Christmas crackers: The eight Grade One races in Ireland you cannot miss

Shreds of wrapping paper all over the living room? Tea and turkey sandwiches? Contrived laughter from the jokes in suspect Christmas crackers?

Christmas conjures certain immediate memories for all of us and among it all is probably my favourite meeting of the year in the Leopardstown Christmas Festival. What’s not to love about four days of top-class action at Foxrock over the festive period?

There is certainly much to anticipate this year with the Grade One contests for the senior two-mile hurdlers, two-mile chasers and the staying chasers over three miles looking well up to scratch.

Here’s a guide to all eight Grade One contests from Leopardstown and Limerick over the festive period, which of course you can enjoy live on Racing TV.

A race with a top-class roll of honour. Will one of this year’s contenders assume the mantle from the likes of Douvan, Min and Footpad?

Felix Desjy will likely be a short price and, while his victory last time lacked the usual swashbuckling style, I liked the way he measured his obstacles (he launched himself at a few at Killarney on chase debut) and he ultimately gave a good horse, Sizing Pottsie, a lead and accounted for him in cosy style (watch above). The runner-up has subsequently won a valuable prize by six lengths from a mark of 149 on handicap debut.

Darver Star will probably prove his main market rival and his jumping has improved during both chase starts so far. The return to better ground is also a bonus. Yet he doesn’t look a natural over fences to me and it’s hard to see him reversing form with Felix Desjy from Punchestown last time.

Blackbow may pose a bigger threat. A classy bumper horse, he disappointed over hurdles and suffered several odds-on defeats at short prices but chasing looks his game. He won on his debut over fences in the same race Willie Mullins introduced Vautour, Douvan and Min over the larger obstacles and he might be slightly under-rated given his profile.

Asterion Forlonge v Pencilfulloflead?

It might not be Faugheen v Samcro from last year, but this is still a compelling clash between two exciting novices and both unbeaten over fences.

Asterion Forlonge made a pleasing start over fences at Punchestown – with an “error” at the second-last more a knuckle on landing than anything faulty with the debutant’s jumping technique. You can watch the whole race above.

He swerved violently right throughout most of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle,but the fact he stayed in contention for so long underlines his ability and this is the right way round for him.

Pencillfulloflead is miles behind Asterion Forlonge on hurdles form but he sets the standard over fences as a Grade Two winner with more chase experience in the book. He looks a real stayer and dropping down in trip by three furlongs is a concern, but the ground will be heavy and we know these conditions at Limerick take a bit of getting.

It has cut up to six runners but even if it’s not quite the race we had in prospect this is still a serious contest with Chacun Pour Soi taking on Notebook and the redirected Arkle winner Put The Kettle On.

This has always been the target for Chacun Pour Soi and the Champion Chase favourite arrives here race-fit this time. A hot favourite, he should have the measure of good horses in opposition but there’s enough weight to his rivals collectively - not forgetting potential big improver Le Richebourg – to simply make this an enjoyable watch.

Appreciate It heads the market and it’s not hard to see why. Unbeaten at Leopardstown, he was very impressive at last year’s meeting and he jumped nicely on hurdles debut at Cork (watch above). He was ridden with real confidence and the form has some substance.

But at current prices he looks a bit short in comparison to Ballyadam, a Grade One winner who might be more at home over this sharper test. His jumping is not a genuine concern given the debut impression at Down Royal and he has more experience over hurdles. Appreciate It looks like a future chaser who will get two and a half miles.

Big-money buy Keskonrisk is a fascinating contender up in grade after an impressive hurdles debut but potentially the biggest improver is his stablemate Fire Attack.

Back down in trip to two miles, he is of huge interest and I’d expect more forceful tactics over the minimum trip. He has plenty of speed and his return in the Monksfield at Navan was extremely eye-catching. He was only caught late on after racing keenly and sweeping to the front with five furlongs to run.

He jumped nimbly, should be more tractable this time and can shake up the market protagonist.

Another Christmas cracker awaits with Sire Du Berlais, Fury Road and Ronald Pump in the mix with French Dynamite.

The suspicion is Sire Du Berlais could have had a say in last season’s Stayers’ Hurdle, but his Pertemps form is strong and he looked good on his return in the Lismullen Hurdle.

Fury Road represents last year’s excellent Albert Bartlett form, beaten only a neck in third behind Monkfish. He was given a canny ride by Davy Russell on that occasion though, while the quicker ground at Leopardstown raises concern. On official ratings, he has 7lb to find with Sire Du Berlais.

Ronald Pump is the one that appeals at current odds of 4-1. He always seems to be a little under the radar, which is surprising given he regularly runs cracking races and is the flagbearer for his up-and-coming trainer. He is versatile but is being campaigned exclusively over hurdles this season and sets the standard on form courtesy of his second in the Stayers’ Hurdle. There could still be more to come.

We have a fantastic line-up in prospect for the highlight of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.

Minella Indo is the fascinating one in many ways and could advertise his Cheltenham Gold Cup credentials in a big way. Lightly-raced in a strange and ultimately curtailed campaign last term, he’s already run twice this term but this is his first real test against established and top-class staying chasers. The present 2-1 does not hold great appeal.

Presenting Percy looks like he might finally be back on track after his impressive return in the boomerang.ie Chase, but last year’s winner Delta Work is perhaps the most solid of the market principals at 5-1.

He might not show his best at Cheltenham, but he’s something of a Leopardstown specialist and unbeaten in three Grade One races over fences at this track. He needs his first run and fared much better in the Champion Chase at Down Royal on his return this year than last, which is another boon to his chance.

A Plus Tard is trying this distance for the first time, but the suspicion is this test might just suit him. You can’t have quite the same conviction for Samcro at this staying trip, but he’s another fascinating contender in a fantastic race.

Monkfish stands tall in a notable season for fine novice chase performances and this very exciting prospect will be all the rage to land Grade One honours on just his second start over fences.

Strongly backed at Fairyhouse, he justified the support in style against some decent rivals over a trip short of his best. Given his significant size, he was also noticeably quick in the air when finding the right stride before coasting clear.

Of the opposition, Conflated looks the most interesting. He has bumped into good horses on all three starts over fences and took advantage of a below-par The Big Getaway last time, but you cannot say that success wasn’t deserved and he jumped well upsides Asterion Forlonge down the back on his second start of the season at Punchestown.

He might get a soft lead – the place where he seems to jump best – and a left-handed track looks preferable for him. He tackles three miles for the first time, and while that’s something he needs to prove he looked like he needed all of the intermediate trip at Navan last time and hit the line well.

A fitting conclusion to the Grade One action at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, with all the right entries and unanswered questions from the Morgiana finding a potential resolution.

Saint Roi ran a remarkable race at Punchestown, racing so keenly on his return yet still nearly snatching victory. He could improve markedly for that first foray at Grade One level and if he races more tractably then he could easily justify current 7-4 quotes.

Abacadabras has a reputation for being a bit quirky but his ability is beyond question and this sharper test on quicker ground should suit better than Punchestown. He ideally needs to be delivered late, and Petit Mouchoir and Aspire Tower should set a good pace to aim at. He looks the greater value of the shorter-priced contenders.

Sharjah has won this race for the past two years and has his ideal conditions. He has been supported in recent days, the opposition here is stronger than the last two renewals and he has a slightly hit-and-miss profile, but anything bigger than the current 8-1 is worth a small each-way interest.

The one that looks genuinely overpriced is Coeur Sublime. He has some health warnings attached and can’t be fully relied on to see out his races, but 33-1 just looks too big given he was bang there approaching the last in the Morgiana.

Trainer Gearoid O’Loughlin has stated he had been working back from this race and that his stable star took a blow in the closing stages at Punchestown, while the better ground could potentially assist a horse with breathing issues. This is banker or blowout territory but he might be worth a small risk in a compelling contest.