Recap: Leopardstown Day 3 sees Darragh O’Keeffe steal the show on board A Plus Tard

Darragh O’Keeffe was having his first ride at the highest level when partnering Henry de Bromhead’s A Plus Tard in the Grade One Savills Chase (15/2) and the 20-year-old Cork rider flew home in the straight to score in a blockbuster finish.

It looked like the Willie Mullins-trained pair of Kemboy (8/1) and Melon (25/1) had it between them jumping the last, but O’Keeffe showed his brilliance to get a tune out of A Plus Tard and score by a length as the six-year-old landed successive Grade Ones at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.

Memorable

It was also a memorable day for Jonathan Moore as the 26-year-old also landed his maiden Grade One when controlling affairs from the front in the Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle aboard the 11/1 chance Flooring Porter.

Gavin Cromwell’s five-year-old made a mockery of his step up from handicap company with Wexford jockey Moore dictating the pace to dominate a high-profile field and prevail by six lengths from Gordon Elliott’s The Storyteller (7/1).

Mullins may not have landed either of the Grade Ones up for grabs, but the champion trainer still bagged a fantastic 355/1 four-timer with Paul Townend accounting for three of those successes.

The pair continued where they left off yesterday as Gaillard Du Mesnil (11/8 favourite) landed the opening Tote.ie Maiden Hurdle before Dandy Mag (16/1) provided a huge shock in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle Qualifier when coming with a wet sail in the final 100 yards.

Lucky

The Big Getaway (4/5 favourite) made it second-time lucky over fences later in the day when turning the Ballymaloe Foods Beginners Chase into a procession before the trainer’s son Patrick made it a Closutton quartet when Ramillies (15/8 favourite) took the concluding Midland Legal Solicitors INH Flat Race with ease.

Day 4 Race Card

Tuesday is the fourth and final day of racing at Leopardstown and here’s what’s on the card for the day.