12:15 Leopardstown

Thursday 28 December 2017

All12:1512:5013:2013:5014:2515:0015:35

attheraces.com Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 12:16 | Winning time: 5m 21.5s

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Selected odds by:

Best Behavior³⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: B Browne⁽⁵⁾| T: O McKiernan

20/1

Ran well in two outings so far including when third over 2m6f at Punchestown (soft-to-heavy) on last months hurdling debut. Worth a check in the market today.

Form: 9-3

Border Control¹⁹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: S A Shortall⁽³⁾| T: J P O'Brien| BF

33/1

Good effort in finishing third in a Ballinrobe bumper on good ground on debut but absent since finishing fourth having been sent off favourite at Roscommon (yielding-to-soft) in June. Making his hurdling debut today.

Form: 34

Commandant²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: M F Morris

66/1

Fell on hurdling debut at Wexford (2m, soft) in October and probably best watched having been beaten 42L into eighth at Thurles in similar conditions the following month.

Form: F9-F8

Cut Em Down^t¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: D N Russell| T: J P O'Brien

66/1

Well beaten when falling in a point-to-point on debut and struggled in a bumper at Navan on rules debut earlier this month. Tongue tie worn on that occasion is absent for today's hurdling debut.

Form: F-5

Daybreak Boy⁵³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: N D Fehily| T: H De Bromhead

7/2

Victorious over 1m4f at Fairyhouse (good) in July and ran well in a Listed contest at Limerick on his final Flat outing. Good effort to finish third on hurdling debut at Cork (2m, soft) last month and looks a leading contender today.

Form: 3

Flawless Escape⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: R Loughran| T: G Elliott

11/4

Placed in a point-to-point and made the perfect start to his rules career when winning on heavy ground at Roscommon in a bumper back in September. Finished runner-up over this trip on hurdling debut and is one for the shortlist today.

Form: 2-12

Francin⁵⁷⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: P Townend| T: W P Mullins

6/4

Winner on the Flat in France most recently over 1m4f on heavy ground at Lyon-Parilly in June last year. Absent since but represents a leading stable and is one to note on hurdling debut.

Form:

Heroesandvillains²⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: S W Flanagan| T: N Meade

33/1

Point-to-point winner in the spring and put in a promising debut when finishing 11L fourth in a Fairyhouse (soft) bumper earlier this month. Worth a check in the market on hurdling debut.

Form: 3U1-4

Incredible Black¹¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: R M Short⁽⁷⁾| T: L Comer

100/1

By far his best effort in three starts came when finishing 1L second in a bumper over an extended 2m3f at Kilbeggan (yielding-to-soft) in August. Gelded since disappointing there the following month and debuts over hurdles today.

Form: 0-37

Jetez⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: R M Power| T: Mrs J Harrington

10/1

Placed on both hurdles outings so far most recently when finishing one place behind Flawless Escape in a 2m4f maiden hurdle at Punchestown (soft-to-heavy) last month. Interesting runner today.

Form: 0-443

Momus²⁸⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: B J Cooper| T: N Meade

40/1

Shaped as if a drop in trip would suit when weakening into fourth in a point-to-point at Dromahane (3m, soft) in March. Worth a check in the market on rules debut.

Form: 4-

Not Many Left¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: M P Walsh| T: Mrs J Harrington

33/1

Point-to-point winner on good-to-yielding ground in the spring and has run well in two bumpers so far. Beaten 31L into third on heavy ground at Punchestown last time out and makes his hurdling debut in this contest.

Form: 1-43

Pincer Movement¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: M A Enright| T: Mrs J Harrington

25/1

Signs of ability when beaten 18L into sixth in a maiden hurdle at Navan (2m, soft) earlier this month. Step up in trip not certain to suit and likely to find a few too good once more.

Form: 7

Pluto Montes²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: D F O'Regan| T: E J O'Grady

66/1

Well beaten in a point-to-point and it was a similar story on hurdling debut at Fairyhouse (2m2f, soft) at the start of this month. Probably best watched at present.

Form: 5-8

Tower Bridge^t⁵⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: B J Geraghty| T: J P O'Brien| BF

20/1

Dual bumper winner earlier this year including on good ground at Bellewstown in July. Well beaten on hurdling debut on soft ground last month and best form has come on quicker surfaces than he is likely to encounter today.

Form: 4-110

Non-Runners

Bazarov²⁵

Weight: 11-7| Age: 4

T: J O Clifford J: Rachael Blackmore

Kalamkan²²

Weight: 11-7| Age: 4

T: T G McCourt J: C D Timmons

Forecasts

Francin (6/4), Flawless Escape (11/4), Daybreak Boy (7/2), Jetez (10/1), Tower Bridge (20/1), Best Behavior (20/1), Pincer Movement (25/1), Not Many Left (33/1), Border Control (33/1), Heroesandvillains (33/1), Momus (40/1), Kalamkan (50/1), Cut Em Down (66/1), Commandant (66/1), Pluto Montes (66/1), Bazarov (66/1), Incredible Black (100/1)

FLAWLESS ESCAPE impressed when winning his bumper and he can get off the mark at the second time of asking over hurdles in this competitive maiden contest. The selection ran well to finish second on his debut in this sphere and he can get the better of the newcomer Francin who can boast some good form on the Flat in France. Daybreak Boy ran well to finish third on his hurdling debut last month and he can fill the same position today.