House handed Leopardstown target

Central House will bid for his third Grade One success when he tackles the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown on December 27.

The reliable nine-year-old has not won at the highest level since landing the two-mile-one-furlong feature from Native Scout back in 2004, but has subsequently been successful in five Grade Two events.

Looking further ahead, handler Dessie Hughes has also underlined the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot on January 20 as a potential port of call.

He said: “Central House is fine and he runs over Christmas in the Paddy Power at Leopardstown.

“The Victor Chandler is a possibility for him – I decided to put him in it anyway.”

Central House finished a distant fourth behind Kauto Star in the Tingle Creek last time but had been in contention before being badly hampered at the eighth fence.

“He came out of Sandown fine and he actually didn’t have much of a race there,” Hughes added.

“It was just an unfortunate thing to happen but these things do happen when you’re chasing.

“The other horse (Dempsey) just fell in front of him and stopped him to a standstill. In a two-mile chase that’s just the end of you.”