Listener waits for Lexus The Listener will head for Leopardstown's Lexus Chase rather than run in Wednesday's rearranged John Durkan Memorial Chase at Fairyhouse. Trainer Nick Mitchell had been aiming for the latter race with his stable star, a race he won in 2007. But with the John Durkan being abandoned and rearranged a number of times, Mitchell has decided against sending him to Ireland just yet and he will now wait for Leopardstown on December 28. "We're putting a line through the John Durkan as it's been too much of a mix-up for us," said Mitchell. "The horse is still at home and has never got on a boat, so we've decided to go straight for the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. "It would have been nice to have run in the John Durkan as he's in such good form, but after his injury we didn't want to take him over to Ireland and then find out it was off again. "It's unfortunate but those are the cards we've been dealt and the Lexus is only a fortnight away, so we'll keep our powder dry and go for that."
