12:40 Leopardstown Tips

Horse I've always liked and interesting raider from the UK who mixed in good company last season culminating with a Grade 2 success in a mares' race at Newbury. Has returned this season in cracking form too firstly finishing 3rd to Hartington who has run really well since then running another solid race in finishing second to Nurse Susan back in mares company. That game mare is a Listed winner since so form looks good too. Stays a bit further which will be handy as this will be a test and has often caught the eye travelling well. Lightly raced for age and is still improving race by race. Consistent sort who is decent EW punt here.

Going with Cousin Kate in the first here at Leopardstown. If getting the go-ahead, she is in good form and, though up 10 lbs in the weights, she could still run a big race under her young claimer.

A two-time winner on the flat, Shoda has finished 3rd in all four of her hurdle races so far. She could be well handicapped in this field to get her first win under Sean Bowen.

She won a heavy-ground maiden hurdle by 4.5 lengths before finishing 2nd and 3rd in Grade 2 and Grade 3 company. She drops in class today, and this looks a nice opening handicap mark.

May Call You Back has been successfully mixing hurdling and chasing, winning twice over hurdles and twice over fences last year. This season she has won a chase at Tramore and a hurdle at Gowran Park. That win came on heavy ground, so she will have no problems with the conditions. Runner-up in a chase at Navan last month, she can go well again and looks like a good each-way bet with five places on offer.

Carried With Love's last run was just over a month ago on Boxing Day at Limerick. She placed second that day behind Cousin Kate by 1/2 length. Based on that performance and with the stable in fine form, she is expected to be thereabouts again.

Improving steadily over hurdles and, having got off the mark in a 17f maiden at Down Royal in August, appeared to improve again on her handicap debut at Gowran last time when runner-up over 20f. She shouldn’t be inconvenienced by this slightly shorter trip and can reward each-way support if handling the ground.

Hard to fancy on his most recent run, but he finished 2nd in this race last year off 109, and today runs off 103. The jockey appears to be decent (10%). Four of the five horses' best runs were on soft ground.

No comment made

This yard have won this race three times previously, and a number of others, with one exception, have placed in the first five. That is an extraordinarily good record, and I suspect that this horse will follow suit today. This is a highly competitive affair, so I think intense examination of form lines is less important than the historical records of connections. Definitely a potential winner, and has some good recent form at the track. At these odds we have the comfort of backing this horse each-way, and with five places paid, I suggest that's terrific value.

This 5-year-old has proven to be effective and consistent at the 2m 2f trip, though her record shows she tends to run to form as a solid place-getter rather than a dominant winner. She has a victory at 2m on soft ground, but she has yet to win a race at this distance despite her competitiveness. With odds of 40/1, an each-way bet looks quite promising.