Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1)(4yo+) 2m7½f
The stayers hurdling division looks wide-open again and it says it all that Ballyburn is a short-priced favourite for this and Cheltenham in March when he has yet to fully prove that he stays this distance. Teahupoo has always been a horse that has been campaigned on soft ground and with a long break so coming here off a recent run on quick ground have got to be negatives.
Bob Olinger has his first start of the season and beat Teahupoo fair and square last March, but he is yet to win at Leopardstown and is now rising 11 years of age so may be being peaked for another top run at Cheltenham. The rest all have holes in them and consequently the only runners that could have substantial upside in them are THE YELLOW CLAY, Mystical Power and Rocky’s Diamond. The latter doesn’t seem to be progressing and Mystical Power is highly unreliable so a chance is taken on The Yellow Clay here who may have needed his comeback run last time out where the ground was incredibly testing.
His best performances have tended to come on nicer ground and he can potentially make his mark in this division with the step up in distance likely to suit.
1pt win The Yellow Clay @8/1, 13:55 Leopardstown, Sunday
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