14:05 Galway

Tuesday 8 October 2019

All14:0514:3515:1015:4016:1516:5017:20

Mervue Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 14:05 | Winning time: 4m 55.6s

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Selected odds by:

All Those Years²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: M P Walsh| T: C Byrnes| C

2/1

Won his only bumper at this course over 2m2½f and subsequently beaten just a head in a 2m Listowel maiden hurdle a month ago. Hasn't encountered ground this soft before but form clearly the best on offer and the one to beat here.

Form: 12

Atlantic Shore²⁸³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Brian Hayes| T: P Fenton

14/1

Winning point-to-pointer, made solid if unspectacular start when 21L fourth of 11 in 2m4f soft-ground maiden hurdle at Limerick last December. May have improvement to come.

Form: 21/4-

Battle Of Midway¹⁶⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade

4/1

Twice went close before winning his bumper at Navan in March. Disappointing latest at Fairyhouse but after the summer off he's likely to be ready to go well on hurdles bow for in-form and highly respected yard.

Form: 5P3315-

Carrigmoorna Pine²¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Phillip Enright| T: R Tyner

50/1

Oscar gelding who won a Kilfeacle point-to-point in a slow time before finishing fourth of 11 beaten 30L in a Gowran Park bumper in March. Worth a market check with hurdles sure to suit better.

Form: 3/414-

Delaney's Cross^t⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: L P Dempsey| T: S J Mahon

100/1

Nothing of note in three bumper starts and jumping far from perfect as he was pulled up before two out on hurdles bow at Roscommon. Remains best watched.

Form: 866-P

Glamorgan Duke^t1²⁰⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr L P Gilligan⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Gilligan

16/1

Good 4L third in a big field maiden hurdle at Naas on debut in January. Early casualty in a Grade 3 event subsequently before pulling up in a 2m6f heavy ground Limerick maiden which maybe stretched him. Hopefully this suits better.

Form: 3FP-

Iridescent

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: M P Fogarty| T: J Fogarty

100/1

Newcomer by Touch Of Land a half-brother to two winners one of which won over hurdles after scoring on the Flat. Tough ask on racecourse debut.

Form:

Mister Fogpatches³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: D J Mullins| T: P A Fahy

14/1

Gelding who was twice placed in bumpers showed significant improvement in his second hurdle start when runner-up at Listowel last month albeit ultimately well beaten. That form among the most persuasive so not ruled out.

Form: 5773-02

Thatsy²³³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott

5/4

£130,000 buy out of the point-to-point fields made a huge impression when winning with any amount in hand at Navan in lone bumper. Leading trainer talked him up as a future star and he could just be too good for these.

Form: 12/1-

Costly Diamond²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: P J Cawley⁽⁷⁾| T: P G Kelly

66/1

Won a maiden point-to-point in November 2018 but after three unsuccessful bumpers and four unplaced hurdle starts she makes no appeal here.

Form: 000650

Non-Runners

My Club Colours²⁰⁴

Weight: 11-5| Age: 5

T: P Nolan J: B J Cooper

Forecasts

Thatsy (5/4), All Those Years (2/1), Battle Of Midway (4/1), Mister Fogpatches (14/1), Atlantic Shore (14/1), Glamorgan Duke (16/1), My Club Colours (33/1), Carrigmoorna Pine (50/1), Costly Diamond (66/1), Delaney's Cross (100/1), Iridescent (100/1)

Although Charles Byrnes All Those Years is the most obvious contender here he might have the misfortune of bumping into a Graded level performer in Gordon Elliott's THATSY who made a huge impression at Navan and as a previous point-to-point scorer he should be at least as good over hurdles. Mister Fogpatches and Battle Of Midway look best of the rest.