Recent entries in Leopardstown
The 2009 Lexus Chase at Leopardstown
Gerard Delahunty / 12 December 2009 Free Bet View Market
"The still lightly-raced Money Trix has always promised to be a decent staying chaser."
The prizemoney could well stay at home
but don't discount the possibility that Money Trix will magic the cash away again.
This year's line-up has a definite changing of the guard feel to it. The era of Beef Or Salmon is past, The Listener is missing through injury and early favouritism is disputed by second-season chasers such as Cooldine ([7.2]), Joncol ([4.2]) and Tranquil Sea ([6.8]), as well as Notre Pere ([4.1]) who graduated through handicaps last term and also makes his first appearance in this contest.
There are stamina question-marks against both Joncol and Tranquil Sea. Tranquil Sea, untried at the trip, has been most impressive this autumn, accounting for Joncol at Naas over two miles, before taking the 2m5f Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham where he was 'always in command'. He deserves the benefit of the doubt stamina-wise but the form of Edward O'Grady's yard has regressed in recent weeks. Joncol's pedigree is not strong on stamina. While Notre Pere has to recover from a sound beating at Haydock and Cooldine is absent since the spring.
The still lightly-raced Money Trix has always promised to be a decent staying chaser. Runner-up to Black Jack Ketchum in a Grade 1 Novices' Hurdle four seasons back, the son of Old Vic (from the family of Scottish National winner Four Trix) would only now be making his chasing bow in that grade. While he was only workmanlike in winning a Kelso handicap off 149 last time, Money Trix has won seven of his ten completed starts, finishing runner-up in each of the other three, and has to be considered unexposed yet and a likely outsider for the Lexus prize.
