Much To Ponder On The Box
Cheltenham and Leopardstown dominate the racing schedules this weekend and both are covered extensively on the box. Ladbrokes have an incentive for punters to take an early price of 3/1 or more at Prestbury Park. And so Paul Nicholls’ Nozic (5/1) in the Cotswold Chase is a fancy, but Roll Along, trained by Carl Llewellyn (7/1) also has his supporters and is likely to appreciate the soft ground.
At Leopardstown, the Toshiba Champion is the highlight at Leopardstown on Sunday. Brave Inca is the current market leader at 13/8, and while positive soundings have been emerging all week from that camp, Sublimity at 5/2 looks the most likely and is perhaps the only Irish runner who can upset the ’short priced’ Binocular in the Smurfit Champion hurdle on 10 March.
In the Irish Arkle, only five go to the post. Willie Mullins’ Golden Silver, with the rising star Paul Townend in the saddle, gets a tentative vote here. Oliver McKiernan’s Follow The Plan was a nice winner at Leopardstown over Christmas, defeating Arkle favourite Tatenen in the process. Sunday’s race will tell us more about his prospects for championship success come March.
Watch racing from Leopardstown on RTÉ One and www.rte.ie/live from 1.35pm.
1.50 The Arkle Perpetual Challenge Cup
2.20 The Foxrock Handicap Steeplechase
2.50 The Toshiba Champion Hurdle
3.25 The Golden Cygnet Hurdle
Heineken Cup
Munster are already guaranteed a place in the quarter-final, but victory against Montauban would ensure a home tie in the last eight. Much has been said about Munster’s ability to come through tight games and that’s what might be required again against their opponents who made life difficult for them in Thomond last October.
Bonus points are always difficult to get in France, but much has been said about the strong ties between the Munster side and its supporters, insofar that the players on the pitch will not want their followers dipping into their pockets to fund an away trip in these straightened times in April.
Leinster take on their bogey side Edinburgh, knowing that victory may not guarantee a quarter-final berth. The province started the competition so brightly, but the 18-15 defeat to Castres showed again how brittle they can be. They will hope that their French conquerors can now do them a favour against Wasps, who are an attractive 10/3 to top the group. One wishes Leinster well, but the confidence levels are never sky high when they have to do what is absolutely required of them.
Watch highlights of Montauban v Munster & Stade Francais v Ulster on RTÉ Two television from 9.30pm on Saturday, 24 January. Leinster v Edinburgh highlights on RTÉ Two television from 8.00pm on Sunday, 25 January.
