12:40 Leopardstown

Tuesday 29 December 2020

All12:0512:4013:1513:5014:2515:0015:35

Pigsback.com Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 12:40 | Winning time: 5m 10.8s

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Selected odds by:

Balkito

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: M J Bolger| T: B Connell

50/1

€25,000 3-y-o, Balko gelding. Dam (c113/h100) 17f chase winner in France, also 9.5f/10.5f winner on Flat. Trainer going well.

Form:

Barbary Master⁷⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade

9/2

Bumper winner. Promising start over hurdles when third of 18 in maiden at Punchestown (16f, soft) 76 days ago, barely adequate test. Looks sure to improve now stepping up in trip. Big player.

Form: 3/41-3

Fakir D'alene¹¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott

22/1

Promising sort. 4/1, second of 14 in maiden at Kilbeggan (19.5f, good to soft) on hurdles bow 116 days ago, just failing. Likely to improve.

Form: 17-2

Fangio De Vassy⁵¹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead

16/1

Winner of sole point start in November and represents a stable which has won this race 4 times since 2012. Needs considering, particularly if market vibes strong.

Form: 1

Forged In Fire²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: O R Brown⁽⁷⁾| T: J P O'Brien| BF| C

14/1

Looked smart when winning a bumper at this meeting in 2019. 9/4, only sixth of 18 in maiden at Navan (20f, heavy) on hurdles bow 24 days ago but likely to fare better now.

Form: 1-6

Getaway Pat^t1²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: B J Cooper| T: H De Bromhead

40/1

Point winner. Twice-raced maiden. Fourth of 12 in maiden at Clonmel (19f, heavy) 26 days ago. Tongue strap on 1st time. Blackmore on yard's other runner.

Form: 1/44

Lifetime Ambition²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: P D Kennedy| T: Mrs J Harrington| BF

11/2

Fairly useful form when runner-up in maidens at Punchestown and Navan on both starts over hurdles. Yard in good form. Another prominent showing likely.

Form: 2144-22

Lord Gillygooley²³

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Keith Donoghue| T: J G Sheehan

200/1

Twice-raced maiden. Fifth of 18 in maiden hurdle (22/1) at Cork (16f, heavy) 23 days ago, not knocked about. Up in trip.

Form: 65

Macs Charm¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Brian Hayes| T: Colm Murphy

125/1

Twice-raced maiden. 28/1, fourth of 13 in maiden at Down Royal (20f, heavy) 12 days ago. Bit more needed.

Form: 35-3454

Mahler Allstar²⁹³

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr J J Codd| T: Jonathan Sweeney

20/1

Third in bumper here a year ago. Predictably found Champion Bumper at Cheltenham too much sole subsequent start. Makes hurdles debut after 9 months off.

Form: UP/230-

Mahlers Dollar⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: M Hamill⁽³⁾| T: T O'Brien| BF

100/1

Fair bumper performer but had a few chances in that sphere and others preferred now hurdling.

Form: 352223

Montrose Ave^t1⁶²

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: C D Maxwell| T: P Stafford

250/1

100/1, last of 16 in bumper at Punchestown (16f, soft) on debut 62 days ago, dropping away quickly. Makes hurdles debut. Up in trip. Tongue strap on for 1st time.

Form: 0

Risk Factor^t¹⁰¹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| C

16/1

Promising individual. Creditable third of 17 in maiden at Navan (16f, good, 11/4) 101 days ago. Up in trip. Should progress.

Form: 2212-U3

Stattler³⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| BF

13/8

Bumper winner. Couldn't justify short odds but still showed promise when third of 20 in maiden at Naas (19f, heavy) on hurdles bow 38 days ago. Evidently thought capable of even better by top stable.

Form: 132-3

Villain Thomas²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: E Walsh⁽⁵⁾| T: Peter Maher

300/1

Twice-raced maiden under NH rules. 150/1, fifteenth of 19 in maiden at Punchestown (16.6f, heavy) on hurdles bow 21 days ago. Up in trip.

Form: 00

Glens Of Antrim³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: M P Walsh| T: W P Mullins

7/2

10/3, 18 lengths fourth of 18 in maiden hurdle at Punchestown (16.7f, heavy) on debut 35 days ago, not knocked about. Yard having good spell. May well do better.

Form: 4

Goatitagain^t⁷⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr C W McCormack⁽⁷⁾| T: Thomas Coyle

200/1

Thrice-raced maiden under NH rules. 50/1 and tongue strap on for 1st time, remote third of 14 in maiden at Kilbeggan (19.8f, soft) on hurdles bow 78 days ago. Plenty more needed.

Form: 68-3

Non-Runners

Brazos¹

Weight: 12-0| Age: 6

T: J J Murphy J: Robbie Colgan

Lucky Tenner¹

Weight: 12-0| Age: 5

T: Peter Fahey J: K C Sexton

Roman Dylan¹²

Weight: 12-0| Age: 6

T: J J Lambe J: Liam McKenna

Missy Eliot¹

Weight: 11-7| Age: 6

T: Peter Maher J: Reserve 1

Forecasts

Stattler (13/8), Glens Of Antrim (7/2), Barbary Master (9/2), Lifetime Ambition (11/2), Forged In Fire (14/1), Fangio De Vassy (16/1), Risk Factor (16/1), Mahler Allstar (20/1), Lucky Tenner (20/1), Fakir D'alene (22/1), Brazos (25/1), Getaway Pat (40/1), Balkito (50/1), Mahlers Dollar (100/1), Roman Dylan (100/1), Missy Eliot (100/1), Macs Charm (125/1), Lord Gillygooley (200/1), Goatitagain (200/1), Montrose Ave (250/1), Villain Thomas (300/1)

The fact STATTLER went off at short odds on his hurdle bow suggests he's well regarded and he can improve and provide Willie Mullins with a third winner of this since 2016. Henry de Bromhead also has a good record in this so point winner Fangio de Vassy would come into it if the betting speaks for him. Barbary Master, who will be suited by the trip, and Lifetime Ambition are also shortlisted.