14:15 Ballinrobe

Thursday 21 September 2017

All14:1514:4515:1515:5016:2516:5517:2517:55

On-Course Vets 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 14:16 | Winning time: 4m 23.0s

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Selected odds by:

A Place Apart⁶⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: G N Fox| T: G P Cromwell

7/1

Flat maiden (five starts) who makes his hurdling debut at a realistic level, but truthfully will need to improve in order to play any sort of prominent role.

Form:

Downtown Rebel^p¹¹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: S J Gray⁽³⁾| T: A Slattery

6/1

Maiden on the Flat in six starts, but has some hurdles experience after recent runs at Cork, Down Royal and Listowel. He generally pays the price late on for racing prominently and was beaten 14+L when fourth of 13 in heavy ground latest.

Form: 584

Eljaammi^t²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: J J Slevin⁽³⁾| T: P J Rothwell

50/1

Moderate on the Flat (rated just 45) and has only once raced beyond 1m. Very difficult to consider on hurdles debut.

Form:

Jack Baur¹⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: M P Burke⁽⁵⁾| T: T Doyle

33/1

Ten race Flat maiden (rated just 44) and has generally appeared regressive in that sphere. Switches to racing over timber with stamina surely questionable on this ground.

Form:

Kuiper Belt²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: I J McCarthy| T: C P Donoghue

50/1

No joy in five starts on the Flat in England for David Lanigan, and moved on for 17,000 gns in July. Always in rear, not fluent, and never a factor on hurdles debut at Down Royal (2m yielding) earlier this month.

Form: 0

Azua Emery

Age: 3| Weight: 10-5| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott

1/2

Once raced over 2m on the Flat in France for Freddy Grizon (runner up at Saumur; April). Joined a leading trainer and represents Gigginstown, so an interesting recruit to hurdles being a half-sister to French winners Jakarta Emery and Vision Emery.

Form:

Elzaa²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 10-5| J: A W Short⁽⁷⁾| T: Adrian Mcallister

20/1

12 race Flat maiden (placed twice over 1m on soft), who was pulled up on hurdles debut at Down Royal (2m yielding) earlier this month due to her riders saddle slipping.

Form: P

Focus Well^t1²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-5| J: C A Landers⁽⁷⁾| T: S Fahey

50/1

Six race Flat maiden (rated just 45) who has done the majority of her racing at around 1m. Tongue tied for hurdles debut with improvement required for the switch to timber.

Form:

Foxy Lass¹¹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-5| J: D G Hogan| T: D Hogan

14/1

Seven race Flat maiden who was once trained by William Haggas. Improved on her Cork hurdles debut when sixth of 13 to Grey Waters at Listowel recently (2m heavy). Unconvincing stamina wise.

Form: 06

Purdey²⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 10-5| J: R Loughran| T: K Prendergast

8/1

Mastercraftsman filly who was never able to finish better than mid-division on any of her five starts on the Flat (at up to 1m5f). Half-sister to six winners, and makes her hurdles debut, but not exactly bred for the jumps game.

Form:

Run For The Roses¹¹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-5| J: A E Lynch| T: A Leahy

50/1

Elusive Pimpernel filly who showed precious little in the way of any ability in three starts on the Flat, and was never involved at any stage on her hurdles debut at Listowel earlier this month (2m heavy).

Form: 0

Forecasts

Azua Emery (1/2), Downtown Rebel (6/1), A Place Apart (7/1), Purdey (8/1), Foxy Lass (14/1), Elzaa (20/1), Jack Baur (33/1), Run For The Roses (50/1), Focus Well (50/1), Kuiper Belt (50/1), Eljaammi (50/1)

A low-key opener which won't take too much winning with many of these runners very moderate on the Flat and appearing as likely doubtful stayers. Downtown Rebel (fourth) came out best of those to have contested a similar contest at Listowel recently, and based on that evidence should confirm placings with Foxy Lass and Run For The Roses. However, the horse to be with looks likely to be the Gigginstown owned ex-French Flat racer AZUA EMERY. She is a half-sister to a couple of winning French hurdlers, and with Jack Kennedy booked to do the steering looks fully capable of opening her account over timber at the first time of asking on ground which should suit.