Leopardstown set for pre-Cheltenham school Leopardstown stage their final national hunt fixture of the season next Sunday, March 3rd, and after the card hold the annual pre-Cheltenham schooling session. Traditionally the schooling has been used by many trainers to finalise racecourse work on some of their principal contenders in preparation for Cheltenham. Colm Murphy, leading trainer commented:- “If a horse needs a piece of work on grass before the Cheltenham Festival, schooling in Leopardstown Racecourse fits in great as it is approximately 8-10 days before the Festival. Leopardstown racecourse is one of the best tracks in the world for working horses.”    Nessa Joyce, Racing and Operations Manager for Leopardstown added:- “our aim is to provide a prime workout facility for trainers. We won’t know until the day which horses will be here schooling but we’re looking forward to seeing who might be here – as this is often our last chance to see them before they travel to Cheltenham. Everyone is welcome to come along to view.” The Ground at Leopardstown is currently soft to yielding, soft in places with a forecast of continuing dry weather which should allow for continued improvement in the track. Traditionally, the public stay on after racing to view what can be an interesting spectacle as many leading horses are put through their paces in advance of the major fixtures at Cheltenham and Aintree.  After the last race, horses preparing for the Cheltenham festival will school on the main track. Leopardstown racecourse will be screening the schooling on their big screen with a commentator ensuring that the public can identify the participants.   Pat Keogh, CEO of Leopardstown said:- “It will be a fascinating day where tips will be flying left, right and centre, quite simply, the perfect Pre-Cheltenham experience.”
