Grade 1 action continues from Leopardstown on Tuesday afternoon including the Christmas Hurdle which has attracted a competitive and top-class field. Our editors have previewed the chances of all eleven runners alongside SBK‘s brilliant new customer offer. Get up to £40 Money back in Cash.
ABACADABRAS 7/1
Two grade 1 wins at Punchestown and Aintree last season shows that ABACADABRAS can still be a huge force at the top level despite finding superstar mare Honeysuckle too much on more than one occasion when racing at 2miles.
The step up to 3miles for the first time could really suit the Gordon Elliot runner especially after his strong staying performance in the Betway Aintree Hurdle over 2m4f, the form of which has taken a significant boost considering Buzz was runner-up that day and has subsequently gone on to land two big prizes including the Cesarewitch on the flat and the Grade 2 Coral Hurdle.
Abacadabras was again behind Honeysuckle on reappearance but noticeably stayed on well once again in the latter stages and he has a chance of being very well suited by the move up to 3miles.
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COMMANDER OF FLEET 28/1
Two seasons ago COMMANDER OF FLEET was sent off market leader for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and despite pulling clear of the talented Allaho, Commander Of Fleet bumped into a 50/1 winner in the shape of Minella Indo.
That run was followed by some disappointing efforts and it wasn’t until March this year where Commander Of Fleet finally regained the winning feeling when landing a 3mile event at Thurles by 1.75l after being well supported in the market.
The seven-year-olds most recent starts have come in handicap company and he was a surprise winner last time out when seeing off the challenge of A Great View in a Grade B Hurdle at Navan. It’s interesting that connections pitch him back into Grade 1 company but he will need to improve considerably against some of these.
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FLOORING PORTER 11/4
FLOORING PORTER started last season off a mark of 122 and by the end of March Gavin Cromwells charge had reached a mark of 160 after back to back Grade 1 victories in this contest last season and the Stayers’ Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival.
Those successes highlighted him as a top-class stayer, however, he’s struggled in his last two starts pulling up in the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle back in April at Punchestown before returning in November when falling two from the finish despite still travelling ominously well.
If none the worse for that recent fall, Flooring Porter holds obvious claims in following up in this race and the front running six-year-old could take plenty of catching.
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GRAND ROI 33/1
GRAND ROI was an impressive winner of the Grade 2 Grant Thornton Hurdle this time last year at Limerick but Gordon Elliot’s charge has struggled in three starts since that taking effort including when a well-beaten favourite in the Coral Cup at The Cheltenham Festival.
This will be his first try at the highest level and it’s hard to see him getting competitive against this high-quality field.
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KLASSICAL DREAM 5/2
Grade 1 success came quickly for KLASSICAL DREAM as a five-year-old included an impressive and foot-perfect display in the 2019 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle before following up in taking fashion in the Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
A third-place finish behind stablemate Saldier in the 2019 Morgiana Hurdle soon followed but something was clearly amiss on his last outing that year when finishing last again in Grade 1 company at Leopardstown after being eased in the home straight.
An outstanding training performance by Trainer Willie Mullins saw Classical Dream return off a 487 day-break this year to blow his rivals away in landing the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle on his first go at 3mile. That was an incredible effort after many people had written him off and Klassical Dream appears to be the new face of the staying division after that resounding last time out success.
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MR ADJUDICATOR 40/1
Willie Mullins may have performed an incredible training feat with Klassical Dream but it would be something else if he could perform a similar miracle with MR ADJUDICATOR who returns back to the track and over hurdles for the first time in 933 days.
Willie Mullins’ charge notched up a Grade 1 success as a juvenile and defeated stablemate Bapaume when the pair clashed at Auteuil back in June 2019.
It will be interesting to see Mr Adjudicator runs off this mammoth absence but he looks to have plenty to find in this company on his belated return.
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RONALD PUMP 10/1
Matthew Smith’s RONALD PUMP has faced some difficult assignments in recent starts but despite running well and often finding the frame, he has yet to taste success in over two years.
The eight-year-old has twice finished runner-up to superstar mare Honeysuckle in recent Hatton’s Grace Hurdle renewals and was previously second in the 2020 Stayers Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival.
Ronald Pump has previously won at the three-mile distance but was a shade disappointing on his latest run in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot earlier in the month after weakening out of contention before the final flight. This contest looks significantly deeper than what he faced last time out in Britain and the eight-year-old looks set to struggle again.
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SALDIER 22/1
SALDIER was no match for stablemate Klassical Dream on his last over 3miles when finishing eighth in the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown back in April. However, Willie Mullins’ charge quickly got back on track after that underwhelming effort when landing back to back wins including in a 2mile Grade 3 contest at Tipperary in October.
The seven-year-old couldn’t land a blow against Honeysuckle in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle on his latest start and has questions to answer now back up to 3miles considering he’s yet to convince that this trip is ideal for him
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SAMS PROFILE 25/1
Things certainly have gone well for SAMS PROFILE since switching attention to the larger obstacles but Mouse Morris’ charge returned over hurdles in between those disappointing chase runs when taking Grade 2 honours in the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park at the start of the year over 3miles on heavy ground.
There’s no doubt the seven-year-old is better suited by the smaller obstacles but he clearly has plenty to find with the main protagonists now back in Grade 1 company for the first time in two years.
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SIRE DU BERLAIS 7/1
SIRE DU BERLAIS landed the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle back in 2020 at The Cheltenham Festival and soon followed up in the Grade 2 Lismullen Hurdle that same year ahead of French Dynamite.
Three placed efforts have since followed including in this contest last year and in the 2021 Stayers Hurdle but ultimately found Gavin Cromwell’s Flooring Porter too good on both occasions.
The nine-year-old couldn’t reclaim the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan on return when finishing behind fellow JP McManus owned runner Darasso. Sire Du Berlais clearly has the form and quality to go close in Tuesday’s contest but there is still a slight suspicion that he will need to find more and his course record figures of 6-9-3 are slightly off-putting.
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BURNING VICTORY 33/1
Willie Mullins’ five-year-old BURNING VICTORY landed the Triumph Hurdle back in 2020 but has been very disappointing in three subsequent hurdle starts including last time out in a Handicap event at Navan where the mare weakened out of things after being sent off a well-backed favourite on the first start over 3miles.
Despite having one grade 1 victory to her name, Burning Victory looks to have regressed for Wille Mullins in her latest starts over hurdles and would be a surprise winner in this field.
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BIG RACE VERDICT
Flooring Porter will be looking to follow up last year’s decisive success and was still in contention when falling last time out. Abacadabras is feared now stepped up in trip but this race looks all about KLASSICAL DREAM who defied a huge absence when impressively landing the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown. There should be plenty more to come after that return to action and he looks to be the one they all have to beat.
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