13:58 Down Royal

Sunday 26 December 2021

All12:1312:4813:2313:5814:3315:0315:35

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase

Off time: 13:58 | Winning time: 5m 19.2s

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Selected odds by:

Bold Assassin⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: M P O'Connor⁽⁵⁾| T: H De Bromhead

14/1

Fairly useful hurdler at best but went wrong way last season. Held when fell 2 out in novice chase (16/1) at Cork (21f, soft) on chase debut/return 6 weeks ago.

Form: 3/427P-F

Cala Di Volpe²⁷³

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Derek McGrath⁽⁷⁾| T: R K Watson

40/1

Faced stiff task when tailed-off fourth of 5 to Chatham Street Lad in Grade 3 chase at Limerick (24.6f, heavy, 100/1). Off 9 months.

Form: 45P/434-

Champagne Sparkles^b⁶³

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Sam Ewing⁽³⁾| T: G Elliott

5/1

Promising individual. 7/2, went backwards from chasing debut when third of 6 in novice chase at Wexford (20f, heavy) 63 days ago. Worth another chance.

Form: 422-P23

Different Strokes⁶³

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: J B Kane⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs C O'Leary

80/1

Modest winner at 19f over hurdles. 250/1, last of 11 in novice chase at Galway (22.5f, heavy) on debut over fences 63 days ago.

Form: 45100-0

Fakir D'alene^b1⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: D F O'Regan| T: G Elliott

2/1

Fairly useful winner at 21f over hurdles. 13/2, second of 18 in novice chase at Cork (21f, soft) on debut over fences 42 days ago. Likely to improve, and first-time blinkers replace the cheekpieces.

Form: 72-1732

Midnight It Is²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Lee Cosgrove⁽⁷⁾| T: G P Cromwell

17/2

Fairly useful hurdler. Back on track when third of 12 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, good, 15/2) 29 days ago. Makes chase debut. Back up in trip.

Form: 2-423U3

Now Where Or When^t¹⁵⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: J J Slevin| T: S R B Crawford| D

8/1

Winner in hurdle at Fairyhouse in April. Cheekpieces on for 1st time, creditable tenth of 19 in handicap hurdle (33/1) at Galway (24f, good) 150 days ago. Makes chase debut.

Form: 421-390

Oscer Romero⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: J P O'Sullivan⁽⁵⁾| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 84

28/1

Fairly useful hurdler. 3 wins from 6 runs this season. 28/1, pulled up in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (23.9f, good to soft) 42 days ago. Makes chase debut.

Form: 1611PP

Ragin Cajun^p¹⁶⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr N McParlan| T: M J Smith| C

28/1

Fair hurdler. Pulled up in handicap hurdle at Downpatrick (21.8f, good, 9/1) 166 days ago. Makes chase debut. Easy to look elsewhere.

Form: 0/1247-P

Skol⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr D O'Connor| T: N Meade

17/2

Promising type. 16/1, unseated rider in novice chase at Thurles (24.8f, good to soft) on debut over fences 7 days ago too far out to suggest outcome. Open to improvement.

Form: 50-F43U

Tullyveery Lad²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: S O'Callaghan⁽⁷⁾| T: R P Cody| D

9/1

Winner in hurdle at Gowran in October. Creditable fourth of 16 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (19.4f, good to soft, 4/1) 21 days ago. Makes chase debut.

Form: 61R544

Dympnas Well^t⁴⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr B O'Neill| T: P Nolan

14/1

Fair hurdler. 3 wins from 6 runs this season. One of this season's lesser races when sixth of 12 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (16f, good to soft, 5/1) 40 days ago. Makes chase debut.

Form: 161816

Lily's Gem^t⁴⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr S Connor⁽⁷⁾| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 114

28/1

25/1, creditable fourth of 11 in handicap hurdle at Ayr (20.4f, good to soft) 40 days ago. Makes chase debut.

Form: 043P-54

Josh D'id²¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-6| J: C D Maxwell| T: G P Cromwell

16/1

Fairly useful hurdler. Latest win in hurdle at Saint-Brieuc in November 2020. 5/1, fourth of 8 in juvenile hurdle at Ballinrobe (18.2f, heavy). Off 7 months. Makes chase debut.

Form: 15-4

Eileens Boy^p¹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Liam McKenna⁽⁷⁾| T: S McConville

80/1

Modest hurdler. Twenty first of 24 in handicap hurdle at Naas (15.8f, soft, 10/1) 10 days ago. Makes chase debut. Back up in trip. RESERVE.

Form: 508470

Non-Runners

Joeswayornoway²⁴

Weight: 11-7| Age: 5

T: E Sheehy J: Shane Fenelon

Forecasts

Fakir D'alene (2/1), Champagne Sparkles (5/1), Now Where Or When (8/1), Midnight It Is (17/2), Skol (17/2), Tullyveery Lad (9/1), Bold Assassin (14/1), Dympnas Well (14/1), Josh D'id (16/1), Joeswayornoway (20/1), Lily's Gem (28/1), Oscer Romero (28/1), Ragin Cajun (28/1), Cala Di Volpe (40/1), Different Strokes (80/1), Eileens Boy (80/1)

Gordon Elliot looks to have a couple of big players and the votes goes to his FAKIR D'ALENE, who matched his hurdles form at the first attempt over fences when finishing runner-up at Cork 6 weeks ago. He looks sure to progress and can make it second time lucky with blinkers replacing the cheekpieces. Stablemate Champagne Sparkles could provide the main threat, ahead of Skol and Josh D'id.