• Home
  • Ireland
  • Leopardstown Christmas Festival
  • Savills Chase

2024 Savills Chase Tips - Galopin to avenge John Durkan defeat

jon-vine
Editor
Last updated: 27 Dec 2024
jon-vine
Jon Vine 27 Dec 2024
Share this article
Or copy link
success image
  • Odds and betting predictions for the 2024 Savills Chase
  • This Grade One takes place at Leopardstown on Saturday 28th December
  • We're backing Galopin Des Champs to beat Fact To File
Expired
galopin des champs leopardstown
Paul Townend riding Galopin Des Champs win The Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown. (Getty)

Leopardstown's Christmas Festival is headlined by the Savills Chase, which takes place on day three of the meeting. Since its creation in 1986, this three-mile chase has been won by many of the sport's finest chasers, with great names like Best Mate, Beef Or Salmon, Denman and Bobs Worth featuring on the roll of honour.

Here's our free guide to the 2024 Savills Chase, including our best betting tips.

2024 Savills Chase Odds


Name
Odds
Galopin Des Champs6/4
Fact To File7/4
Gerri Colombe8/1
I Am Maximus12/1
Spillane's Tower14/1
Corbetts Cross14/1
Bar16/1

2024 Savills Chase Entries


Fact To File got one over on Galopin Des Champs by winning the John Durkan Chase on their seasonal reappearance. Willie Mullins' stars top the betting, with Fact To File narrowly shading favouritism. Galopin Des Champs does, however, usually improve for his return to action and produced a stunning performance when winning this race by 23 lengths 12 months ago.

Gerri Colombe was no match for Galopin Des Champs in last year's Savills Chase, but still sits third in the betting, despite a disappointing reappearance at Down Royal. Willie Mullins, meanwhile, holds four further entries, with Grand National hero I Am Maximus, Grangeclare West, Capodanno and Minella Cocooner all in the running.

Spillane's Tower, Corbetts Crossand Envoi Allen will all contest the King George VI Chase. Henry De Bromhead could run Heart Wood, following his runner-up finish to Croke Park in the Drinmore Novices' Chase.

Mouse Morris has been unable to get a run into Gentlemansgame, which means he might not be declared. Gavin Cromwell's Inothewayurthinkin, and Gordon Elliott's former winner of this contest, Conflated complete the likely field.

2024 Savills Chase Tips


This is a straight shootout between the top two in the market. Gerri Colombe hasn't a hope of challenging the big two on good ground around a speed track. I Am Maximus will get around, with the sole aim of a drop in his handicap mark. Gentlemansgame and Conflated aren't good enough, and the rest are also-rans.

I'm not in the least bit surprised to see that GALOPIN DES CHAMPS (6/4) has moved ahead of Fact To File in the market. Willie Mullins' two-time Gold Cup winner produced one of the finest performances ever seen from a staying chaser when winning this race by 23 lengths last year. Leopardstown is his favourite track.

The course should also suit Fact To File, who would be more of a pacey long-distance chaser than a dour stayer. Mullins' seven-year-old won a Grade One around this track at the Dublin Racing Festival, but that wasn't much of a contest, as Gaelic Warrior underperformed massively.

Fact To File beat the new market leader in the John Durkan and brings plenty of momentum into the contest. Galopin Des Champs still ran a lovely race at Punchestown, a course he never really looks comfortable around, finishing third having made the running. 

With that run under his belt, and the course and ground likely to suit, I'm expecting to see Galopin Des Champs level the score between himself and Fact To File at 1-1, setting up a mouth-watering showdown in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Top Betting Sites

special-offer-1Betting offers