The Mandarin’s Sunday Selections for 29th December 2024

The Mandarin’s Sunday Selections from Leopardstown & Limerick

Leopardstown

Grant Fit Out Maiden Hurdle 12.10
Argento Boy
The opener on the last of the four day Christmas Festival in Foxrock can go to Argento Boy. Since finishing down the field in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival in the Spring, and an relatively ordinary sixth of twelve in the Champion Flat Race at the Punchestown meeting to round off his season, he looked a markedly improved model to finish second in a Maiden Hurdle back at Irish headquarters. To be fair to Argento Boy, he was beaten at Cheltenham by both The Yellow Clay and Romeo Coolio, and this term by The Big Westerner, form which now looks well franked with all three going on to win better races. Argento Boy to get back to winning ways.

Beat The Bank.ie Irish EBF Mares Hurdle (Grade 3) 1.20
Kala Conti
This Grade 3 can go to Gordon Elliott’s Kala Conti, who looks to be in a run of form after a win on her seasonal reappearance at Down Royal, and a solid second to a Willie Mullins hotpot in this grade. Dangers abound, with Closutton inmate Lot Of Joy lining up on a hat-trick, Jessica Harrington’s classy Jetara, and Henry de Bromhead’s French recruit, July Flower a fascinating debutante on Irish soil. A big step up in distance for Kala Conti, but she’s unexposed at this trip, and the stable form is without question.

Neville Hotels Hurdle (Grade 1) 2.30
State Man (nap)
An absolute cracker in store for the feature, with State Man, Brighterdaysahead and Mystical Power all going to post. Bragging rights are with Gordon Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead after she lowered the flag of State Man in the Morgiana, but she might have benefitted from a win at Down Royal to get her season under way. That said, State Man has to give Gordon Elliott’s mare 7lbs, while Mystical Power wasn’t seen in his best light, when down the field in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle the last day. This beautifully bred gelding by supersire Galileo, and out of the brilliant Annie Power is surely capable of better, so has to enter calculations. A race fit State Man to justify favouritism, but this one looks ripe for an exotic.

Neville Hotels Premier Handicap Hurdle (Listed) 3.05
Sa Fureur
This Listed Handicap can go to Gordon Elliott’s useful Sa Fureur, with this handicap hurdle mark looking a bit on the lenient side. Fresh from a win at the start of December, Sam Ewing gets the leg-up once more in the absence of Jack Kennedy, and this Walk In The Park gelding can see off the attentions of Royal Bond winner, Tounsivator, who looks potentially smart, but has to give plenty of weight to the selection. A competitive handicap, but this should be a showdown between Sa Fureur and Tounsivator, with the progressive Mr Percy the each-way angle.

Plusvital Flat Race 3.40
Koktail Brut (nb)
There’s plenty of noise about Gordon Elliott’s Koktail Brut, a costly buy out of a point, but looking a canny purchase when scoring at Fairyhouse. That was a pretty easy first win under rules, but there’s surely more to come for this French bred recruit, now housed in the powerful Cullentra yard. Colcannon won nicely for Noel Meade at Galway the last day, but this requires a bit more, so Willie Mullins’s Sortudo might be the one to take on the jolly.

Limerick

QuinnBet Handicap Hurdle (Listed) 1.07
Messerschmitt
It could pay to side with Noel Meade’s Messerschmidt for this Listed Handicap Hurdle. Although a distant third to the useful pair of Willy De Houelle and Naturally Nimble, he’s entitled to come on for that run and does get weight from plenty of these as a three year old. Top weight Eagles Reign looks the one to present the biggest challenge, but Messerschmidt can make the payload count, so gets the nudge.

The Mandarin