WE been treated to some phenomenal racing in December, but no race has been more discussed than the King George.
I have to say, though, the strength of the race was questionable.
![Barry Geraghty reveals his best Cheltenham Festival tips and predictions… including a 14-1 fancy Barry Geraghty reveals his best Cheltenham Festival tips and predictions… including a 14-1 fancy](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/26-12-2022-paisley-park-785159753.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Geraghty reckons Paisley Park looks a price in the Stayers’ Hurdle[/caption]
L’Homme Presse was the one I fancied and would be the one to take out of the race for me.
We saw a great performance from Bravemansgame, but I don’t know if he’ll do the same in the Gold Cup come March.
L’Homme Presse was beaten when he unseated Charlie Deutsch, but going left-handed with more of a stamina test at Cheltenham could see him turn the tables, and looks a fair each-way play in the current betting.
Conflated, similarly to Bravemansgame, performed brilliantly in the Savills Chase but, again, I think that was his Gold Cup and I wouldn’t be confident of him reproducing that at Cheltenham.
It’d be a step up for him in terms of test strength. Three miles two around Cheltenham is a very different game to three miles one around Leopardstown.
There’s not much more we can say about Constitution Hill – again, he was brilliant in the Christmas Hurdle.
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I thought it would be impossible for him to impress us more, but he went and did so anyway.
Kempton is a sharp, fast track and you don’t normally get a horse winning a Grade 1, especially a two mile hurdle, around there by as many lengths as he put in. A 17-length win is almost unheard of.
He, and only he, might get me out of retirement (joking), but in all seriousness, Nico De Boinville is doing a great job with him.
Paisley Park is absolutely flying at the moment and he was brilliant in his win at Kempton, where I thought he might struggle.
The Stayers’ looks wide-open, and he’s an interesting player at 14-1, despite his advancing years.
I think that the strength of the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown was questionable.
Home By The Lee, of course, did run a good race to get the win, but Flooring Porter, who was beaten three and a half lengths, just wasn’t running with the same enthusiasm he had last season. He didn’t turn up at all.
Meet And Greet, who was third in the race, throws a question mark over the strength of the form for me, he was 50-1 and this was a big step up on anything he has done to date.
State Man’s performance was very good, but I don’t think it was enough to give Nicky Henderson anything to worry about.
State Man’s run might be a concern for Henry de Bromhead and Honeysuckle, though, with the Dublin Racing Festival their likely next stop.
Another from Leopardstown I’d watch in the future is Dysart Dynamo.
He jumped beautifully and is definitely a contender in the Arkle.
Allegorie De Vassy, who ran on Wednesday at Limerick, also must be taken seriously for the Mares’ Chase.
She was just brilliant, and she’ll learn from her race and improve.
Barry was speaking via 888sport.