talkSPORT betting tips – Best bets and expert advice for Saturday at Leopardstown
12/27/2024 02:00 PM
Day three of Leopardstown's four-day Christmas meeting takes centre stage on Saturday afternoon.
The card features an outstanding renewal of the Savills Chase where Galopin Des Champs will bid to defend his crown.
Our expert, Colm Doyle, has a trio of selections for the card including one in the feature race of the day.
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Leopardstown Tips
- 12.20 Leopardstown – Sermandzarak – SP
- 12.50 Leopardstown – Winding River – SP
- 2.35 Leopardstown – Galopin Des Champs – 11/8
12.20 Leopardstown – Sermandzarak
There are some nice types in Leopardstown's opener including the two from Willie Mullins' yard who both look like nice prospects but they may have to go some to get the better of Sermandzarak for Gordon Elliott.
Elliott's charge was made the winner in the stewards' room when suffering interference on his debut and he took a huge step forward from that to land the Goffs Defender Bumper at the Punchestown Festival at the end of last season.
He then returned in maiden hurdle company and ran a cracker to be just touched off by Butch Cassidy (a nice prospect from Henry de Bromhead's yard), an effort worth marking up given that they pulled five-lengths clear of the third (Shuffle The Deck) who has won a maiden hurdle subsequently. It's also a long way back to the horse in fourth place that day, Eastern Legend, who is a decent yardstick in these sorts of races.
Getting back on quicker ground shouldn't be an issue given that his Goffs Defender Bumper win came on yielding ground and he's entitled to take a sizeable step forward for his return from seven months off last time; he sets a clear standard on form here.
12.50 Leopardstown – Winding River
Likely to be trading at more of an each-way sort of price, a case can be made for Winding River in race two.
This son of Sageburg seems to relish decent ground and he arrives on the back of a career best when runner-up at Thurles over fences last time out. That's an effort worth marking up given that he would have finished closer to the winner without a mistake late, but what makes him of interest here is his 9lb lower hurdle mark that he can operate off.
A case can be made for plenty of his rivals but given that he's looked just as effective over timber in the past, he could be well in here and looks capable of hitting the frame.
2.35 Leopardstown – Galopin Des Champs
It's hard to get away from the claims of Galopin Des Champs in Leopardstown's feature event on Saturday afternoon.
He ran pretty well over an insufficient 2m4f in the John Durkan last time out when in behind Fact To File and he's sure to come on plenty for that run here, just like he did last season.
The two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner can reverse form with Fact To File, who has to improve a fair bit to have a say and some of Galopin Des Champs most visually outstanding performances have come at this venue, where he is 5-5 over fences.
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