'Plenty of scope' - Irish Lucky15 St Stephen's Day The St Stephen's Day racing bonanza is the stuff of legend, with 11 meetings across the UK and Ireland on a frenetic afternoon. Friday's cards in Ireland come from Down Royal (11.40-3.08), Leopardstown (12.05-3.30) and Limerick (12.25-3.50) and our expert has picked out a Lucky15 selection for the Irish St Stephen's Day racing. Irish Lucky15 St Stephen's Day 12.15 Down Royal — Champagne Jury 1.33 Limerick — County Final 1.45 Leopardstown — Welluknow 2.20 Leopardstown — Romeo Coolio 12.15 Down Royal — Champagne Jury The Gavin Cromwell team have started to turn a corner and better things are expected in the second half of the season. The Connolly's RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle can go the way of CHAMPAGNE JURY for the Gold Cup-winning trainer. The Jukebox Jury gelding won a Naas bumper in January before finishing second to Honesty Policy on hurdles bow at Leopardstown in March. That effort looks good in light of the Gordon Elliot runners' Grade 1 effort at Ascot on Saturday. Champagne Jury didn't give his true running in the €45,000 Auction Hurdle Series Final at Punchestown in April but this is much less demanding and Eoin Staples can take a handy 7lb off in the plate. Henry de Bromhead's Los Blanco looks the main danger but he's exposed at this point and the Cromwell runner has plenty of scope for better. 1.33 Limerick — County Final The Grade 2 Defender Novice Hurdle over 2m7f looks a competitive event, with the likes of Santo Sospir (Gordon Elliott), The Big Clubman (Paul Nolan) and Yeshil (Henry de Bromhead) likely improvers with winning hurdles form already in the book. However, COUNTY FINAL may have the answer for Eric McNamara on what is a big afternoon for owner JP McManus, with Fact To File bound for Kempton and the King George. The Court Cave gelding was second in a novice handicap at Punchestown (2m1f, soft to heavy) last month when lumping weight to the winner after the pair pulled clear. The winner scored in good style again since at Thurles and there may be more to come upped in trip for Sean Flanagan's partner. 1.45 Leopardstown — Welluknow With Paul Townend in Kempton it means Danny Mullins gets the plumb rides for the Willie Mullins team on day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival. It isn't just for Closutton he has claims, however, with WELLUKNOW fancied to double up in the E-Auctions Novice Handicap Hurdle for trainer Mark Molloy. He has improved in each of three runs this season, landing a Gowran Park novice handicap contest in early November over 2m on testing ground by a slender margin. That form has been boosted by a trio of the beaten horses, two winning next time, and despite an 8lb hike, this promising six-year-old looks built for better. 2.20 Leopardstown — Romeo Coolio The anchor is ROMEO COOLIO for Gordon Elliott in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase. A top-level winner as a novice hurdler last season at this track during the Christmas meeting, he can repeat the feat now over fences. He's 2-2 so far, striding clear to win the Drinmore at Fairyhouse last month in the manner of a very good chaser. For many, he could establish himself as Ireland's leading Arkle contender from here to Cheltenham and this is the next logical step.
