Leopardstown tips: Sharjah can follow up his Christmas success
Sharjah: His run in last season’s Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham stands out against today’s rivals
The feature on day one of the Dublin Racing Festival is the Grade 1 Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle and Sharjah can follow up his Matheson Hurdle success at the Christmas meeting here.
While underappreciated and often overlooked, he boasts top-class form and his run in last season’s Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham stands out against today’s rivals. The Matheson win was his return to hurdling after two summer runs on the level, and it indicated he was as good as ever, if not a little better.
He seems to relish being held up, something which didn’t happen when he was sixth in this race last year. That wasn’t his form whatsoever and is easily forgiven. With a performance in keeping with that which he produced at Christmas, he can claim the first scalp of the thus far unbeaten Honeysuckle.
Petit Mouchoir wasn’t beaten far in this race last year and could get his own way up front if connections choose to let him stride on. Despite being ten years old, he can still be a player at this level.
The Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle is a cracking start to proceedings, but it is an open looking race, and a case can be made for most of the runners. Willie Mullins has the market leader, Gaillard Du Mesnil, whose win here at Christmas has been well advertised, but marginal preference is for stablemate Stattler.
The latter was too strong for another stablemate, Glens Of Antrim, when also winning here at Christmas, and will really appreciate the step up to two miles six furlongs. In a particularly competitive race, he will be in there giving his all at the close of play and can win for Danny Mullins.
Energumene is an odds-on favourite for the Grade 1 Patrick Ward & Company Solicitors Irish Arkle Novice Chase, and it is impossible to find holes in his form. He readily accounted for one of today’s rivals, Captain Guinness, last time out, in Naas, and there is every reason to believe he can improve further.
However, his this is a good race. A case can certainly be made for Darver Star, who finished runner-up in the Irish Champion Hurdle on this day last year, and was third in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. It could be argued he was a shade unlucky last time, but quicker ground would certainly his cause.
A better alternative to the favourite is stablemate Unexcepted, who may not have run since October but who should not be overlooked. While Captain Guinness wasn’t right that day, it was glaringly obvious that the winner was superb. He jumped brilliantly and did not have to be asked a serious question to come home clear.
The runner-up is rated 138, while the third, Rebel Gold, who was beaten 17 lengths, is 140. The fourth and sixth have also won since, and all of the form suggests Unexcepted does not need to improve much to be a leading player at this level.
Yes, there are downsides, insofar as he stopped quickly when runner-up to Easywork at Limerick in 2019 and pulled up on his only subsequent start last season. But he is a brother to Great Field, who won a Grade 1 novice chase for Willie Mullins, and at around 5-1, looks great value against his better fancied stablemate.
There appears to be no solid reason Min should reverse last year’s form with Chacun Pour Soi when they renew rivalry in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase. The latter had a little to prove before last year’s race, having been beaten on his previous outing, but this time he arrives on the back of two smooth successes and should have little trouble completing his hat-trick.
The Grade 2 Goffs Future Stars Bumper is a terrific race to wrap up day one and Chemical Energy can fend off a strong team from the Willie Mullins team. Despite being somewhat green, Gordon Elliott’s horse was most impressive on debut, beating useful yardstick On Eagles Wings with considerable authority. The point to point winner should be better for the experience and is just preferred to Kilcruit and Ramillies.
1:05 Stattler
1:35 Chacun Pour Soi
2:10 Unexcepted (nb)
2:45 Entoucas
3:15 Sharjah (nap)
3:50 The Moyglass Flyer
4:25 Chemical Energy
1:05 Gaillard Du Mesnil
1:35 Min
2:10 Energumene
2:45 Epson Du Houx
3:15 Honeysuckle
3:50 Advanced Virgo
4:25 Kilcruit
