Paddy Power Chase Leopardstown Form
The
Paddy Power Chase is run over 3miles at Leopardstown at Xmas and is one of the main races where potential Grand National horses would have one of their final races before the Grand National weights are released.
Leopardstown takes plenty of jumping and with a big field nearly always in attendance, this race can be a good mid season test for the top Irish Handicappers.
Recent Grand National Runners who fan in the Paddy Power Chase
Since 1998, two Grand National winners have run in that season's
Paddy Power Chase:
2006 Numbersixvalverde won the Grand National after being Brought Down at Leopardstown
1999 BobbyJo won the Grand National after finishing 13th at Leopardstown
Papillon had also previously run in the
Paddy Power Chase so it may well be worth keeping an eye on horses from previous years.
In the last three years the following horses have gone on from the
Paddy Power Chase to run in the Grand National:
2008/09 = Preists Leap, Chelsea Harbour
2007/08 = No Full, Black Apalachi, Baily Breeze, Point Barrow, Chelsea Harbour
2006/07 = Jack High, Point Barrow, Homer Wells
2009 Grand National Tips from The Paddy Power Chase
Strangely there were very few contenders engaged in the Grand National that ran in the
Paddy Power at Leopardstown and the two that did run both failed to complete.
However, that looks to be a minor blip with this race as it has a fine tradition as a premier handicap in Ireland and as such will undoubtedly throw up some horses who will go on to run in the Grand National.
A couple of horses that ran in the 2008
Paddy Power that may end up at Aintree this year are
Emma Jane and
Church Island.
Neither horse gets a quote as yet from the high street bookies but both look the type that may be targeted by their trainers at a campaign that could end up at Aintree.