One of the 11 - yes, eleven - meetings on Boxing Day (or St. Stephen's Day for you Irish readers) is a seven-race affair from Leopardstown.

Amongst my tips for the card is a Willie Mullins-trained juvenile who I'm hoping can develop into a Triumph Hurdle prospect.

12:00 - Ascending @ 9/4

The opener at Leopardstown on Boxing Day is a four-year-old maiden hurdle over the minimum trip - and I'm hoping Ascending can come out on top for Henry De Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore.

28 go to post but, as is almost always the case with these Irish maidens, the race will split into two, with the front pack likely to feature the top eight in the betting.

Six of those - including the promising D B Cooper, No Flies On Him and Anotherway - are yet to have run over hurdles, whereas the selection has a full juvenile campaign and a maiden hurdle behind him.

It's good form he boasts, too. His latest effort, in a Punchestown maiden in mid-November, behind Willie Mullins' talented It's For Me has been franked big time, with the runner-up Caldwell Potter - only four-and-a-half lengths in front of Ascending - going on to win by a widening seven lengths.

I wouldn't be sure that the selection will prove the best of these come the end of the season, but I'm betting he is right now.

13:10 - Karafon e/w @ 14/1

Just over an hour later is the G2 South Dublin Juvenile Hurdle, which looks a cracking renewal.

Mighty Bandit, Nurburgring and Kala Conti set a high standard, but Willie Mullins saddles five in this - all but one having their first run outside of France.

Of those, I suggest backing Karafon each-way, with an extra place (four) on offer at Betfred.

The selection, who I added to my 2024 Cheltenham Festival antepost book last week, was sent to Closutton after a highly-promising third in a Listed contest for unraced three-year-old colts and geldings over in Auteuil back in September.

That's good form, with Milan Tino - subsequently third behind the extremely-useful Jigme and then Burdett Road - and Kingland - whose form also ties in with the aforementioned French star - not all that far in front.

This is a tougher assignment, for sure, but there's a lot of improvement to come from Karafon, especially now he's at Closutton, and I can see him going off a fair bit shorter than his current price.