12:45 Leopardstown

Saturday 29 December 2018

All12:1012:4513:2013:5514:3015:0515:40

Pigsback.com Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 12:45 | Winning time: 4m 58.3s

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Selected odds by:

Acronym³¹

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

7/1

Dual bumper winner beaten by two speedier types on hurdling debut. Will be more effective over this trip. In good hands and holds a Grade 1 entry.

Form: 4213

Castlebawn West²³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Ruby Walsh| T: W P Mullins

7/2

Heavy ground bumper winner steered a wide course when undone by his penalty on hurdling debut. Looks a major player here if proving as effective on faster ground.

Form: 41-2

Castletown Quary⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: M A Enright| T: E Griffin

25/1

Scorpion gelding who cost £50,000 at the April sales following an impressive point-to-point win a month earlier. Has not jumped fluently in either hurdles start and in a hot heat here.

Form: 1-31346

Dream Conti²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: M P Walsh| T: N Meade

5/2

€235,000 son of Lauro started to pay that back when winning a Fairyhouse bumper on debut with prolific winner Dinons behind in fourth. Promised to open his hurdling account soon at Punchestown and holds a Grade 1 entry.

Form: 1-3

Fact Or Fiction⁴⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: N P Madden| T: J Queally

66/1

Flemensfirth gelding whose dam was lightly-raced on the Flat. Looked in need of more time on hurdling debut and highly tried here.

Form: 0

Hotel Du Nord²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: R M Power| T: Mrs J Harrington

13/2

£50,000 purchase after beating one other finisher in a Kirkistown point-to-point. Improved on his bumper debut last time but still has a bit to find with Dream Conti.

Form: 1-54

Mount Pelier³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: C P McNamara⁽⁷⁾| T: A Fleming| BF

10/1

Took five attempts to open his account and then lost the race on a technicality. Beaten favourite on hurdling debut and facing strong opposition in this.

Form: 5224-17

Myth Buster³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: D N Russell| T: H De Bromhead

8/1

Shantou gelding, cost €50,000 in 2013 and €100,000 in 2016. Half-brother to six-time Grade 1 winner (including Gold Cup) Kicking King. Much improved on hurdling debut and in form handler 3-5 in this contest.

Form: 70-3

The Big Dog²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: D J Mullins| T: Peter Fahey

5/1

Landed a soft ground bumper in January when he was said to better suited to that track than this. Has the action of a horse who wants it softer and opposable in this company.

Form: 2/F41-4

Condarcia²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: P D Kennedy| T: Mrs J Harrington

100/1

Well-bred filly by Presenting out of a Bach mare related to Denman and War Of Attrition. Nothing to shout about in bumpers or hurdling debut and hard to fancy in this company.

Form: 3-5990

Grove Hill^b1,t1³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: R Loughran| T: M Mulvany

100/1

No show in either start and it will take a lot more than blinkers to see her competitive at this level.

Form: 77

Forecasts

Dream Conti (5/2), Castlebawn West (7/2), The Big Dog (5/1), Hotel Du Nord (13/2), Acronym (7/1), Myth Buster (8/1), Mount Pelier (10/1), Castletown Quary (25/1), Fact Or Fiction (66/1), Condarcia (100/1), Grove Hill (100/1)

This is a hot maiden hurdle which has been won by some good horses in the past. Henry De Bromhead has a good record in the race but his runner here, Myth Buster, needs to improve in order to figure. Bumper winners DREAM CONTI, Acronym and Castlebawn West all showed enough on their hurdling debuts to suggest they would not be long in winning. The latter probably achieved more when going close under a penalty at Clonmel. However, the selection beat a good field when landing his bumper and then clocked a good speed figure on his hurdling debut when looking as though the run would bring him on.