13:10 Leopardstown

Monday 26 December 2022

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

Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2)

Off time: 13:12 | Winning time: 4m 8.4s

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Selected odds by:

Mctigue⁴³

Age: 3| Weight: 11-5| J: D Meyler| T: E Mullins| C

33/1

Useful hurdler. 1 win from 1 run this season. Winner in hurdle at Auteuil in October. 28¾ lengths sixth of 8 to St Donats in Prix Cambaceres (17/10) at Auteuil (17.9f, soft) 43 days ago.

Form: 116

Aghaboy²²

Age: 3| Weight: 10-13| J: M J M O'Sullivan| T: W P Mullins| D

66/1

Fairly useful hurdler. 2 wins from 4 runs this season. 22/1, 26¼ lengths seventh of 10 to Lossiemouth in Winter Festival Juvenile Hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy) 22 days ago. Looks up against it.

Form: 211F7

Cougar⁵¹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-13| J: M P Walsh| T: P Roche| D

6/1

Useful Flat winner. Highly promising type. Won 7-runner juvenile hurdle (5/6) at Down Royal (16.9f, soft) 51 days ago, travelling strongly. Open to significant progress and should make his presence felt.

Form: 11

Jourdefete

Age: 3| Weight: 10-13| J: J B Foley| T: W P Mullins

50/1

Tongue strap on for 1st time, third of 10 in bumper at Vichy (11.9f, soft). Off 7 months ahead of this hurdles debut on first run for yard after leaving Emmanuel Clayeux. Yard saddles more appealing candidates.

Form:

Nusret^t³⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 10-13| J: D A Jacob| T: J P O'Brien| D

15/2

Once-raced winner over hurdles. Tongue strap on for 1st time in this code, won 16-runner juvenile hurdle (5/2) at Punchestown (16.4f, good to soft) on NH debut 36 days ago, impressively.

Form: 1

Sundial^t²²

Age: 3| Weight: 10-13| J: S D Torrens| T: P Roche

100/1

Twice-raced maiden over hurdles. Fairly useful winner at 14f on flat. 25¼ lengths sixth of 10 to Lossiemouth in Winter Festival Juvenile Hurdle (66/1) at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy) 22 days ago.

Form: 66

War Correspondent^t⁴⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 10-13| J: J W Kennedy| T: R P Cody| D

28/1

Twice-raced winner over hurdles. 1 win from 2 runs this season. 11/2, 4½ lengths third of 8 to Scriptwriter in Prestbury Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham (16.4f, good) 44 days ago.

Form: 13

Lossiemouth²²

Age: 3| Weight: 10-9| J: P Townend| T: W P Mullins| D

4/5

Promising individual. 1 win from 1 run this season. Already prominent in the ante-post betting for the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March on the back of impressive success on debut for this yard in a Fairyhouse Grade 3 (2m, heavy).

Form: 1-1

Gala Marceau²⁴⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 10-6| J: D E Mullins| T: W P Mullins| D

3/1

Fair Flat winner. Promising type. Won 6-runner listed hurdle at Auteuil Midi (14.9f, soft, 39/10) by 11 lengths from Rose Secrete. Off 8 months. First run for yard after leaving S. Dehez. Big player.

Form: 1-1

Pink Fire Lilly²²

Age: 3| Weight: 10-6| J: J J Slevin| T: John F O'Neill

250/1

Modest maiden on the Flat. Once-raced maiden. Well-beaten eighth of 10 to Lossiemouth in Winter Festival Juvenile Hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy, 200/1) on NH debut 22 days ago, pulling hard.

Form: 8

Risk Belle²²

Age: 3| Weight: 10-6| J: L P Dempsey| T: W P Mullins

28/1

Fairly useful hurdler. Yard in good form. Should progress.

Form: 15

Forecasts

Lossiemouth (4/5), Gala Marceau (3/1), Cougar (6/1), Nusret (15/2), Risk Belle (28/1), War Correspondent (28/1), Mctigue (33/1), Jourdefete (50/1), Aghaboy (66/1), Sundial (100/1), Pink Fire Lilly (250/1)

French import LOSSIEMOUTH looked pretty good when making a winning start for Willie Mullins at Fairyhouse, an effort that propelled her to the head of the ante-post Triumph Hurdle market, and she makes plenty of appeal with the distinct possibility of better to come. Stablemate Gala Marceau, 2-2 over hurdles in France, merits respect but bigger threats may be posed by Cougar and Nusret, both of whom are open to improvement, particularly the former.