Four stars looking to shine at Leopardstown this week

Laurina (14:20 Leopardstown, Thursday)
Racing Post Novice Chase (2m1f)

Laurina won six of her seven starts over hurdles for Willie Mullins, with the one defeat coming in the Champion Hurdle when she failed to meet expectations. However, based on her lengthy physique and the impression she created on her chase debut at Gowran Park, she might be even better over fences. Laurina did not face a simple task on her chase debut, up against a dual Grade 1-winning hurdler in Minella Indo, but she asserted quickly and won with plenty in hand, producing the sort of effort that suggests she is going to take high rank in the division this season. Laurina’s career has largely been style over substance but we will see what she is made of at Leopardstown on Thursday as Fakir d’Oudairies has been faultless over his fences and is sure to provide a stern examination of her credentials.

An impressive start to life over fences for LAURINA!

Brings up a treble at @GowranPark1 for @WillieMullinsNH with a lovely performance!

📽️ @RacingTV pic.twitter.com/SOnUbE9Ciz

— Timeform Live (@TimeformLive) November 23, 2019

Chacun Pour Soi (13:15 Leopardstown, Friday)
Paddy’s Rewards Club ‘Loyalty’s Dead, Live For Rewards’ Chase (2m1f)

Chacun Pour Soi has raced only six times - and just twice since March 2016 – but he has already achieved plenty and is behind only Altior in the ante-post betting for the Champion Chase. He fully deserves his position towards the head of that market as he has been faultless on his only two starts for Willie Mullins, winning by a wide margin at Naas in March before brushing aside Defi du Seuil after being fast-tracked into Grade 1 company at the Punchestown Festival. Chacun Pour Soi’s cosy victory at Punchestown looks even better now given the subsequent exploits of Defi du Seuil, and he is clearly a hugely exciting prospect. However, he will have to bring his A-game to Leopardstown if stablemate Cilaos Emery is given the green light. Cilaos Emery is also a lightly-raced chaser – he has competed just three times over fences – but looks a contender for top honours based on his impressive success in the Hilly Way at Cork last time.

Chacun Pour Soi runs out a superb winner of the (Grade 1) Ryanair Novice Chase for @Robbie_Power_ and Willie Mullins at @punchestownrace!

(🎥@RacingTV)pic.twitter.com/2K22gC1M78

— Timeform Live (@TimeformLive) May 2, 2019

Kemboy (15:10 Leopardstown, Saturday)
Savills Chase (3m)

Kemboy had been a progressive novice chaser in 2017/18 and signed off with an authoritative win in a handicap at the Punchestown Festival, but few could have imagined him hitting the heights he managed last season. He was an ultra-impressive winner of this race, quickly settling matters with a decisive turn of foot, and then bounced back from an anti-climactic first-fence exit in the Cheltenham Gold Cup to win at Aintree, where he sprinted clear in a style rarely seen in the staying chase ranks. Speed proved critical for those victories but he proved himself a thorough stayer when fending off Al Boum Photo in the Punchestown Gold Cup, doing particularly well to see things out having been pressed for the lead by Definitly Red for much of the race. That effort earned him a rating of 176, which makes him Timeform’s joint highest-rated chaser in training (along with Cyrname), and his reappearance is eagerly awaited.

Thrilling finish to the Punchestown Gold Cup, as KEMBOY gets the better of Al Boum Photo, in what proved to be a brilliant battle between the @WillieMullinsNH stablemates at @punchestownrace!

(🎥@RacingTV)pic.twitter.com/VS6JLqB1s5

— Timeform Live (@TimeformLive) May 1, 2019

Klassical Dream (14:30 Leopardstown, Sunday)
Matheson Hurdle (2m)                    

The Champion Hurdle market has an incredibly open look to it, but it is currently headed by Klassical Dream, who will be tasked with bolstering his credentials at Leopardstown on Sunday. Klassical Dream was last year’s dominant novice, winning a maiden before striking in Grade 1s at Leopardstown, Cheltenham and Punchestown, and he had been expected to make a successful return last month in the Morgiana Hurdle, for which he was sent off 2/5 favourite. However, he lost his unbeaten record for Willie Mullins when suffering a surprise defeat, seemingly paying the price for his exuberance in the early stages. He looks sure to improve for that outing, though, and remains one to be positive about, particularly at a time when there are so few genuine Champion Hurdle prospects on the scene.

KLASSICAL DREAM wins the Supreme Novices' Hurdle for @WillieMullinsNH and Ruby Walsh! #CheltenhamFestival2019

📽️ @itvracing
pic.twitter.com/iFE1mq7lkq

— Timeform Live (@TimeformLive) March 12, 2019