14:05 Killarney

Thursday 20 July 2017

All13:3514:0514:3515:1015:4016:1516:4517:20

Europe Hotel & Resort Handicap Hurdle (80-102)

Off time: 14:06 | Winning time: 4m 2.9s

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Selected odds by:

Arctic Light⁶⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: D J Mullins| T: T Mullins| OR: 102

14/1

Won a bumper on debut at Punchestown and not beaten far in a subsequent bumper at that same course but he's been a disappointment over obstacles to date and has plenty to prove at present. Handicap debut.

Form:

Bay Hill^b¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: J S McGarvey| T: C Roche| OR: 99| C

9/2

Won twice on the Flat at Limerick in April and ran okay when switched to hurdles at Bellewstown earlier in the month (fifth of 16 to Stormey). Can be effective in this sphere as he demonstrated by winning at Gowran in 2014.

Form:

Nulife^p,h¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-9| J: D G Hogan| T: D Hogan| OR: 99

3/1

Cast off the maiden tag when winning by 1½L at Wexford a couple of weeks ago (beat Omega Springs). Retains the cheek-pieces/hood combination that he wore on that occasion and respected despite a 6lb higher mark.

Form:

Coherent^h²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: D E Mullins| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 95

14/1

Wolverhampton AW winner in 2015 for William Haggas, but seems to be finding his feet now handicapping over hurdles. Finished a never nearer fifth to Invincible Don at Gowran (2m good to firm) latest, so shouldn't be discounted with an extra furlong helpful.

Form:

For Pedro^h⁷⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 10-13| J: B J Cooper| T: T Cooper| OR: 89

8/1

An eleven race maiden over hurdles (15 career) whose best efforts have all come with some considerable cut in the ground. Finished in midfield on his latest start at Cork, but that was over a much longer trip.

Form:

Granny Biddy^h²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: B J Foley⁽⁷⁾| T: M Winters| OR: 88

5/1

An eleven race maiden who has made the frame from this sort of mark on a couple of occasions over longer trips, and shaped as if 2m wasn't enough of a test when fourth of 15 to Sharlanda at Gowran in late June.

Form:

Kilcaragh Boy⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: J J Burke| T: Miss D O'Shea| OR: 88

8/1

Winner of just one of his 24 starts under rules (at Roscommon in July 2016), and was merely keeping on from off the pace when fourth of 18 to Ted Bach at that same track earlier in the month. His current mark looks about accurate.

Form:

Touch Of Gold^h¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: P D Kennedy⁽³⁾| T: M Kennedy| OR: 94

12/1

Has recorded some reasonable placed efforts without winning, but is nudging up the weights and would appear held by Nulife on their clash at Wexford (sixth) earlier in the month.

Form:

Call His Bluff²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: P F Mangan| T: N P Hennessy| OR: 87

50/1

Shown no worthwhile form in three maiden hurdles, so hard to make a case for him on his handicap debut.

Form:

Constable Buckley⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: R Loughran| T: J Morrison| OR: 87

10/1

A six race hurdles maiden (also 0 from 9 on the Flat), but he did show marginal improvement at Roscommon latest when fifth to Ted Bach (Kilcaragh Boy fourth).

Form:

Analyse That^p⁶

Age: 11| Weight: 10-10| J: Miss S Ahern⁽⁷⁾| T: S Aherne| OR: 86

20/1

One success in 14 attempts over hurdles, and that came back in 2011. No form of late and pulled up at Cork last weekend.

Form:

Silent Account^b1²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: P T Enright| T: D Donovan| OR: 84

66/1

Maiden with a string of recent P's to his name, including in a 2m novices hurdle at Worcester latest. Hard to imagine that first time blinkers will be the springboard to success. Stable also saddles Ellie's Choice.

Form:

A Fine Young Mare⁴⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: B Hayes| T: M Winters| OR: 83

40/1

A seven race maiden who has failed to complete in two of her last three starts, and the other at Listowel was none too encouraging. Stable also saddle Granny Biddy.

Form:

Crazy Queen^h⁴³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: P Townend| T: D Cullen| OR: 83

14/1

A seven race hurdles maiden (nine career) who has mainly competed at Wexford of late without any sign of success. Well beaten when seventh to subsequent winner Sir Jack Yeats over 2m4f on soft ground there in early June.

Form:

Ellie's Choice¹¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-7| J: P W O'Reilly⁽⁷⁾| T: D Donovan| OR: 83

80/1

Placed in a Wexford bumper in June 2015 for John Kiely but has no real form of any note over hurdles for this trainer (including on latest handicap debut at Limerick). Stable also saddles Silent Account.

Form:

Fairymount Boy¹¹⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-5| J: A E Lynch| T: M Hourigan| OR: 81

20/1

A 17 race career maiden (0 from 11 over hurdles). Absent since March, and whilst dropped 2lb, makes little appeal despite connections.

Form:

Non-Runners

Sierra Law¹²

Weight: 10-5| Age: 4

T: K Thornton J: D Meyler

Jackapies Bay¹³

Weight: 10-4| Age: 9

T: T P O'Connor J: M A Enright

Forecasts

Nulife (3/1), Bay Hill (9/2), Granny Biddy (5/1), For Pedro (8/1), Kilcaragh Boy (8/1), Sierra Law (8/1), Constable Buckley (10/1), Touch Of Gold (12/1), Crazy Queen (14/1), Arctic Light (14/1), Coherent (14/1), Fairymount Boy (20/1), Analyse That (20/1), Jackapies Bay (33/1), A Fine Young Mare (40/1), Call His Bluff (50/1), Silent Account (66/1), Ellie's Choice (80/1)

A large field, low grade handicap hurdle where solid form-lines are relatively thin on the ground. Many of the runners enter this race as maidens so can be readily discounted, but that still leaves a tough puzzle to solve. Nulife shed the maiden tag when winning at Wexford recently, and in all fairness he is largely unexposed over hurdles, and there should be more to come. Coherent looks to be gradually finding his level as he slowly improves with more hurdles experience and ought to win a race at some point, but the tentative votes goes to BAY HILL. The Christy Roche trained six-year-old has enjoyed recent success on the Flat and did okay when switched back to hurdles at Bellewstown a fortnight ago.