeattheBank.ie Irish EBF Mares Hurdle.

She came very close to landing a famous win in the Mares’ race named after De Bromhead’s late son Jack at Cheltenham last March and is a filly of some ability.

She found Grade 1 company too hot at Punchestown but got off the mark easily at Gowran before going down to the smart Irish Point at Down Royal in November.

That’s good form against the geldings and she’s closely matched with Willie Mullins’ Risk Belle here in what should be a close contest but Magical Zoe gets the vote for jockey Adrian Heskin, who rode a double for Mullins at Limerick on Wednesday.

Mullins should be commended for running his two 2m hurdling stars STATE MAN (2.20) and Impaire Et Passe against each other in the €150,000 Grade 1 Matheson Hurdle.

Much is made of his and Gordon Elliott’s dominance of National Hunt racing but he’s rarely afraid to run his best horses against each other when the opportunity arises and this should be a cracker if they both line-up.

State Man has won six Grade 1 races on the trot in Ireland and his only defeat came to Constitution Hill since falling here on debut two seasons ago.

He’ll need to be at his best to see off the stablemate, who went down to Teahupoo in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse and arrives here with something to prove having been the top novice last year when winning the Ballymore at Cheltenham.

JP McManus sponsors the opening Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase — a race won by Seddon last year en route to victory at the Cheltenham Festival.

SWEET WILL (12.00) ran well enough on his debut for Emmet Mullins having switched from Gavin Cromwel to suggest he can get competitive here.

He lost out by just half a length to So De Flos in a Ladies race and despite being given a 4lbs hike for that effort he still looks well treated and capable of a bold show for 4lbs conditional jockey Conor Clarke.

BALLYBURN (12.35) got burned on his debut over timber by Firefox, but there should be no problems opening his account in the Pigsback.com Maiden Hurdle.

He was a top bumper horse last season and although chief rival Apple’s Of Bresil is a nice sort, it should be a smooth win for the Willie Mullins’ trained inmate.

Brian Flanagan's tips for Leopardstown on Friday

12.00 - Sweet Will

12.35 - Ballyburn

1.10 - Magical Zoe

1.45 - Corbetts Cross

2.20 - State Man

2.55 - Waterford Whispers (nap)

3.25 Jalon D’oudairies

Brian Flanagan's tips for Limerick on Friday

12.20 - Fiveaftermidnight

12.55 - Evies Vladimir