Horse Racing Tips: Koktail can get the party going at Leopardstown

There are four meetings taking place across Britain and Ireland on Monday and National Hunt racing takes centre stage, rather unsurprisingly for the time of year. Ireland's sole fixture comes from Leopardstown, which kicks us off at 13:00, whilst Newcastle and Southwell follow swiftly after. Wolverhampton provides the evening entertainment, with a bumper nine-race all-weather card. 

Amongst our Monday fancies is one for trainer Henry de Bromhead, who finished third last time out and looks well set to do the business at Leopardstown, as the form has worked out particularly well. 

13:00 Leopardstown - Koktail Divin @ 5/6

Henry de Bromhead runs KOKTAIL DIVIN here and the five-year-old is well set to get off the mark in the opening maiden hurdle. There's plenty to like about his form and the return to 2m4f is a big plus as well. 

Third over two miles at Fairyhouse in January, he bumped into a well fancied Mullins horse with some fancy Cheltenham entries and the runner-up, William Munny, has since boosted the form by winning next time. 

His narrow defeat over course and distance before that was an excellent effort and it definitely makes him the one to beat here. The winner was yet another Willie Mullins inmate and the form looks solid, as the fourth and sixth have both won subsequently. 

Koktail Divin won two bumpers impressively for previous connections in France and it's surely only a matter of time before he gets his head in front over hurdles.

16:42 Southwell - Jasmine Bliss @ 5/4

This is an abnormally competitive mares' novice hurdle for a Monday Southwell meeting, with no fewer than four previous winners amongst the nine-runner field.  

Harry Derham's JASMINE BLISS gets the nod however and she looks well set to follow up her victory at Ludlow when last seen. 

She won a point-to-point in Ireland before joining this yard and it didn't take her long to get underway in bumpers for current connections. The first of her two bumper wins came at Wetherby in January 2024 and she then followed up in a Class 2 at Newbury. 

Derham's mare bounced back from a disappointing effort on soft ground at Ffos Las in January when scoring with plenty in hand a Ludlow last time out. If building on that effort, she can go in again under a penalty here.

18:30 Wolverhampton - Zepparella @ 13/2

ZEPPARELLA remains lightly raced, especially in handicaps, and she wasn't beaten far when finishing third in a lower grade at Kempton last time out. William Muir and Chris Grassick's filly was less than a length behind and the best is probably still to come. 

The handicapper has dropped her by 1lb since and a lower mark won't do any harm to her chances. You can put a line through her poor effort on handicap debut over a mile before that as she was far too keen and failed to get home as a result. 

Showing promise when third in a novice here over 7f in December too, this unexposed sort should be winning races before long.

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