13:45 Fairyhouse

Wednesday 7 February 2018

All13:4514:1514:4515:2015:5016:2016:50

fairyhouse.ie Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 13:45 | Winning time: 4m 34.8s

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Selected odds by:

Aldawayfornothing³²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: A J McNamara| BF

6/1

Has shown enough over hurdles in a couple of spins at Cork (2m) to suggest that a small race is within reach. Won't be troubled by the forecast testing conditions.

Form: 54

Alfred Wegener⁴³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: C D Meehan⁽⁵⁾| T: E McNamara

100/1

Let down by his hurdling at Limerick in December (second start), and needs to find a significant degree of improvement in order to be in the shake up.

Form: 0P

Commentariolus¹⁸⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G Elliott

9/2

Cost £30,000 in August as a four race French maiden (Flat), and this Frankel gelding now makes the switch to hurdles on his first start in Ireland.

Form:

Design Matters

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Phillip Enright| T: R Tyner

33/1

Unraced gelding by Mastercraftsman out of Perse who fetched €45,000 as a three-year-old. Not bred for jumping, but is closely related to 1m4f winner Persepolis, so there are some positives in terms of stamina reserves.

Form:

Dravid^h⁴⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: A E Lynch| T: E D Delany

66/1

Keen, and still in contention when falling three out on his sole hurdles start at Down Royal in September, he's been switched back to the Flat at a lowly level since and proved largely uncompetitive.

Form: F

Free Ranger¹⁰²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade| BF

5/2

Shown a reasonable level of form in maidens on the Flat for Jim Bolger (up to 1m), earning a rating of 72. Switched to hurdling now with stamina to prove on stable debut.

Form:

Gloves On¹⁸¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: D N Russell| T: J W Nicholson

4/1

Possibly didn't always appear to be the most resolute on the Flat for Jim Bolger, and moved on for €30,000 in October. Worth a try over hurdles, but another with unknown stamina reserves.

Form:

Park Paddocks^h1¹⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott

11/4

Picked up for 35,000 gns from William Haggas in July. Placed on quick ground on the Flat in England, but appeared to handle cut on hurdles debut at Naas late last month (2m soft to heavy). Improvement a possibility. Hooded.

Form: 5

Saga Altais⁴⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: D J Mullins| T: A Mullins

8/1

Intense Focus gelding who was a regressive maiden on the Flat. However, possible that he needed his latest start at Dundalk in December (1m4f), and now tries the hurdling route for the first time.

Form:

Spiritual Law^h1²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: I J McCarthy| T: P W Flynn

50/1

Ger Lyons Flat cast-off who hasn't done too much racing in a light career thus far. Wouldn't appeal as a jumps prospect on pedigree, but that's the avenue that new connections try on stable debut. Hooded.

Form:

Non-Runners

I've Got Rhythm¹⁷

Weight: 11-7| Age: 4

T: C O'Dwyer J: Ricky Doyle

Verse Of Love⁵³

Weight: 11-7| Age: 4

T: N Meade J: J M Moore

Forecasts

Free Ranger (5/2), Park Paddocks (11/4), Gloves On (4/1), Commentariolus (9/2), Aldawayfornothing (6/1), Saga Altais (8/1), Verse Of Love (12/1), Design Matters (33/1), Spiritual Law (50/1), I've Got Rhythm (50/1), Dravid (66/1), Alfred Wegener (100/1)

Not much in the way of reliable hurdles form to go on, so this is a race to watch rather than to bet. However, this race does rate as an excellent opportunity for one of these runners to break the maiden tag, as on paper it is very winnable. ALDAWAYFORNOTHING probably bettered his opening Cork effort when chasing home (fourth) Schindlers Ark and Galtymore latest, and rates as an obvious contender for Rachel Blackmore. Free Ranger (Noel Meade) and Gloves On (John Nicholson) are both ex Jim Bolger trained Flat runners who need to prove their stamina for hurdling, but could have a positive role to play alongside the Gordon Elliott trained duo Commentariolus and Park Paddocks.