Mick is keen on the Willie Mullins runner, Joueur Masque, in the 14:22.
Mick Fitzgerald’s Leopardston Tips
12:05 – Michonne (each-way)
12:37 – Lovely Hurling
13:12 – Marine Nationale
13:47 – Love Me Tender
14:22 – Joueur Masque
15:00 – Midnight Our Fred (each-way)
15:30 – Arcadian Emperor
*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.
12:05 – Michonne (each-way)
It’s Paddy Power day at Leopardstown on Saturday, 27th and this first race is a juvenile contest for three-year-olds. We’ve already got one with good form in Manoir de Mirande for Gordon Elliott, but it’s plenty short enough in the market. MICHONNE is a really interesting runner from the Jessie Harrington team.
They paid €185,000 for this filly, so they obviously think a bit of her. At the price, she’s a really good each-way play in what is a very open race.
Just the five runners in the Beginners’ Chase where Kargese heads the market She normally needs a run to knock the cobwebs off her and remember she didn’t win last season until March, when taking the County Hurdle at Cheltenham.
She’s better in a big field and I worry this won’t play to her strengths. I’d rather back LOVELY HURLING. I thought it was a good run behind Kopek Des Bordes at Navan and she is quite smart. She could be a bit of value.
There’s a big argument to say MARINE NATIONALE is better later in the season and certainly proved that last season, when winning the Cheltenham Champion Chase and at the Punchestown Festival, having been beaten twice at this venue in the races Solness won.
Maybe he just wasn’t right until later in the season so I’d rather give him a pass on that. The ground will be absolutely ideal this time as there’s not much rain forecast. He’s been ready to go for a while and I’d rather take a punt on Marine Nationale than Majborough on half-decent ground.
The Paddy Power Future Champions Novices’ Hurdle over 2m. A lot will depend on the ground. Willie Mullins’ LOVE ME TENDER is only four years old but went a right gallop at Tipperary, which is a very sharp track, and whizzed round. It’s completely different to Leopardston. They couldn’t get anywhere near him that day though and he jumped brilliantly.
That sets a pretty high standard, given that was a Grade 3 event. There’s no doubt that another of Willie’s challengers, Le Divin Enfant, is smart too. But if they let Love Me Tender loose on the front end, he will not be for stopping.
A 2m handicap hurdle and it’s interesting to see Luke Dempsey back riding here for his dad, Philip, on Matt Connor, who won at Limerick last time. There are plenty of reasons to think he could go well here, but JP McManus’ JOUEUR MASQUE is the one to be with.
He won a good ground Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown in June. But if you look back to when he was running in France, he won a bumper at Vichy and beat Jet Blue, who’s smart and already has a pretty lofty rating of 150. Joueur Masque is interesting and could be even better than we’ve seen already.
Paul Townend rides Sainte Lucie for Willie Mullins who makes his seasonal and handicap debut.
This is the Paddy Power Chase and Ballysax Hank has been climbing up the ratings and ran very, very well in the American Grand National. He’s one I’d love to be on board if I was still riding.
If you’re looking for one against him, Midnight Our Fred has run some excellent races, including a second in this race last year off a mark just 2lbs lower.
He had a good run at Cork over hurdles last time and on similar ground, MIDNIGHT OUR FRED is a very good each-way bet in what is, and always should be, a very competitive handicap.
ARCADIAN EMPEROR is the selection in the lucky last for JP McManus and Willie Mullins. He won a point-to-point at Lisronagh, beating Lisbane Park, who has since won at Exeter and was bought for €110,000. He finished 6L behind Arcadian Emperor in that point-to-point.
Goodness knows what Arcadian Emperor cost, but connections think enough of him to run him in a bumper on this card and that gives you an idea of where you are with his future prospects.
Mick Fitzgerald’s Leopardston Tips
12:05 – Michonne (each-way)
12:37 – Lovely Hurling
13:12 – Marine Nationale
13:47 – Love Me Tender
14:22 – Joueur Masque
15:00 – Midnight Our Fred (each-way)
15:30 – Arcadian Emperor
*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
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