Matheson Hurdle (Grade 1)

Off time: 14:22 | Winning time: 3m 49.07s

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Selected odds by:

Felix Desjy⁵³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: B J Cooper| T: G Elliott| OR: 149| D

50/1

Smart but temperamental sort. 9/2, 14¼ lengths third of 6 to Captain Guinness in Poplar Square Chase at Naas (16f, good to soft) 53 days ago, going in snatches. Switches from chase to hurdles.

Form: 138F-43

Petit Mouchoir^p²⁶⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott| OR: 155| BF| CD

18/1

Very smart hurdler who won this back in 2016. Ran a cracker under a big weight in County at Cheltenham in March but running below form when falling 2 out at Cork in April. Been off since.

Form: 33522F-

Saint Roi³²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: W P Mullins| OR: 155| D

6/1

Smart hurdler. 21 lengths fourth of 6 to Honeysuckle in Irish Champion Hurdle over C&D (soft) when last seen in February, unable to sustain effort. Off 10 months. Yard having good spell.

Form: 11/1244-

Sharjah^t⁴⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr P W Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 164| CD

5/6

Completed hat-trick of wins in this race last Christmas. Ran a couple of excellent races behind Honeysuckle in the spring and reappeared with a 3-length defeat of Zanahiyr at Punchestown last month.

Form: 2/1322-1

Zanahiyr^t⁴⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-12| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 155| CD

5/1

Smart hurdler. C&D winner. Made all on Down Royal reappearance in October. Good 3 lengths second of 3 to Sharjah in Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown (16.2f, good to soft) 45 days ago.

Form: 1142-12

Echoes In Rain^h⁴⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: P Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 143| D

5/1

Big improver last spring, including a Punchestown Grade 1 success. Better than she showed when 15 lengths last of 3 to Sharjah in Morgiana on reappearance, racing too keenly.

Form: 14111-3

Forecasts

Sharjah (5/6), Zanahiyr (5/1), Echoes In Rain (5/1), Saint Roi (6/1), Petit Mouchoir (18/1), Felix Desjy (50/1)

SHARJAH is fancied to confirm Morgiana form with Zanahiyr and emulate Istabraq and the same yard's Hurricane Fly by becoming a 4-time winner of this race. Echoes In Rain wasn't seen to best effect when well behind that pair in the Morgiana and could get closer to them this time.