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- Review leopardstown 26th Dec
Review leopardstown 26th Dec
Clarcam throws a fine leap at the last under Bryan Cooper
© Photo Healy Racing
Gordon Elliott landed a Grade One prize as Clarcam reversed the form with red-hot favourite Vautour to take the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown.
Vautour had his rival in second when an impressive winner on his chasing debut at Navan last month and Willie Mullins' star was sent off the 1-4 favourite to repeat the trick in the hands of Paul Townend.
But he was lucky to survive a very bad error five out and found nothing in the closing stages as Bryan Cooper led two out on Clarcam (8-1) and sent him clear to beat the dead-heaters Vautour and Ted Veale by 17 lengths.
There was a shock in the Grade Two Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle when Fiscal Focus switched from the Flat to spring a 33-1 shock on his jumps bow, overturning Mullins' leading Triumph Hurdle candidate Kalkir
Formerly with Jim Bolger and now trained by Des McDonogh, Fiscal Focus hit the front on the home turn in the hands of Mikey Fogarty and held too many guns for the odds-on favourite, who battled on all the way to the line but still finished two lengths adrift.
Mullins introduced another from his French production line when the impressive Alvisio Ville (1-2 favourite) took the Bewleys Hotels Maiden Hurdle, easing to the front on the home turn before coasting in by five and a half lengths under Townend.
Jessie Harrington's bumper winner Rock On The Moor (12-1) made a winning jumps debut in the Thornton's Recycling Maiden Hurdle, racing prominently under Robbie Power and asserting before the last before being driven four and a quarter lengths clear.< Follow The Sign looked to have the Cardinal Capital Handicap Hurdle won when he bounded clear, but he slowed dramatically on the run-in and Conor Maxwell galvanised Dermot McLoughlin's 16-1 shot Westerners Son to collar him in the shadow of the post.
The Daniel Miley-trained Forty Foot Tom (10-1) was clear on the home turn and stayed on strongly to to take the Racing Post All You Need For Irish Racing Handicap Chase by four and a quarter lengths in the hands of Adrian Heskin.