Can De Bromhead Finish Off Christmas Period In Style?

There is some quality action again today to bring the curtain down on a highly entertaining four days of racing over this Christmas period and it will be fascinating to see if Samcro, Melon or something else can give Buveur D’air supporters something to think about at Leopardstown.

With eight winners between Limerick and Leopardstown already Henry de Bromhead has enjoyed a fine week and he’d be a short price to add another winner at least today.

Indo form makes good reading

Paul Townend’s enjoyed a winner at Limerick on Friday but his three odds on favourites were all beaten which is proof of just how competitive the Christmas action is.

Townend’s opening ride at the Munster track on Saturday is Voix Des Tiep who was put in as an odds on favourite in the early betting yesterday evening but Henry de Bromhead’s Minella Indo could be the one here.

The point-to-point maiden winner joined de Bromhead after winning for John Nallen and he ran in a Punchestown bumper just six weeks later where he ran with credit.

Nallen is a renowned producer of good horses from his Tipperary base and Minella Indo could be another having finished third in that bumper at the Punchestown Festival.

The winner was a well supported Willie Mullins-trained favourite, while the runner up was City Island who subsequently won his bumper and has finished first past the post in two maiden hurdles.

The three horses immediately behind Minella Indo that day have all been placed since so the form of the race reads well and 3/1 about him to open his account over hurdles looks value for a trainer absolutely bombing.

Take a chance on John Joe

Oliver McKiernan named Gallant John Joe after his fellow Cavan native John Joe O’Reilly who was a GAA legend and captained Cavan to All Ireland glory in 1947. You’d think that McKiernan was trying to pick a good horse to use this name and in Gallant John Joe he might have a fair steed.
The Punchestown maiden hurdle winner has been given a rating of 124 which looks somewhat lenient and with that sort of rating the novice handicap hurdle looked an obvious race.

Gallant John Joe might be short of graded class but he is a horse that can pick up some nice prizes this season.

The only concern is that Gallant John Joe probably wants to be going out in trip rather than coming back and having won a 2m6f maiden, it isn’t ideal that he drops back to 2m4f here but with the ground riding nice at Leopardstown Barry Browne will hopefully be able to turn this into a good stamina test and hold all latecomers in the closing stages.

*Prices correct at time of publication