LEOPARDSTOWN Racecourse’s 2018 Christmas Festival, which was launched last week, boasts an increase this year in prize-money for all eight feature races.
Details of the festival, which includes the entries for all seven Grade 1 races and the Paddy Power Chase at the much-anticipated four-day extravaganza, were revealed at the launch in Gordon Elliott’s yard in Cullentra, Co Meath.
A festive sporting tradition across the generations, the festival, which runs from St Stephen's Day, December 26 to December 29, will see an increase this year in total prize-money over the four days to €1.4m, a boost of €160,000 (12 per cent) compared to 2017.
The Racing Post Novice Chase is the Grade 1 feature on St Stephen's Day, Wednesday, December 26 and its prize-money has been increased to €100,000 from €90,000 this year. The two miles, one-furlong event was won last year by the Willie Mullins-trained Footpad who went on to land Grade 1 races over the same course and distance at the inaugural Dublin Racing Festival in February.
The first of two Grade 1 races on the second day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival is the €125,000 Paddy’s Rewards Club ‘Sugar Paddy’ Chase, which sees its prize-money up by €25,000. The Nicky Richards-trained Simply Ned (10/1 with Paddy Power) landed the spoils under Mark Walsh last year.
The Grade 1 Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle becomes another race with a six-figure prize fund with an increase of €15,000 bringing the overall value to €100,000.
One of the great spectacles of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, the Paddy Power Chase, remains the richest race of the four-day meeting, with a value of €200,000.
There are 53 initial entries headed by the Noel Meade-trained Tout Est Permis (20/1 with Paddy Power) who will be bidding to add to his recent win in the Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan.
Day Three of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival is focused on the stayers and the Grade 1 Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle over three miles and is now worth €100,000, an increase of €15,000 on last year.
Total prize-money of €175,000, an increase of €25,000, is on offer for the inaugural running of The Savills Chase on the third day of the festival which carries the banner of ‘Savills Day at Leopardstown’.
Ryanair Day on Saturday, December 29 includes the €100,000 Grade 1 Neville Hotels Novice Chase which has risen in value from €85,000 to €100,000 this year. The race saw Gordon Elliott land a 1-2 in 2017 with the mare Shattered Love, winner of the Grade 1 JLT Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Speaking at the launch, Gordon Elliott said: “The quality of racing and opportunity to see how our best horses measure up against their peers is something we nervously looked forward to at this time of year.”
Pat Keogh, Chief Executive of Leopardstown Racecourse, added: “All the team here at Leopardstown are very much looking forward to another four days of great racing.
“Today's entries reflect the very high standard of racing we have come to expect at Christmas.”