12:35 Leopardstown

Wednesday 29 December 2021

All12:0012:3513:1013:4514:2014:5515:25

Pigsback.com Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 12:35 | Winning time: 5m 4.0s

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Selected odds by:

Amirite⁸⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Sean Flanagan| T: H De Bromhead

50/1

€30,000, Sholokhov gelding. Dam unraced half-sister to useful hurdle winner/smart chaser (2¾m-4m winner) Back In Focus. Point winner in October.

Form: 1

Falcon Eight¹⁹³

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: S Fitzgerald⁽⁵⁾| T: D K Weld| BF

8/1

Smart stayer on Flat for yard, won Chester Cup (Handicap) in May. First run for 6 months and a fascinating recruit to jumping.

Form:

Fiston Des Issards³⁹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott

33/1

Point winner (cost £255,000). Twice-raced maiden under NH rules. Off 13 months. Switches from bumpers to hurdles. Up in trip. Might need this.

Form: 1/25-

Journey With Me²⁹²

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

3/1

Mahler gelding. Impressive winner of sole start in points and similarly looked an exciting prospect when readily landing Gowran bumper in March. Very interesting hurdles debutant.

Form: 11-

Kilcruit²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| BF| C

4/9

Grade 1 bumper winner. 1/14, second of 16 in novice hurdle at Cork (16f, soft) on return/hurdles bow 24 days ago. Up in trip. Sure to improve and disappointing if he doesn't feature.

Form: 2/1121-2

Minella Crooner⁴⁶

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

12/1

Point winner who has won both his starts in bumpers, latest at Punchestown (16.1f, good to soft) 46 days ago. Makes hurdles debut in a pretty deep race but he's clearly promising.

Form: 1-11

Red Secret^b,t1²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Keith Donoghue| T: K Smith

150/1

Fairly useful winner at 16f on flat. 28/1 and blinkers on for 1st time in this code, fifth of 16 in novice hurdle at Navan (20f, good to soft) on NH debut 25 days ago. One for the longer term.

Form: 5

Smoke And Mirrors^t1³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: S D Torrens| T: M F Morris

100/1

Fifth of 22 in novice hurdle at Punchestown (16f, good to soft, 12/1) 36 days ago. Up in trip. Tongue strap on for 1st time. Looks one for handicaps.

Form: 535

Tiktoktyson

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: A P Kelly⁽⁷⁾| T: James Andrew Fahey

400/1

€1,500 3-y-o, Worthadd gelding. Dam 1¾m winner on Flat. Stiff task for debut.

Form:

Non-Runners

Barbados⁶⁴

Weight: 12-0| Age: 5

T: Mrs J Harrington J: Sean O'Keeffe

Bold Approach³³

Weight: 12-0| Age: 5

T: B W Duke J: D E Mullins

The Last Throw⁴⁴²

Weight: 12-0| Age: 5

T: M F Morris J: J M Moore

Forecasts

Kilcruit (4/9), Journey With Me (3/1), Falcon Eight (8/1), Barbados (8/1), Minella Crooner (12/1), Bold Approach (16/1), Fiston Des Issards (33/1), Amirite (50/1), The Last Throw (66/1), Smoke And Mirrors (100/1), Red Secret (150/1), Tiktoktyson (400/1)

KILCRUIT remains a good prospect for jumps despite meeting with defeat on his return and he can get back on track with victory, this longer trip sure to suit the Grade 1 bumper winner. There are some fascinating rivals among the opposition, including the exciting Journey With Me and Chester Cup winner Falcon Eight.