Leopardstown Christmas Festival 2025: Savills Chase race analysis and preview

Leopardstown racecourse will take centre stage for four days, with its festive meeting back for 2025. 

Four days of elite racing in County Dublin will see six Grade One contests take place, one of which is the Savills Chase. 

Ran over three miles, the race will feature Ireland’s leading steeplechasers, who will likely play a part in proceedings at the Cheltenham Festival – often in the Gold Cup. 

There are 17 fences between runners looking to bag a share of 170,000 euros in prize money and claim Grade One glory. 

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Fact To File

This year’s renewal sees renowned owner JP McManus own two of the top three horses in the ante-post market, the first of which is the 11/8 favourite Fact To File. 

The four-time Grade One winner (two Novice contests) finished last season with a disappointing run behind Champion Chase winner Marine Nationale, at Punchestown. 

It followed his win in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and two placed finishes behind stable-mate Galopin Des Champs – a rival who he had beaten on last season’s reappearance, the John Durkhan Memorial Chase.  

Gaelic Warrior

This season’s campaign began with the same race, though this time he finished as the runner-up to Aintree Bowl winning stable-mate Gaelic Warrior – who is also in the betting for this race at 16/1. 

On that race, their trainer Willie Mullins said: “It was a pity someone had to lose, but both horses gave their all and it was just a bob of the head. 

“I don’t know what price Fact To File was going to the last; he was going so well, but Gaelic Warrior just found more reserves.

“Paul (Townend) never even looked around, he kept sitting and sitting, trying to get as much air into him as he could for one final effort – and it paid off.

“That it did, but it took two to tango and it was our privilege to watch them grapple.”

Inothewayurthinkin

Gavin Cromwell’s Inothewayurthinkin finished fifth in that race, though he too was making his seasonal reappearance. 

He is the other JP McManus representative at the top of the market, trading at 4/1 following a season in which he sprung a 15/2 surprise win in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. 

All three of Inothewayurthinkin, Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File are set to resume their respective rivalries with each other, as well as Galopin Des Champs – who is the 11/4 second favourite. 

The former was well beaten in races won by Gaelic Warrior over two years ago, whilst Fact To File hammered him in the John Durkan last season. 

He then finished unplaced behind Fact To File, in races won by Galopin Des Champs last season, before defeating the latter mentioned horse in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. 

On his horse’s chances, Cromwell said: “He’s come out of Punchestown very well and he’s very much on track for Christmas. 

“He will come on from the run and he should be happy to be stepping back up in trip again.

“His jumping has improved a lot from last season, so we’d be hoping he could go a lot closer in this race than he did last year.”

Galopin Des Champs

Galopin Des Champs made amends for his Cheltenham defeat with a resounding win in the Punchestown Gold Cup, when last seen back in April. 

It was third of his three race wins last season, with his two defeats coming in the aforementioned John Durkan and Gold Cup – where he was looking to make it three consecutive wins. 

His seasonal reappearance was delayed to a setback, confirmed by Mullins, when he told Sporting Life: “Unfortunately, I’ve had a little hold-up with him for the last couple of weeks. 

“If I can get him to the John Durkan, I will, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to get him there. 

“He’s just had that little hold-up and would need to hit everything right to make it.

“I’m not going to press him hard to get him there and one less run this time won’t be any harm to him if it turns out that way, but after that, I’d like to keep to his schedule.

“Something like Leopardstown at Christmas would be a starting point if he missed Punchestown or we could turn around and go down to Tramore (on New Year’s Day), there are options for him.”

Fastorslow

The betting market gives only one other horse a realistic chance at taking victory on December 28 and that horse is trainer Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow. 

His win in the Punchestown Gold Cup – back in April 2023 – came at the expense of Galopin Des Champs, though he has been seen only six times since. 

His following run saw him take victory in the 2023 John Durkan, also ahead of Galopin Des Champs, before that rival got the better of him in the PaddyPower Gold Cup. 

The pair then met in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, where Galopin Des Champs won and Fastorslow unseated his rider, before the latter conquered the former in the Punchestown Gold Cup once again. 

He finished fourth in last year’s John Durkan, which was the last time he was seen at a racecourse until that same race three weeks ago – where he finished behind Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior. 

Brassil told Racing TV: “I was delighted with his Punchestown run, and the way the race was run it was ideal for a horse having his first outing in 12 months.

“He wasn’t sucked into a hard battle from four out like he could have been because the two front-runners had moved on and he jumped round well.

“We’ve been very happy with him since the race and let’s hope he can progress from there.”

Trainer Dan Skelton’s Grey Dawning is another in the market, though – at 20/1 – it seems likely that he will stay in Britain over the festive period.

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