Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Inothewayurthinkin’s time to land the Savills Chase

William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty previews Sunday and Monday’s Grade 1 action from Leopardstown, Limerick and Newbury.

Limerick, Sunday

FINAL DEMAND will be very hard to beat in the Grade 1 Faugheen Novice Chase (1:40pm). He was brilliant in Navan on his first run over fences, where he looked very professional. After being beaten at the Cheltenham Festival last season, when I don’t think he was quite at his best, he bounced back to put in a massive performance at Punchestown. Final Demand looks like a superstar of the future and I don’t see any of the others getting close to him here.

Leopardstown, Sunday

BALLYBURN and Teahupoo re-oppose in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle (1:55pm) after the latter got the better of the argument by a nose in the Hatton’s Grace. I think we could see a reversal of the places here, as the race in Fairyhouse was a tactical affair and Ballyburn was very keen in a slowly run race and found him in a bad position. There’s likely to be a better gallop here, which should allow him to settle. Teahupoo will be better back over this trip of three miles, but I thought the pace that Ballyburn displayed at Fairyhouse was similar to the pace he showed as a novice hurdler. He should come on for his last run and that makes him the one to beat. Bob Olinger is an interesting runner but he tends to need his first run of the season.

It’s hard to see past the top three in the market in the Grade 1 Savills Chase (2:30pm). Fastorslow is a very good horse but he hasn’t won going left-handed since he was a three-year-old, and all his best form tends to be at Punchestown. Galopin Des Champs has improved for his last two seasonal reappearances. His win in Punchestown in April was as good a form as he has ever shown, but he could be vulnerable on his first start. Connections of INOTHEWAYURTHINKIN were really pleased with his run in the John Durkan. While the tempo of the race didn’t suit him at all and he was completely outpaced, they loved the way he came home. With that run under his belt, and with conditions ideal for him, he might be the one in what is a tight race.

Leopardstown, Monday

Lossiemouth is a warm favourite for the Grade 1 December Hurdle (2:32pm). This is run on the inside track at Leopardstown, which is a sharper, dryer track and a quick two miles. BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD really excelled in this race last year, and while I can’t imagine they will give her as much of an uncontested lead this time, she did look very comfortable at that pace on the day. Lossiemouth’s best form is over two-and-a-half miles and although I’m a big fan of hers, I think she could be vulnerable to Brighterdaysahead on this sharp track. Gordon’s [Elliott] horses are flying at the moment too.

Newbury, Monday

There’s also Grade 1 action at Newbury with the Challow Novices’ Hurdle (3:00pm). While No Drama This End has been very impressive so far, his form is all on soft ground. He finished ninth in the Champion Bumper on good-to-soft ground, which was a good run but also the only time he has tasted defeat. I think with the drying ground at Newbury, he could be worth taking on and there’s probably value in the each-way market. ETNA BIANCO won well at Ascot last time and the third-placed horse in that race has since come out and finished second, so that form is working out reasonably well. The favourite might be hard to beat, but Etna Bianco could offer a bit of value each-way.