The four days at the
Leopardstown Christmas Festival provided a magnificent display of the quality
of Irish National hunt racing. The attendance today was 10,907, compared
to 11,915 in 2016, bringing total attendees over the four days to 56,617.
While the attendance was down on the 2016 level of 61,039, it was ahead of the
2015 number of 54,991.
Pat Keogh, Chief
Executive of Leopardstown Racecourse, commented: “With so many great memories, this
year will go down as one of the best Leopardstown Christmas Festivals for a
very long time. This evening after racing, the audience was treated to a
concert from Mundy in the Festival Marquee while there was a DJ in the
Champions Bar allowing people time to relax and recount their memories of a
great week in Leopardstown. Last year we were blessed with unseasonably warm
weather which helped to swell the social audience, unfortunately the weather
Gods were less kind to us this year but that didn’t interfere with the
enjoyment!
We would also like to
thank our great customers, sponsors and partners for their continued support.
We have plenty to look forward to in the New Year with the Dublin Racing
Festival on the 3rd and 4th of February. This is one
of the most exciting events to hit Dublin over the past few years as we host a
celebration of racing, food, music, comedy and culture. 2018 is going to be
another busy year at Leopardstown,"
DAY 1: 26th December
Footpad
showed his sublime talent as probably the best novice chaser as he and Paul
Townend took the feature race, the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Steeplechase in
impressive style. The Racing Post Novice Chase has had some legendary winners
such as Danoli, Moscow Flyer, Sizing Europe, Douvan & Min. In the
Grade 2 Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle, trainer Gavin’ Cromwell’s Espoir D’Allen
continued his winning run with jockey Mark Walsh. Earlier in the day, there was
bittersweet jubilant scenes as the 50/1 shot, Ellie Mac won the Horse And Jockey
Hotel Maiden Hurdle in the name of the Niccolai Schuster Horse Racing Club, who
was died tragically in the Berkeley Balcony Collapse in 2015. It was great
to see so many of Niccolai’s friends there to celebrate this great success and
his memory.
DAY 2: 27th December
Paddy Power Chase Day was a day of high drama and intrigue as the feature races
were filled with breathtaking twists and turns. The Grade 1 Paddy’s Rewards
Steeplechase witnessed a dramatic battle between Willie Mullin’s Min and British
raider Nicky Richard's Simply
Ned. A Stewards Inquiry resulted in Min being demoted to second
place and 10-year old Simply
Ned taking his very first Grade 1 success. The most valuable
race of the festival, the €200,000 Paddy Power Handicap Steeplechase attracted
a full field of 28 runners – and it was Tony Martin’s Anibale Fly (14-1)
who won comfortably as Gordon Elliott's Ucello Conti came second and
favourite Squouateur in
third place. This year's Paddy Power Future Champions Novices Hurdle
provided a gripping roller coaster ride for racing fans, when favourite Mengli Khan hit the
rails before the second last, leaving Real
Steel,Sharjah
and Whiskey Sour
to battle it out in what looked like a 1-2-3 for trainer Willie Mullins.
However, both Real
Steel and Sharjah,
then came down in the final flight, leaving David Mullins on Whiskey Sour to
take the Grade 1 Novice hurdle for Willie Mullins.
DAY 3: 28th December
The Grade 1 Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle was won by Apple's Jade with
jockey Davy Russell for trainer Gordon Elliott. The courageous filly had to dig
deep to hold onto victory as Jessica Harrington's Supasundae and
Robbie Power ran a wonderful race to finish second. 12 runners lined up with 24
Grade 1 wins between them for the €150,000 Grade 1 Leopardstown Christmas
Steeplechase (previously Lexus Chase) which resulted in a 1-2-3 for owners
Gigginstown House Stud as Road to Respect took first prize followed by Balko Des Flos and
Outlander.
The Third Day of the Festival is official Ladies Day and the CLIFF Style Awards
were open to both Ladies and Gents with a total prize fund value of over
€10,000. The Cliff Style Award to Best Dressed Lady went to Sinead Leonard from
Beaumount in Dublin and to Best Dressed Male Neil Moody. The two winners will
enjoy stays at all three CLIFF 5-star properties in Ireland including The
Cliffhouse Hotel, CLIFF Townhouse and CLIFF at Lyons.
DAY 4: 29th
December
The Ryanair Hurdle provided plenty of drama as favourite Faugheen led from
the front, but looked in trouble halfway and was pulled up before the home
straight as Cilaos Emery took advantage to take the lead, but Davy Russell and Mick Jazz began to
challenge on the run-in and powered home to take the Grade 1 €100,000
contest. It was double Grade 1 wins for Gordon Elliott as Shattered Love also
won the other Grade 1 feature, the Neville Hotels Steeplechase - a race that
was upgraded to Grade 1 status in 2003 due to the quality of previous winners
including dual Irish Gold Cup winner, Carlingford Lough and Our Duke, who went
on to win the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.