Leopardstown Tips - Top tips on day two of the Christmas Festival

Along with the two feature Grade Ones, punters have a competitive handicap hurdle and the Paddy Power Chase Handicap to sink their teeth into on Tuesday. Here are our free betting tips on day two of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.

With Dysart Dynamo looking likely to carry an odds-on price into the preceding beginner's chase, Willie Mullins will be looking to complete a quick-fire double in the first of Tuesday's Grade Ones.

Chacun Pour Soi tops the market, having won his last four starts in Grade Ones around Leopardstown. Mullins' ten-year-old was, however, beaten in this contest first time out back in 2019, albeit by A Plus Tard. Also, Mullins indicated during his pre-season stable tour that a step up in trip was in the offing, which indicates that Chacun - who turns 11 in a few days time - may be losing some of his two-mile speed.

At such a short price, I'm happy to take the favourite on. Captain Guinness has never produced the goods in Grade One company and Gentleman De Mee has looked a shadow of is former self in his two outings so far this season. I'm left looking at BLUE LORD, who won two Grade Ones as a novice last term and did well to win a messy renewal of the Clonmel Oil Chase on his reappearance. 

Willie Mullins could then take his tally of winners for the day up to at least three, as FACILE VEGA is impossible to side against in the second of Tuesday's Grade Ones.

Mullins' star motored to two impressive bumper victories here at Leopardstown last season, before collecting a pair of Grade One honours at Cheltenham and Punchestown. Facile Vega was sent off at 1/9 on his hurdles debut at Fairyhouse and barely came out of second gear as he secured a 14-length victory.

I doubt Irish Point will both turning up, meaning Facile Vega's only competition may come from his own stable. Il Etait Temps and Intranet both looked good when making winning reappearances, but neither is in the same league as the odds-on favourite.

We haven't got any odds to work from in this handicap just yet, but there are several runners who catch my eye. 

Plenty of short-priced runners have won this contest in recent years, so likely market leaders Tax For Max and One Last Tango must be respected. I quite like the look of bottom-weight MARVEL FAN, who shaped well when second on his reappearance at Thurles nine days ago and remains well-handicapped off his current mark of just 116.

Next, we'll enjoy the most high-profile handicap of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival. I'm not that keen on any of the runners sitting prominently in the betting here, so I'm going to back two at lengthy prices.

My first fancy is BALLYSHANNON ROSE, who looked to have won a Listed Mares' Chase at Clonmel last time out, but just when Peter Fahey's mare has seen off Elimay and Scarlett And Dove, Dolcita flew home to snatch victory. Ballyshannon Rose has been upped to a career-high chase mark of 142 following that run, but Fahey has called upon Cian Cullinan to take seven pounds off her back. She could run well back up over three miles.

I'll also give another chance to EGALITY MANS, despite a shocking performance when I backed him in the Troytown. Willie Mullins' charge was never going at any stage that day, despite being well-backed in the build-up. I'm confident that Egality Mans is well-handicapped and, like Peter Fahey, Willie Mullins has called up a top conditional in Michael O'Sullivan to reduce his eight-year-olds burden to just 10-7.