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26th Dec 2025 – Leopardstown 14:20:00

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Race Shape & Context

• Fast time (7.40s quicker than standard) despite yielding ground.
• Honest gallop from a long way out.
• The last fence decided the race — jumping under pressure was everything.

This was a searching 2m1f, not a sharp one.

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Winner: Romeo Coolio (8/15F)

RPR 159 | TS 154

Not pretty, but very effective.

• Market: Strong favourite, briefly weak early but solid late.
• Run style: In touch throughout, made mistakes, had to be driven.
• Key moment: Irish Panther’s peck at the last opened the door — and Romeo Coolio walked through it.

This wasn’t a dominant favourite’s performance visually, but the figure matters. RPR 159 is Grade 1-winning novice chase form, achieved while doing plenty wrong. His response inside the final 110 yards showed resolution and stamina.

Verdict: Still learning, still raw — but clearly top-class. The scope is there for better once his jumping sharpens.

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2nd: Irish Panther (12/1)

RPR 157 | TS 153

Huge run in defeat.

• Market: Completely underestimated.
• Run style: Prominent, bold jumper, took it up 3 out.
• Turning point: Pecked badly on landing at the last when in control.

That single mistake almost certainly cost him the race. The RPR backs it up — he ran to within touching distance of the winner’s level and arguably outperformed him on the day bar that error.

Verdict: Big upgrade. A clean round wins this. Serious Grade 1 novice on any ground.

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3rd: July Flower (9/2)

RPR 138 | TS 133

Ran her race, but found the ceiling.

• Market: Respectable support.
• Run style: Prominent, honest, but always under pressure late.
• Finish: No match for the first two.

She never threatened once the tempo lifted. The figures confirm she ran to form without stepping forward.

Verdict: High-class mare, but this exposed her limitations against elite male novices over fences.

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4th: He’s Gorgeous (80/1)

RPR 141 | TS 135

Best of the outsiders.

• Market: Totally ignored.
• Run style: Midfield, stayed on strongly.
• Visual: Made up ground late when others cried enough.

This was a clear career best and much better than his SP suggests. He was never a threat to the principals, but he stayed on with purpose.

Verdict: Upwardly mobile, one for handicaps or lesser Grade 1s.

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Others of Note

Shraheen (125/1)

RPR 140 | TS 134

Stayed on late, ran far better than expected.

Verdict: Respectable, but lacks the gears for top novice company.

Salvator Mundi (9/2)

RPR 136 | TS 129

Very disappointing.

• Never travelled.
• Brief move 2 out, then folded.

Verdict: This was a backward step. Needs softer ground or a step up in trip.

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Incidents / Write-offs

• Westport Cove: Saddle slipped — ignore.
• Break My Soul: Outclassed.
• Nürburgring: Tragically fatal injury — very sad outcome.

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Overall Race Verdict

• Strong Grade 1 novice chase in substance.
• Winner did enough, not more than enough.
• Second arguably the moral winner.

Bottom line:
Romeo Coolio got the job done, but Irish Panther ran the race of the meeting bar a single stride. This form will hold up — especially on testing tracks where jumping under pressure decides everything.