St Stephen’s Day engagements still to be decided for first strings

Vautour is widely anticipated to have an €85,000 Grade 1 St Stephen's Day solo at Leopardstown, but Enda Bolger isn't ruling out putting it up to Willie Mullins's potential superstar with Gilgamboa.

Like Vautour, last season’s Boylesports Hurdle victor won his first chase start at Navan in impressive fashion and is currently a 14-1 shot in most ante-post lists for the Arkle at Cheltenham in March.

Gilgamboa is among 24 entries in the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown, but he has an alternative St Stephen's Day option in Limerick's Grade 2 Shannon Airport Novice Chase over a slightly longer trip.

That will be one of the Limerick events shown live on RTÉ over Christmas and is a race run close to Bolger’s yard in Bruree. However the trainer insists a decision on where Gilgamboa runs will be left late.

“He will be entered in both and that’s about all I can say at the moment. I would imagine we will leave a decision as late as possible,” Bolger said.

“That good horse of Willie’s is going to Leopardstown, but we will weigh up our options. Our horse won over two miles at Navan so two miles-three at Limerick shouldn’t be an issue. But we will have to see,” he added.

Vautour currently dominates the Arkle betting at Cheltenham and is as short as 5-2 in some lists. His stable companion Un De Sceaux, also a St Stephen’s Day entry at Leopardstown, is next best at 5-1.

Un De Sceaux, a Thurles faller on his chasing debut, is likely to appear this weekend having been given entries at both Fairyhouse and Haydock this Saturday. "Depending on the weather and things, we'll have a look at the entries and see what it's like," said Willie Mullins.