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Leopardstown Christmas Meeting Betting Preview: Willie Mullins goes strong handed

The Leopardstown Christmas Meeting gets underway over in Ireland on Boxing Day and there are a host of Grade One contests during a packed four day racecard. The Racing Post Novice Chase is the first graded race of the week and Paddy Power have already started pricing up the contenders for the meeting's other big races.

The first Grade One on Tuesday is the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase and defending champion Big Zeb is favourite to claim glory over the two mile, one furlong trip again. Colm Murphy's 10-year-old is the 8/11 favourite in the betting after winning two of the past three renewals and he secured a Grade Two on his reappearance at Navan. Paul Nolan's Noble Prince was five lengths back at Navan and is a 5/1 shot if he reopposes Big Zeb, while Willie Mullins' Golden Silver, who beat Big Zeb in the Tied Cottage Chase in January, is priced 4/1 by Paddy Power.

Tuesday's action doesn't stop there as Mullins' Sous Les Cieux heads the betting at 1/2 on for the Future Champions Novice Hurdle. The Royal Bond Novice Hurdle winner will hope to emulate stablemate Hurricane Fly by winning this race, although he faces recent novice hurdle winner Cash And Go (6/1) from the stables of Edward O'Grady, who has won this race four times. Noel Meade's Formidableopponent, an impressive winner on his hurdles debut, is priced 7/1.

There is then the small matter of the Paddy Power Handicap Chase on Tuesday and Willie Mullins can lay claim to another favourite as On His Own heads the betting at 9/1 for the three mile handicap. It will be the 7-year-old's first run since April and the betting is tight, with Beautiful Sound a touch back at 10/1 on his seasonal debut. Also at 10/1 is Smoking Aces, who showed tremendous stamina when winning over three miles, five furlongs on heavy ground at Fairyhouse earlier this month. Elsewhere, Christy Roche's Groody Hill (11/1) is chasing a fourth win in a row.

The stand out race on Wednesday's card is undoubtedly the Lexus Chase, when we will get a chance to see Colm Murphy's Quito De La Roque take on three miles. The 13/8 favourite has won his last five races in a row, including the JNwine.com Champion Chase last time. Opposition to the 7-year-ols is likely to come from Rubi Light (4/1) and Joncol (4/1), who were separated by five lengths when first and second respectively in the John Durkan Memorial Chase.

Thursday is likely to mark the much anticipated return to the track of Champion Hurdle hero Hurricane Fly. Willie Mullins' 7-year-old is the 8/11 favourite in the betting for the Istabraq Hurdle as the defending champion makes his first appearance since winning the Punchestown Champion Hurdle in May. Hurricane Fly's stablemate Thousand Stars (7/2) is set to reoppose after finishing a five length second at Punchestown last season, while Dermot Weld's Triumph Hurdle runner-up Unaccompanied looks to be the best of the rest at 7/1 with PaddyPower.com. Colm Murphy could enter Hatton's Grace Hurdle heroine Voler La Vedette (10/1) in a race that is likely to ensure all four day's at Leopardstown are full of excitement.

Latest 2011 Leopardstown Christmas Meeting Betting

Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase Odds

8/11 Big Zeb, 4/1 Golden Silver, 5/1 Noble Prince, 10/1 Forpadydeplasterer, 12/1 BAR

Future Champions Novice Hurdle Odds

1/2 Sous Les Cieux, 6/1 Cash And Go, 7/1 Formidableopponent, 9/1 Dylan Ross, 9/1 Il Fenomeno, 10/1 BAR

Paddy Power Handicap Chase Odds

9/1 On His Own, 10/1 Beautiful Sound, 10/1 Smoking Aces, 11/1 Groody Hill, 12/1 Linnel, 14/1 Prince De Beauchene, 16/1 BAR

Lexus Chase Odds

13/8 Quito De La Roque, 4/1 Rubi Light, 4/1 Joncol, 15/2 Noland, 11/1 Bostons Angel, 12/1 BAR

Istabraq Hurdle Odds

8/11 Hurricane Fly, 7/2 Thousand Stars, 7/1 Unaccompanied, 10/1 Voler La Vedette, 12/1 BAR

Odds supplied by PaddyPower.com, who provide ante-post betting for all Leopardstown Christmas Meeting races.

Posted: Wednesday, 21st December 2011
Author: Chris James
Tags: leopardstown christmas meeting, dial a bet chase, lexus chase, paddypower,

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