Skelton chaser gives Irish Crystal the edge in Tote Ten to Follow

A festive season packed with top-quality racing put five new names in the top ten list of performers in the Tote Ten to Follow but it failed to dislodge Irish Crystal 2 and Lucky Penny 3 from the pinnacle of the competition leaderboard.

Leopardstown victories for Galopin Des Champs and State Man brought joy to many competitors as those two are among the game’s most popular picks, representing 69.7% and 50.7% of teams respectively and picking up 53.80 points and 26.40 points for wins in the Savills Chase and Matheson Hurdle.

The King George VI Chase success of Hewick was rather less expected and brought 68.50 points to 0.4% of players, but none of the leading contenders.

It was a similar story in the Welsh National, in which Nassalam’s runaway victory added 48 points to the tally of just 0.1% of teams. When added to the 15 points gained in the trial for that race it raises Gary Moore’s charge to fourth in the list of leading horses.

Bob Olinger, winner of Cheltenham’s Relkeel Hurdle, is the other newcomer to the top ten after collecting 22.50 points for 0.9% of players to add to the 23.70 scored in the Lismullen Hurdle.

Gaelic Warrior’s Limerick success puts him in 11th place on 39.90 points, while the most popular horse in the game, Constitution Hill, creeps into the top 30 after gaining 27.20 points for 86% of players in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.

Unsurprisingly, he figures in the stables of Irish Crystal 2 and Lucky Penny 3 whose squads are identical, with the exception of one horse.

Lucky Penny 3 has the highly tried but so far unsuccessful Unexpected Party in the team, while Irish Crystal 2 has another Dan Skelton inmate, Protektorat, on board and has a 2.60-point lead thanks to the Tote place return from that chaser’s third in a handicap at Cheltenham last month.

LATEST STANDINGS

LEADING HORSES
1 Jonbon 66.6% of teams 72.75 points
2 Datsalrightgino 0.3% 71.10
3 Hewick 0.4% 68.50
4 Nassalam 0.1% 63.50
5 Royale Pagaille 1.6% 56.00
6 Galopin Des Champs 69.7% 53.80
7 State Man 50.7% 52.50
8 Coko Beach 0.2% 46.80
9 Bob Olinger 0.9% 46.20
10 I Am Maximus 0.8% 40.60

LEADING TEAMS
1 Irish Crystal 2 376.45 points
2 Lucky Penny 3 373.85
3 More letters than numbers 16 370.57
4 Mystery Angel 370.37
5 joeywhite81 368.89
6 Mr Henry Potter 337 364.17
7 Mr Henry Potter 373 364.05
8 Ptp1 359.67
9 Mystery Angel2 359.47
10 Sennen's Stable 15 358.48

LEADER'S STABLE - Irish Crystal 2 
Jonbon 72.75 points
Datsalrightgino 71.10
Galopin Des Champs 53.80
State Man 52.50
Fastorslow 34.20
Constitution Hill 27.20
Bravemansgame 25.70
El Fabiolo 22.20
Mahler Mission 14.40

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