There is an unsettled festive weather outlook but Leopardstown officials are predicting ground conditions no worse than "soft" for their four-day Christmas festival.
It kicks off on St Stephen's Day with an eagerly anticipated Grade One feature which could potentially see some of the cream of Ireland's novice chase talent line up as Douvan heads an elite entry of eight horses at the latest forfeit stage.
The going at the Dublin track is officially "soft" at present and Leopardstown's manager Pat Keogh doesn't foresee any change for a festival expected to attract almost 60,000 through the turnstiles.
“I can’t see it drying much and I don’t see enough rain in the forecast to make it heavy,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of drainage work and we were raceable here every day during the recent wet weather.”
Limerick also races for four days and up to 70mms of rain is forecast to fall there between now and the end their festival.
Ground conditions at Limerick are currently “heavy” but manager Conor O’Neill said: “I’m very confident we will be able to run off the four days. We have a team of up to 40 people who will be ‘footing’ the ground after each race and every precaution will be taken.”
Busiest day
Saturday will be the busiest day of the Irish racing year with Down Royal also racing and no weather problems are anticipated there either.
"We're soft to heavy here now and there's nothing in the forecast that gives me any great concern," said Down Royal's manager, Mike Todd.
Leopardstown hosts three Grade One prizes over the weekend and the first of them, the €90,000 Racing Post Novice Chase, is shaping up into a mouth-watering prospect.
Douvan is set to be tackled by Sizing John, Velvet Maker and perhaps most intriguingly of all by Ttebbob who jockey Robbie Power rates very highly.
“He’s very good. For a big horse he’s brave but also very nimble. He can get into the board and pop one. It will take a good jumper to go with him, the speed he goes and the way he measures his fences. A horse will have to be smart to lie up with him,” Power said.
“With the exception of the King George, it will be the highlight of Stephen’s Day and I hope they all pitch up, fit, well and healthy and that it will be a great race,” he added.
Sunday’s action will see a pair of Grade One prizes at Leopardstown although the big-money pot will be the €190,000 Paddy Power Chase. Fifty-five entries remain in it with the Grade One winner Gilgamboa topping the weights off a rating of 150.
Gilgamboa has an alternative option the following day in the Grade One Lexus Chase but is rated a 16-1 shot by the big-race sponsors to take the handicap route.
Sunday's two-mile Grade One highlight is set to see Un De Sceaux make his first start of the season although Willie Mullins has also left in Vautour who is among the market leaders for Kempton's King George VI Chase.
The champion trainer has seven of the 14 entries left in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle, including the Royal Bond 1-2 Long Dog and Bachasson.
The Michael O’Leary team are likely to pin most of their faith in the Gordon Elliott-trained Tombstone, a hugely impressive winner at Fairyhouse a month ago.
