12:05 Leopardstown

Monday 27 December 2021

All12:0512:3513:1013:4514:2014:5515:30

Paddy Power 'We Love A Good Christmas Jumper' 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 12:05 | Winning time: 4m 5.1s

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Selected odds by:

Black Barrel⁶²

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: M P O'Connor⁽⁵⁾| T: J Nash

200/1

150/1, twenty-second of 23 in maiden at the Curragh (9f, heavy) 62 days ago. Makes no appeal now switched to hurdles.

Form:

Brazil³⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: S D Torrens| T: P Roche

14/1

Fairly useful 1m winner on the Flat. 10/1, first run since leaving Aidan O'Brien when sixth of 20 in juvenile hurdle at Punchestown (16f, good to soft) on NH debut 34 days ago. Open to improvement.

Form: 6

Brehon Star¹⁴⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: C A Landers| T: M M McNiff| BF

200/1

Fair Flat winner. 9/2 and blinkered for 1st time, ninth of 12 in handicap at Sligo (12.5f, good) when last seen in August. Will need to improve for the switch to hurdles if he's to play a major role.

Form:

Doctor Brown Bear²⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: B P Kennedy⁽⁷⁾| T: B W Duke

11/1

Lightly-raced maiden. 18/1, good 15½ lengths fourth of 8 to Fil Dor in Bar One Racing Juvenile 3-Y-O Hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, good) 29 days ago. Solid form claims, but vulnerable to an improver.

Form: 4234

Gentleman Joe³⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| BF

5/2

Fairly useful 1m winner on the Flat. 5/6, first run since leaving Joseph Tuite when fourth of 20 in juvenile hurdle at Punchestown (16f, good to soft) on NH debut 34 days ago. High on the shortlist.

Form: 4

Got Bright¹⁸⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: P Nolan

50/1

Fairly useful Flat winner. Third of 5 in minor event at Toulouse (9.9f, soft, 36/10) on latest start. First run for yard after leaving Christophe Ferland and market check advised now hurdling.

Form:

Halcyon Spirit¹⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: D E Mullins| T: G P Cromwell

300/1

Fair Flat winner. Twice-raced maiden over hurdles. 100/1, thirteenth of 14 in juvenile hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) 16 days ago. Looks set for another struggle.

Form: P0

Icare Allen^t1¹¹⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: M P Walsh| T: W P Mullins

13/8

10/1 and fitted with a tongue strap, won 11-runner bumper at Moulins (11.9f, good to soft) 119 days ago. Joined top yard now that he embarks on a hurdling career and very much one to note.

Form: 1

Justicialism³⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: S Fitzgerald⁽⁵⁾| T: B R Hamilton

150/1

Fair maiden on the Flat. Twice-raced maiden. 50/1, ninth of 20 in juvenile hurdle at Punchestown (16f, good to soft) 34 days ago. More will certainly be needed if he's to make an impact here.

Form: 49

Man O Work

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: Cian Cullinan⁽⁷⁾| T: P G Fahey

300/1

Workforce gelding. Dam showed nothing on Flat and this newcomers is probably best watched, unless the betting suggests otherwise.

Form:

Prairie Dancer³⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien

9/2

Fairly useful winner at 10f on the Flat. 9/1, second of 20 in juvenile hurdle at Punchestown (16f, good to soft) on NH debut 34 days ago. LIkely to come on for that and he's a serious contender.

Form: 2

Privilege¹⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: Peter Fahey

80/1

Fairly useful Flat winner. Once-raced over hurdles, mid-field in a Fairyhouse maiden (2m, soft, 14/1) 16 days ago. Big step forward needed here.

Form: 7

Rock Ya Boy Ya⁴⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: P J O'Hanlon⁽⁷⁾| T: Francis Casey| BF

200/1

Modest maiden on the Flat, sixth of 14 in handicap (10/3) at Dundalk (10.7f) 47 days ago, needing stronger gallop. It'd be a surprise were he to make a winning hurdles debut here.

Form:

San Aer⁸⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: J B Foley⁽⁵⁾| T: T Mullins

33/1

Fair Flat winner. 3/1, won 10-runner maiden at Killarney (8.1f, soft) 86 days ago, always holding on. May well make his mark in this sphere, if the necessary stamina reserves are there.

Form:

Igraine⁶³

Age: 3| Weight: 10-9| J: D F O'Regan| T: J P O'Brien| C

33/1

28/1, tenth of 13 in handicap at Galway (11.8f, heavy) 63 days ago. First run for yard after leaving Donnacha Aidan O'Brien. Yard saddles a more appealing candidate in Prairie Dancer.

Form:

Queenie Newall¹⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 10-9| J: C D Maxwell| T: G P Cromwell

200/1

Fair Flat winner. 22/1, first run since leaving Hugo Palmer when eleventh of 14 in juvenile hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) on NH debut 16 days ago. Others preferred.

Form: 0

Vera Verto^t²²

Age: 3| Weight: 10-9| J: L P Dempsey| T: G P Cromwell

11/2

Fairly useful Flat winner. Promising second in an 18-runner maiden hurdle at Cork (2m, soft, 9/1) on NH debut 22 days ago. Big player here with improvement anticipated.

Form: 2

Seen It In Colour^p²²

Age: 3| Weight: 10-9| J: J M Moore| T: A McCann

300/1

Modest maiden on the Flat. Once-raced maiden. 200/1, fourteenth of 18 in juvenile hurdle at Cork (16f, soft) on NH debut 22 days ago. Cheekpieces on for 1st time in this code. RESERVE.

Form: 0

Non-Runners

Fascinating Shadow¹⁰⁶

Weight: 11-2| Age: 3

T: J J Hanlon J: Brian Hayes

Just Jacob¹⁶

Weight: 11-2| Age: 3

T: G P Cromwell J: Sean Flanagan

The Tide Turns⁸⁸

Weight: 11-2| Age: 3

T: G Elliott J: D N Russell

Hillsin¹

Weight: 11-2| Age: 3

T: G P Cromwell J: Reserve 2

Great Realisation⁶⁵

Weight: 11-2| Age: 3

T: P J Rothwell J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Icare Allen (13/8), Gentleman Joe (5/2), Prairie Dancer (9/2), Vera Verto (11/2), Hillsin (10/1), The Tide Turns (10/1), Doctor Brown Bear (11/1), Brazil (14/1), Igraine (33/1), San Aer (33/1), Fascinating Shadow (33/1), Got Bright (50/1), Just Jacob (50/1), Great Realisation (66/1), Privilege (80/1), Justicialism (150/1), Queenie Newall (200/1), Brehon Star (200/1), Rock Ya Boy Ya (200/1), Black Barrel (200/1), Man O Work (300/1), Seen It In Colour (300/1), Halcyon Spirit (300/1)

In a race likely to throw up plenty of future winners, VERA VERTO looks the way to go. She gave the odds-on Iberique Du Seuil a real fright on her hurdles debut at Cork and, with improvement on the cards, she should prove a tough nut to crack. Prairie Dancer also found just one too good starting out in this sphere at Punchestown and he is feared, along with Gentleman Joe and Icare Allen.