12:00 Leopardstown

Monday 26 December 2022

All12:0012:3513:1013:4514:2014:5515:30

All About Sunday Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 12:00 | Winning time: 4m 3.8s

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Selected odds by:

After The Roar³⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: S D Torrens| T: E Mullins

100/1

Twice-raced maiden. 22/1, fifth of 23 in novice hurdle at Cork (16f, soft) 36 days ago.

Form: 05

Battle It Out

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: C G O'Dwyer⁽⁷⁾| T: C O'Dwyer

125/1

€80,000 3-y-o, Flemensfirth gelding. Dam, point winner, sister to fair hurdler/useful chaser (2m-2¾m winner) Thegreatjohnbrowne and fairly useful chaser (17f winner) Beeverstown. Mark Walsh prefers Foxfire Glow.

Form:

Bears Hug¹⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: A M King⁽⁷⁾| T: A Sexton| OR: 102

150/1

Lightly-raced maiden over hurdles. Fair winner at 7f on Flat. 20/1, tenth of 14 in handicap at Dundalk (7f) 10 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Poor on last hurdle run.

Form: 00-40

Bowmore⁵⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: D J O'Keeffe| T: H De Bromhead

25/1

Promising type. 20/1, fourth of 23 in novice hurdle at Cork (16f, heavy) on NH debut 50 days ago, not knocked about. Open to progress.

Form: 4

Chiefs Kingdom³²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: D A Jacob| T: P Nolan

40/1

Promising type. 40/1, fourth of 15 in novice hurdle at Thurles (16.2f, soft) on NH debut 32 days ago. Should improve.

Form: 4

Diverge⁴⁸⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: D E Mullins| T: W P Mullins

10/1

Fairly useful Flat winner, making GB/IRE jumps debut. Second of 6 in minor event (12/10) at Deauville (9.9f, good). Off 16 months. First run for yard after leaving F. Head. Parmenion is presumably the stable No 1.

Form:

Foxfire Glow⁵¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: M P Walsh| T: G Elliott| BF

11/1

Promising sort. 4/9, first run since leaving Francois Nicolle when third of 20 in novice hurdle at Down Royal (16.9f, soft) on IRE NH debut 51 days ago, ridden too aggressively. Ought to go close.

Form: 2-3

Gentleman Joe^t1³⁶⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: M J M O'Sullivan⁽⁵⁾| T: H De Bromhead

16/1

Fairly useful Flat winner. Promising sort. Eighth of 18 in juvenile hurdle at this C&D (soft, 5/2). Off 12 months. Tongue strap on 1st time. May well do better.

Form: 48-

High Definition⁸⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien

9/2

6 lengths seventh of 9 to Hamish in Cumberland Lodge Stakes (9/1) at Ascot (12f, good to soft) 86 days ago. First run for yard after leaving Aidan O'Brien. Smart at his best on the Flat and interesting recruit to this sphere.

Form:

Importateur³⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: I J Power| T: Alan McIntyre

200/1

Twice-raced maiden under Rules. 100/1, first run since leaving T. E. Hyde when twenty first of 23 in novice hurdle at Cork (16f, soft) on hurdles bow 36 days ago.

Form: U0

Jump The Shark⁵¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: L P Dempsey| T: G P Cromwell

100/1

Once-raced maiden. 22/1, eighth of 20 in novice hurdle at Down Royal (16.9f, soft) on NH debut 51 days ago.

Form: 8

Make The Plan²⁴⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: J I Duggan⁽⁷⁾| T: O McKiernan

100/1

Twice-raced maiden. Tenth of 15 in bumper (25/1) at Punchestown (16.4f, good to soft). Off 8 months. Makes hurdles debut. Trainer going well.

Form: 30-

Natural Ability²³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: P J Carberry| T: A J Martin

200/1

Twice-raced maiden. 200/1, eighth of 18 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) 23 days ago.

Form: 08

On My Bike

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: K M Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell

125/1

€4,200 3-y-o, Gatewood gelding. Dam, little show over hurdles, half-sister to useful hurdler (stayed 21f) Veiled.

Form:

Parmenion⁵⁵⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: P Townend| T: W P Mullins

4/5

Fair Flat winner, making GB/IRE jumps debut. 49/10, won 14-runner maiden at Craon (10.9f, good). Off 18 months. First run for yard after leaving E. Monfort.

Form:

Privilege³⁶⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr J C Barry⁽³⁾| T: Peter Fahey

33/1

Fairly useful Flat winner. Twice-raced maiden over hurdles. 80/1, second of 18 in juvenile hurdle at this C&D (soft), suited by emphasis on speed. Off 12 months.

Form: 72-

Sign From Above⁶¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: E A Fitzgerald⁽⁷⁾| T: Peter Fahey

100/1

Fair Flat winner, making GB/IRE jumps debut. 6/1, sixth of 23 in handicap at the Curragh (14f, heavy) 61 days ago, met some trouble.

Form:

Slanagaibhgoleir

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: D F O'Regan| T: G Elliott

50/1

€85,000 3-y-o, Beat Hollow gelding. Half-brother to bumper winner/useful hurdle winner No Ordinary Joe and fairly useful hurdler Es Perfecto. Owner's retained jockey rides Foxfire Glow.

Form:

Star Harbour⁷²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: S Fitzgerald⁽³⁾| T: A McGuinness

40/1

Useful Flat winner, making GB/IRE jumps debut. 33/1, fifth of 16 in handicap at this course (12f, soft) 72 days ago.

Form:

Stuzzikini²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Nathan Andrews⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott

125/1

Promising type. Eleventh of 20 in novice hurdle at Punchestown (16.3f, good to soft, 40/1) on hurdles bow 27 days ago, not knocked about. Stable in good form. Should progress.

Form: 7-0

True Artist³⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Cian Cullinan⁽⁷⁾| T: G O'Leary

100/1

Unreliable individual. Fourth of 23 in novice hurdle at Cork (16f, soft, 66/1) 36 days ago.

Form: U94

Aurora Princess²³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: D Meyler| T: E Mullins| C

125/1

Fairly useful Flat winner. Once-raced maiden over hurdles. 66/1, first run since leaving Mrs J. Harrington when thirteenth of 16 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) on NH debut 23 days ago.

Form: 0

Final Fantasy^t¹⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Thomas Reilly⁽⁷⁾| T: T G McCourt

250/1

Modest Flat winner, making GB/IRE jumps debut. 66/1, thirteenth of 14 in handicap at Dundalk (10.7f) 10 days ago. Tongue strap on for 1st time in this code.

Form:

Inveterate⁷⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: C M Quirke⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss T L Cogan

250/1

Making GB/IRE jumps debut. Blinkered for 1st time, nineteenth of 20 in handicap (33/1) at the Curragh (7f, soft) 74 days ago.

Form:

Jetara²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: J W Kennedy| T: Mrs J Harrington| D

9/2

Lightly-raced winner in bumpers (successful in listed company). Needs considering on hurdles debut.

Form: 10-321

The Big Cloud⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: E O'Connell⁽⁵⁾| T: S Crawley

250/1

Once-raced maiden. Ninth of 25 in novice hurdle at Naas (15.9f, soft, 125/1) on NH debut 6 days ago.

Form: 9

Master Breffni²⁴⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr L J Carberry⁽⁷⁾| T: J T R Dreaper

200/1

Sageburg gelding. Half-brother to fair hurdler Buster Edwards and fairly useful hurdler Soldiers Hill. RESERVE.

Form: P5F-

Non-Runners

Leading Flame⁹¹

Weight: 11-7| Age: 4

T: M J Smith J: J B Foley

Ladybank

Weight: 11-0| Age: 4

T: H De Bromhead J: T Joseph Kelly

Forecasts

Parmenion (4/5), High Definition (9/2), Jetara (9/2), Diverge (10/1), Foxfire Glow (11/1), Gentleman Joe (16/1), Bowmore (25/1), Privilege (33/1), Ladybank (33/1), Star Harbour (40/1), Chiefs Kingdom (40/1), Slanagaibhgoleir (50/1), Leading Flame (66/1), Sign From Above (100/1), Make The Plan (100/1), True Artist (100/1), After The Roar (100/1), Jump The Shark (100/1), Stuzzikini (125/1), Aurora Princess (125/1), Battle It Out (125/1), On My Bike (125/1), Bears Hug (150/1), Master Breffni (200/1), Natural Ability (200/1), Importateur (200/1), The Big Cloud (250/1), Inveterate (250/1), Final Fantasy (250/1)

The eyes are immediately drawn to HIGH DEFINITION, who ultimately failed to deliver on the promise he showed as a 2-y-o on the Flat for Aidan O'Brien but he still boasts some very smart form, not least when placed twice in Group 1 company this year. The Galileo colt will likely prove hard to beat if he takes to this game at the first attempt. Willie Mullins saddles ex-French Flat winners Parmenion and Diverge, both of whom are of interest, while Foxfire Glow and Jetara are also shortlisted.