Leopardstown Racecourse: preview and tips for Sunday’s eight-race Jumps card - including a Listed handicap chase

Leopardstown Racecourse: preview and tips for Sunday’s eight-race Jumps card - including a Listed handicap chase Plenty of eyes are focusing on the upcoming Cheltenham Festival but the National Hunt season in Ireland still has a few more races to run before the showpiece meeting later this month.

Leopardstown hosts a competitive eight-race card on Sunday afternoon to kick things off, with the card getting underway at 1.20pm with a two-mile novice hurdle and rounding off at 5.12pm with a bumper.

Read below to discover the latest tips and a full meeting preview of the Leopardstown card courtesy of BoyleSports, who offer the latest Cheltenham betting today.

The opening contest of the Sunday’s card sees a field of seven head to the start for the two-mile novice hurdle (1.20). Champagne Jury, trained by Gavin Cromwell, is the only one of the field without hurdles experience under rules but was a runner up between the flags on his only completed start so shouldn’t struggle with obstacles here off the back of winning a Naas bumper in January.

Race two of the afternoon is a maiden hurdle contest, again over the two-mile trip (1.50) and the John McConnell-trained Fortune The Brave look the way to go here, a two-time bumper winner and makes his hurdling debut here after a lay-off and despite a step down in trip, still appeals most.

Thedevilscoachman has the most solid recent form on offer for the Noel Meade yard in race three at Leopardstown (2.25) off the back of two good Grade 2 outings at Gowran and Navan. The enigmatic Pied Piper for Gordon Elliott is the clear class of the field if he is anywhere near his A game but has a fair bit to prove having fallen at the final flight and beating a retreat when last seen back in October.

Division one of the two-mile handicap hurdle is race four on the card (2.57) and Saffronandblue is the selection, a twice-winner on the Flat last spring and makes a handicap debut in this sphere after a couple of low-key outings, while division two of the same discipline (3.30) can go the way of Crescent Moon at a good price, best leaving behind the 15th when last seen and more fairly judged on a good second at Cork prior to that.

The Listed handicap chase, worth €27,000 to the winner, is the feature race on the day (4.02). This can head Broomfield Bijou could be the answer in a very open-looking contest. The Philip Dempsey-trained runner was a very good second of five in a Grade 2 last time out and looks a solid option. Tyre Kicker could be the main danger, a previous course winner that was a good second at Windsor 44 days ago so has a good chance on form.

Brandt and the re-opposing One Horse Army lock horns once again in the penultimate race of the afternoon (4.37) and the former, trained by Cian Collins, is taken to come out on top with his runner likely to relish the further distance more, while the final bumper on the day (5.12) can head the way of Carigmoorna Beech, who made a winning debut in this sphere at Gowran and is the one to beat.

Leopardstown selections - Sunday 

1.20 - Champagne Jury 

1.50 - Fortune The Brave 

2.25 - Thedevilscoachman 

2.57 - Saffronandblue 

3.30 - Crescent Moon 

4.02 - Broomfield Bijou 

4.37 - One Horse Army 

5.12 - Carigmoona Beech