15:05 Gowran Park

Saturday 16 February 2019

All13:2013:2513:5013:5514:3015:0515:4016:1516:50

Racing TV Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:05 | Winning time: 5m 4.6s

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Selected odds by:

Brave Out⁴²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: D F O'Regan| T: J E Kiely| OR: 123| D

16/1

Stays 2m5f on heavy ground. 5lb higher today than his sole handicap win, which also came on heavy at Wexford last March. Claims if repeating his penultimate run at Punchestown, but needs to be better than at Cork last time.

Form: 37-7U29

Dawn Raider^t¹¹²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: D N Russell| T: P G Kelly| OR: 123

7/1

Improved throughout 2018 without adding to his sole win at Killarney in 2017. Ran really well in a Pertemps qualifier at Cheltenham (3m) last time, but is effective over this trip and again has each-way claims.

Form: 263233

Smoking Gun²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 120| BF

4/1

Hat-trick bid was foiled under a double penalty at Navan last month, but had previously shown plenty of promise in winning at both Clonmel and Limerick. Looks feasibly handicapped for his debut in this sphere. Claims.

Form: 449-114

West Coast Time^t³⁸¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 119| BF| C

14/1

Won a 2m maiden hurdle here (heavy) in September 2017. Matched that effort when 13L second in a Limerick handicap 14-months ago. Returns after a year off here, but unexposed and there may be more to come. Has won when fresh.

Form: 0/15024-

Conright Boy^t⁴²

Age: 10| Weight: 11-5| J: E O'Connell⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs C O'Leary| OR: 118

25/1

Triple handicap hurdle winner over 2m, all on testing ground. On a handy mark if he can bounce back to better form, but needs to put a poor run behind him.

Form: 0/P0-590

Nine Stiches⁴⁹

Age: 11| Weight: 11-1| J: A McCurtin⁽³⁾| T: J J Walsh| OR: 114

40/1

Heavy ground Thurles maiden hurdle winner, but hasn't shown much for a couple of years now.

Form: 35757/P

Buckie Cullen⁵²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: J M Moore| T: D Hickey| OR: 113

9/1

Dual point winner who also won a Limerick maiden hurdle (2m3f, soft; third start) when last seen in December. Looks fairly treated on that evidence, for this handicap debut. Claims.

Form: 41-F461

Peace N' Milan²³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: S W Flanagan| T: F J Flood| OR: 113| CD

28/1

C&D scorer on heavy last year and was third in this race next time from 4lb higher. Entitled to need last month's reappearance after an eight-month absence, and should be ready to give a very good account.

Form: 31364-P

Rovetta²³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: P D Kennedy| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 114

16/1

Completed a hat-trick last summer on yielding/soft ground, one over hurdles and two on the Flat. Should stay 2m4f, although has that to prove after a below par C&D run last month. Not ruled out if bouncing back.

Form: 061520

Goaheadmakemyday^p,t¹⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 10-12| J: C A Landers⁽⁵⁾| T: T Foley| OR: 111| D

6/1

Down Royal handicap winner last time out (2m½f, yielding). Has gone up 8lb for that, so likely to need another career-best to follow up. Can't rule that out, however, and she does stay 2m4f.

Form: 138-431

Seskinane²³

Age: 13| Weight: 10-11| J: B J Geraghty| T: B McMahon| OR: 110| D

22/1

Stays further than this and is at his best on testing ground. 1lb below the mark from which he won at Ballinrobe last April, and has been building steadily this season, so not written off.

Form: 1-30586

Kilkeaskins First⁸³

Age: 8| Weight: 10-8| J: L P Dempsey| T: J P Dempsey| OR: 107| D

14/1

Distance winner earlier in the career and has shown enough speed to pick up two 2m wins since. Showed he retains ability with respectable reappearance at Navan in November, after 14-months off. More needed from the same mark.

Form: 34011-6

Pound A Stroke^p⁴²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-7| J: D E Mullins| T: E McCarthy| OR: 106

12/1

Does most of his racing at Cork, where his last win came in March 2018. More needed than in recent starts, however, and he does have a bit to prove over this trip.

Form: 12-5025

Robin On The Hill^h³⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 10-5| J: M A Enright| T: A Fogarty| OR: 104| D

16/1

Broke her duck at the 14th attempt when making all to win at Punchestown (2m4f, good) last month. Up 7lb for that, so likely to need a career-best effort to follow up, but can't rule that out.

Form: 453851

Shar Whats Therush^t³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-3| J: P Townend| T: D Hassett| OR: 102| D

11/2

Sole success came over this trip at Fairyhouse (soft) 15-months ago. Now 15lb higher after two improved efforts over 2m5f/3m in recent starts. Should be very competitive.

Form: 1F8-022

Blue Empyrean³³

Age: 9| Weight: 10-2| J: A Ring| T: R K Watson| OR: 101| D

50/1

Former Gordon Elliott inmate who won a bumper for him and has twice scored over fences for this trainer. Out of sorts for some time now, however, and others are preferred.

Form: P6FP80

Eagle Roque⁶⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-2| J: B J Cooper| T: P Nolan| OR: 103

25/1

Second in three successive bumpers early last year, but unable to improve on those efforts since going hurdling. Well handicapped is back in that bumper form, but has that to prove.

Form: 24-7690

Hero's Welcome^t1⁵²

Age: 7| Weight: 9-13| J: R C Colgan| T: A J Martin| OR: 98| BF

8/1

Back in better form when beaten just over 3L at Down Royal (2m½f) last time. Will probably get this trip, but does have that to prove. If he does, he should be in the mix. First-time tongue-tie today.

Form: 006-064

Simple Steps⁵⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 9-10| J: P T Enright| T: R Tyner| OR: 95

33/1

Won a Thurles chase (3m½f, heavy) last season, but 0-8 over hurdles and 5lb 'wrong' here. Others preferred.

Form: 12F3-88

Non-Runners

Best Behavior³⁰⁵

Weight: 11-10| Age: 6

T: O McKiernan J: B Browne

Forecasts

Smoking Gun (4/1), Shar Whats Therush (11/2), Goaheadmakemyday (6/1), Dawn Raider (7/1), Hero's Welcome (8/1), Buckie Cullen (9/1), Pound A Stroke (12/1), West Coast Time (14/1), Kilkeaskins First (14/1), Brave Out (16/1), Robin On The Hill (16/1), Rovetta (16/1), Best Behavior (16/1), Seskinane (22/1), Conright Boy (25/1), Eagle Roque (25/1), Peace N' Milan (28/1), Simple Steps (33/1), Nine Stiches (40/1), Blue Empyrean (50/1)

A very competitive race in prospect, and the unexposed SMOKING GUN is the suggestion. Joseph O'Brien's six-year-old arrives in cracking form and looks to have been allotted a very fair mark for this handicap debut. Stablemate West Coast Time is well worth considering, while Buckie Cullen and last year's third Peace N' Milan should both be thereabouts. Cases can be made for plenty of others, including Best Behaviour, Brave Out, Dawn Raider, Rovetta, Robin On The Hill and Shar Whats Therush, in a wide open contest.