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Increased prize-money at Leopardstown over Xmas

Road To Respect pictured with Noel Meade and Sean Flanagan after winning at Leopardstown last ChristmasRoad To Respect pictured with Noel Meade and Sean Flanagan after winning at Leopardstown last Christmas
© Photo Healy Racing

The Leopardstown Christmas Festival, from December 26 to 29, boasts a 12% increase in prize-money this year with over 1.4 million on offer over the four days.

The Racing Post Novice Chase is the Grade 1 feature on St Stephen's Day, Wednesday, December 26 and sees its prize-money increased to €100,000 from €90,000. The 2m1f event was won last year by the Willie Mullins-trained Footpad who went on to land Grade 1 races over the same course and distance at the inaugural Dublin Racing Festival in February, plus the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals.

Both Grade 1 races on the second day of the Festival are up in value with the Paddy’s Rewards Club ‘Sugar Paddy’ Chase rising €25,000 to €125,000. The race went for export in 2017 with the Nicky Richards-trained Simply Ned landing the spoils in the stewards' room.

The Grade 1 Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle becomes another race with a six-figure prize fund with an increase of €15,000 bringing the overall value to €100,000.

Day three is focused on the stayers and the Grade 1 Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle over three miles will now also be worth €100,000, an increase of €15,000 on last year. The Gordon Elliott-trained Apple’s Jade won this last year.

Total prize-money of €175,000, an increase of €25,000, is on offer for the inaugural running of The Savills Chase also on the third day of the Festival.

The race has been won in the past by the likes of Denman, Beef or Salmon, Synchronised, Tidal Bay and Bobs Worth, while the Noel Meade-trained Road To Respect added his name to the roll of honour last year.

The final day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival on Saturday, December 29 features two more Grade 1 races.

The Ryanair Hurdle sees its value rising to €125,000 from €100,000, while the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Novice Chase goes up from €85,000 to €100,000.

There are further improvements to the prize-money on offer for all the higher quality handicaps at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.

In addition the minimum value for all bumpers will rise to €12,000, while all hurdle races will have a minimum value of €15,000 and all chases will see their minimum values rise to €17,500.

Pat Keogh, Chief Executive of Leopardstown Racecourse, said: “It is with thanks to the generosity and support of our sponsors and HRI that we can announce these significant prize-money increases. We are delighted for the owners, who are so important, that the increases are across the board and include virtually all 28 races over the four days.

"The quality of racing at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival is second to none and we strive to build on our success year-on-year. Its wonderful to see horses that run here in December returning just six weeks later for Dublin Racing Festival before going on to compete and win at the big Spring meetings.”