St Stephens Day Racing 2017

I agree Mincer we should have a new thread for this year. Unfortunately you opened one for next year!

1:30 Kempton: Like the booking of Johnson for Poker School, won well in the end last time.

2:05 Kempton: Think Anibale Fly could be in a different class to Froden and Present Man who look very workmanlike to me.

12:25 Limerick: Kevin O'Ryan (the little fcker) gave Lachares (fifth at Cork behind that good Gigginstown winner that wasn't fancied) a massive mention in the first at Limerick on ATR yesterday. Hopefully he takes after Manduro and has that German ability of getting through the ground.

2:00 Limerick: The ground cannot be what Diamond King wants, makes Bellshill a bet for me at 4/5 in a race Mullins often targets one of his best at.

12:15 Leopardstown: Reading here that Mullins is a bit behind, I'll be with Outspoken in the first. Joseph will have really targeted this meeting you'd think and hopefully this smart ex-flat performer has been held back for this after one run as a juvenile hurdler.

12:45 Leopardstown: Felix Mendelssohn, for similar reasons to the above. Coming from a good yard like Simcock, wouldn't have thought they'd mess around too much with a Hay horse, can find out a lot here and go back to the flat if it doesn't work out.

1:15 Leopardstown: Not sure Landofhopeandglory is getting the credit for his last win, worried by the price I can see but I'll stick with him.

1:50 Leopardstown: Artful Artist, Russell and Martin and errr, I liked the way it jumped at Limerick!

2:20 Leopardstown: Min, contradicting myself here a little, but Identity Thief strikes me as the type of horse that is never there when you want him. Pat Keane really rates this guy, Min. I think I read somewhere that Mullins or ruby said he was not in the same league as Douvan or Vautour; few ever will be and if you look at the prices of the Mullins horses for the Cheltenham novice events this year, you'll kind of get the sense that nothing lasts forever. A guy in town told me categorically Min wouldn't win the supreme novices (told me the same about Fly that year and was right), guessing that Min who is a tall narrow horse might have gone a little weak on them as he never ran after Cheltenham either. Can see him putting up a monstrous display from the front this time.

I'll be interested to see how Tully East runs; I don't know if it is Connell pushing that he runs here, but it might be an insight into Fleming's judgement.

2:55 Leopardstown: Ball D'Arc, always thought this guy was going to be a 140+ chaser, but have a feeling Coolaghknock Glebe has been laid out for this and will take it from the bottom of the weights. He was a 125 hurdler, might be ready to do better over fences now than he has before, I go with him.

3:30 Leopardstown: Meade needs to be availing of the fact there is no Mullins runner here, Leopardstown Christmas, big card, big browd; he should have Fly Rory Fly ready here. Wouldn't be sure about the form of Midnight Escape's maiden hurdle third even though I had thought Brelade was a nice horse.

Enjoy Christmas lads, I've to go to Mass now!

Six for Monday .
Leop.12.45. Castello Sforza, looked a little hairy the last day , sure to have come on for that.
Identity Thief, 2.20. Top class hurdler that's brought his class to chasing.
Ball D'arc. 2.55. This fellow has been the bain of my punting this year, keeps a little for himself but a surefire winner in the making.
LK. 1.25. Champagne Classic ran a cracker the last day, can give the weight away here.
DR. 1.20  Foxrock. One last chance for him, he could have fallen out of love with the game, but has the class to stuff these on his day.
The Storyteller 1.55. Should have won the last day,not Jacks finest ride,taken to make amends here.
Happy Punting .

Pretty certain that Min got injured during the Supreme novices race so I always assumed he was better than he showed in that race

leopardstown
1) oathkeeper has the best form but his absence a worry,bunk off early by Zebedee whose progeny usually excel over shorter trips and imperial way are the top 3 in the market. I will chance no brainer ew as his run at mallow was ok until he tired over the last 2
2)joey sasa returns quickly after a good run at navan over a shorter trip , castella Sforza ran very well despite a few mistakes at fairyhouse and barra whose 2nd to invite only looked good on the day but his run last week causes concern over the form . felix fto and loughaderra are interesting but I side with experience in the shape of joey sasa stepped up in trip
3) PROVIDED a good gallop I will play Elliots runners strongly and make a mega fortune
4)ARTFUL ARTIST could be thrown in but I will chance an ever improving FRUITS OF GLORY
5)MIN PURE AND SIMPLE
6)can history repeat itself with DYSIOS if not JAYPEE has 2 goods shots at it
7)GRANT MERCER's colours will be carried to success in an average stephens day bumper imo
down royal
first race is a very competitive affair and I will lay ART OF PAYROLL
second and third races don't catch my interest
the storyteller is due a win and his experience might count
turbojet and racing stripes are of interest but no bet for me
even though his preferred amateur is sidelined I think paddy twomey will make the long trip worthwhile considering the ptown race has worked out
limerick
Bellshill is a star and will hopefully prove so tomorrow
uk wise the KG is a good match and I hope the novice will prevail
fulgus at huntington is a speculative ew punt
yanworth and Jenkins a strong double
happy punting people

Good luck Littlewillie

Plenty of choices to be getting on with , weather looks as if it might hold up for the next couple of days as well, so its onwards and upwards .

Tying your colors too every mast I see, that's called hoping for the best ,we ring you when I get back from Leopardstown .

No Brainer looks to have a decent e/w chance in the first @ Leopardstown. A lot of his rivals have question marks over them, Outspoken has had a long lay off, Mullins making his debut and most others having their first run over hurdles. No Brainer has had 2 decent enough runs over hurdles and the better ground might suit him today compared to Mallow last time. 8/1 looks a reasonable e/w price.

I also hope to see Landofhopeandglory confirm form with his rivals today. He has looked a natural over hurdles so far and showed admirable guts to get up last time @ Fairyhouse. Due to market support for his rivals, he has drifted out to 9/4 and that looks a very generous price in my book.

I'd expect to see landofhopeandglory go backwards now like most the ex flat bred horses, glaring example been ivanovic gorbatov who wouldn't win a seller round cartmel now

Done a trixie
Some Neck 12:00 limerick 2/1
Riven light 1:55 leopardstown 2/1
aso  3:15 cheptow 7/4.

Backed otago trail in the paddy power e/w,

AT LAST......

fair enough pa.i just thought it was a good display of jumping but ill bear in mind what you said.ruby seemed impressed.worryingly tho pp are biggest for arkle at 7/2

ive him done at 8s.ill prob place lay him if he gets there in one piece.

Tony pipe down!

If Mullins takes on Altior again there will be only one result and it won't be Altior winning.

Altior should have remained over hurdles, he's beating nothing over fences to date, he's flat bred his form will tail off over fences.
Can anybody name a flat bred horse who was actually went to the top over fences, I can't think of any I'm sure there's at least one

Synchronised maybe, The Giant Bolster!

Dodging Bullets is a complete flat bred. Altior's dam was a NH horse and he looks a huge NH monster can't see why anyone would hold breeding against him.

Red Rum was a handicapper and Dodging Bullets won one of the worst champion chasers ever. Altior was very impressive in the Supreme but I would expect Min to turn the form around in the Arkle.