RACING JOURNALIST JOHNNY Ward gives his best tips – along with the latest BoyleSports odds and offers – as Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival gets under way.

Leopardstown is captivating today, and you’re getting seemingly attractive odds about horses — which may be value, or may also reflect the calibre of the opposition!

Here are our three best bets for the day (all odds correct at the time of writing):

1.10 Leopardstown: Cougar (5-1)

Lossiemouth looks to be really good, but this is a proper test for her, and Cougar is unbeaten over hurdles. A rare jumping son of Deep Impact, he was lightly raced on the flat but smart; he’s a natural over hurdles and seems all class.

It’s a joy to have him at an each-way price here for a really promising trainer.

1.45 Leopardstown: A Million Bucks (33-1)

The market is very much dictated here by Low Style, who looks really short in a hot enough race.

BoyleSports are offering money back as a free bet (max €10) on all losers in this race, and there are some viable alternatives at bigger prices. A Million Bucks is one of them; the run he produced in Galway was really promising, with two proper horses ahead of him and the rest well-held.

He has to get over a tame handicap debut but there’s ample time.

2.55 Leopardstown: Halsafari (14-1)

The best bet on the card.

He covered a lot of ground over a trip that stretched him at Fairyhouse and he’s back over a better trip here with a rider whose strike-rate over fences is promising.

He should get a strong pace to sit off.

BoyleSports has a money back offer on every single race of the Leopardstown festival, offering customers maximum value for the festival and throughout Christmas.