13:55 Gowran Park

Saturday 11 March 2017

All13:5514:3015:0515:4016:1516:5017:25

Thomastown Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 13:56 | Winning time: 4m 28.9s

Settings

Selected odds by:

Auntie's Nephew²³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: B T O'Connell| T: K Purcell

66/1

Signs of promise on two of three point-to-point runs but well beaten at big prices in two maiden hurdles and similar likely again here.

Form: 5S6005

Beginningtogetup¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: J S McGarvey| T: E P Harty

20/1

Disappointingly beaten 96L when starting a single figure price for a similar event at Punchestown last month. Related to a couple of useful performers but likely best watched at present.

Form: 04

Chirico Vallis^h³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: M P Walsh| T: G Elliott

4/5

Placed in all three starts since switching to this yard from France including at Fairyhouse in a first time hood (retained here) last month. Beaten twice as favourite however including last time out at odds-on but looks likely to prove hard to beat here.

Form: 233R15

Mickey Flanagan⁷³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: R M Power| T: P Nolan

12/1

Finished sixth on his debut in a Limerick bumper in December. Half-brother to a couple of winners under rules and represents decent connections on his hurdling debut.

Form: 6080-

Swordfight^p¹³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott

14/1

Winner of a Ballinrobe maiden on the flat on heavy ground in July 2015 but off for more than 13 months prior to finishing well beaten on debut for this stable at Wexford in October and unseen since, likely best watched here.

Form: /-006

Forbetterorworse⁵⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: B Browne⁽⁷⁾| T: H Smyth

100/1

Hampered early on and behind from an early stage prior to refusing at Fairyhouse on debut. Probably best watched here.

Form: RP0-

Urban Star¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: M A Enright| T: M J McDonagh

100/1

Suffered a heavy defeat on rules debut in a maiden hurdle over 2m4f last time out. Likely to struggle once more here.

Form: 7078

Class Honours²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: K M Smith⁽⁷⁾| T: M J Smith

66/1

Signs of ability in four outings on the Flat in 2015 but well held at a big price on first attempt hurdling and debut for this yard at Gowran Park last month and has been gelded since.

Form: /00084-

Great Trango⁵³⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: B R Dalton| T: J Halley

33/1

Had just one start in a Cork two-year-old maiden over 1m for previous stable in September 2015. Related to a few useful Flat horses and interesting to see how he fares on hurdling debut for new yard here.

Form:

Lachares²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Rachael Blackmore⁽³⁾| T: Miss Ellmarie Holden| OR: 116

6/4

Shown promise in three most recent starts for this stable including when runner-up at Gowran Park last month. Also placed in similar events at Thurles and Limerick this season and likely to give a good account of himself again here.

Form: 332113-

Moanbaun Maestro²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: C M Leonard⁽⁷⁾| T: P A Fahy

66/1

Keen enough prior to unseating four out having been hampered on racecourse debut at Gowran Park last month and likely to improve for this experience.

Form: U

Alaliya

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: R P Treacy⁽⁵⁾| T: G T Lynch

66/1

Unraced for previous yard and purchased for €7,000 by current connections in November. Others make more appeal here.

Form: 3636-

Charms Bracelet^h,t¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Sean Flanagan| T: A Murray

33/1

Moderate Flat performer but signs of promise when sixth on hurdling debut at Naas in January. Highly tried in a first time hood when well beaten in a Grade 3 contest at Fairyhouse a month later and interesting to see if she can build on that Naas effort here.

Form: /-6965

The Last Indian¹³³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: S D Torrens⁽⁷⁾| T: A A Howard

100/1

Well held in three maiden events on the Flat in 2016 and embarks on a hurdling career here.

Form: 80-

Forecasts

Chirico Vallis (4/5), Lachares (6/4), Mickey Flanagan (12/1), Swordfight (14/1), Beginningtogetup (20/1), Great Trango (33/1), Charms Bracelet (33/1), Alaliya (66/1), Auntie's Nephew (66/1), Moanbaun Maestro (66/1), Class Honours (66/1), Urban Star (100/1), The Last Indian (100/1), Forbetterorworse (100/1)

CHIRICO VALLIS can gain a belated first hurdling success here following three decent placed efforts. The selection looks to have a few pounds in hand on chief rival Lachares who holds a number of these on the form of his second at Gowran Park last month while the filly Charms Bracelet showed signs of ability on her hurdling debut and can put a heavy defeat last time out behind her by claiming third.