Hi Reader

We have five eye catchers following the busy christmas racing.

It could easily have been twenty five, however best to focus on horses that will not be money on when they run next. These five eye catchers complete our December list.

Check out eye catchers for this week below:

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Fortunate Man

Fortunate Man- 1st in 2.15 Aintree 26/12/25

A winning return for Fortunate Man on his first run of the season after a break of 286 days. This was Fortunate Man’s second win over three miles and a furlong at Aintree. There is no doubt this horse has his quirks with headgear necessary to get the best from him. Last season he won here getting the better of Gustavian who franked that form with a win in the Badger Beers handicap chase in November.

Fortunate Man jumped well and was winning for the second time from seven runs over fences. JP McManus spent €210,000 to purchase the winning point to pointer. There is a good staying handicap chase to be won by this horse this season. He could target the Midlands National at Uttoxeter or even the Kim Muir Chase at the Cheltenham Festival This horse remains unexposed with the handicapper raising him only four pounds to a mark of 128.

Talk The Talk

Talk The Talk - Fell in 1.47 Leopardstown 27/12/25

Talk The Talk looks like the best two miler hurdler from those that have run so far. Sam Ewing enjoyed a great run of results over Christmas and in hindsight would not have asked Talk The Talk for a big effort at the final hurdle. Talk The Talk had quickened from a sloppy jump at the second last hurdle and a forced switch off the rail to run down leader Skylight Hustle.

Talk The Talk was asked for a big jump at the last and jumped it too big landing steeply and unable to stay up! Thankfully, the horse is fine and it was a cracking run by a four year old against older horses. He will not enjoy a pull at the weights in 2026 having turned five however remains a very exciting and fast two mile hurdler.

Kinturk Kalanisi

Kinturk Kalanisi- 3rd in 3.00 Leopardstown 27/12/25

Kinturk Kalanisi has a big pot in him for sure over fences. He ran a massive race on his first run of the season to finish third in the Paddy Power handicap chase. Kinturk Kalanisi travelled best into the finishing straight and it was just the lack of a run that saw him tire from the last fence to the finishing line. In fairness to the horse he plugged on gamely to get third place. A three pound rise in the ratings (138) if fair enough for another unexposed second season chaser.

Last season he looked like a winner in the Leinster National at Naas only to tip up at the second last fence. That run came after he finished second in a beginners chase over three miles on soft ground at Navan won by Three Card Brag. Three Card Brag is rated 156 while the third placed Captain Cody is rated 150 now. Surely, Kinturk Kalanisi is a well handicapped horse on 138. He could go the Irish National route with a return for the Leinster National beforehand.

The Big Westerner

The Big Westerner- 1st in 1.27 Limerick 27/12/25

Henry De Bromhead has a proper staying chaser on his hands with The Big Westerner. This mare jumps fences for fun and did it the hard way to win at Limerick over Christmas. Mike O’Connor rode with the stable number one, Darragh O’Keeffe on duty at Leopardstown. It was very straight forward with The Big Westerner jumping great up the far side and then powering him to outstay her main rival, Jade De Grugy. It was an improved run following her second to Jimmy Du Seuil at Fairyhouse.

We know The Big Westerner is a stayer as she finished second in the Albert Bartlett hurdle at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. The Grade 1 Brown Advisory Chase against the boys is the obvious race for her over three miles at the Festival. The Mares chase is too short at two miles four and a half furlongs. She handles good to soft ground but is much better on deeper ground. If the ground turned up soft or worse in March then she would give the boys a massive race getting the seven pounds mares allowance. Longer term, she is a National horse who looks like she will stay forever.

El Fabiolo

El Fabiolo- 1st in 2.05 Punchestown 31/12/25

El Fabiolo won well at Punchestown on New Years Eve back hurdling. He is a top class racehorse. As a novice chaser he won three Grade 1 novice chases. They included the Irish Arkle and Cheltenham Arkle races. Jonbon and Banbridge couldn’t beat him that year. Last year it all went wrong with El Fabiolo falling three times in a row. Connections have left chasing along to get El Fabiolo back to winning again.

El Fabiolo hurdled well at Punchestown and looked best at around two and a half miles. The Aintree hurdle instead of the champion hurdle looks like the ideal race for this horse in the spring. A run in the Red Mills hurdle at Gowran Park in February would tee him up nicely for the Aintree Festival.

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Happy Punting,

Hugh

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