CHACUN NOT FOR CATCHING

13:35 Leopardstown

The second race of this cracking seven race card at Leopardstown's two day top class festival sees two Willie Mullins stablemates go head to head with Chacun Pour Soi doing battle with Min as the duo currently make up the head of the market.

Chacun Pour Soi is the red-hot favourite and is currently priced at around 4/9. An obvious and more than worthy favourite it's interesting to note that this nine year old makes only his seventh career start in Ireland. He's had his problems in the past but this lightly raced Grade 1 winner won this race last year and aims to make it back-to-back wins. It'd be silly to say he's anything but a likely winner but at the prices you have to hunt for an alternative angle for punting purposes.

Min seems to get better with age and this seven-time Grade 1 winner was last seen winning at Punchestown impressively (although you couldn't see much in the fog that day) Patrick Mullins was said to be very happy with his work after the race and was jumping very well all the way round (you will have to take his word for it!) That being said however this will be tough for Min and perhaps the trip doesn't play to his strengths these days.

Notebook wasn't too far behind Chacun Pour Soi at Christmas and does like it round here.

Although, as with Min, this may just be a prep run for the Ryanair in March he is perhaps a bit of a forgotten horse and looks the most likely to give the favourite something to think about.

In my mind this is a straight shootout between Chacun Pour Soi & Notebook with Min not to far behind and I would be confident to stick these two in a straight forecast with

Of the remainder Fakir Doudairies was very disappointing last time out and will need to bounce back. Tornado Flyer just doesn't look good enough at this level and will need a career best to get near the main protagonists.

I can't see anything but a Chacun Pour Soi win so it's a case of trying to figure out which horse is the most likely to fill the runners up spot. In my mind the best of the rest is Notebook and Min and I'm leaning towards the Gigginstown runner.

CHACUN POUR SOI & NOTEBOOK (ST. F/CAST)

written by Luke Tucker