12:35 Leopardstown

Wednesday 28 December 2022

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

Irish Daily Star Christmas Handicap Hurdle (80-116)

Off time: 12:36 | Winning time: 5m 20.09s

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Selected odds by:

Sam's Choice^b²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: J W Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 116

8/1

Bit below form fifth of 14 in novice hurdle at Punchestown (21.7f, good to soft, 8/1) 29 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut for top yard.

Form: 2P-2325

The Echo Boy^t⁵³⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: P J O'Hanlon⁽⁵⁾| T: D A McLoughlin| OR: 116

40/1

Latest win in chase at Roscommon in June 2021. Creditable fifth of 13 in handicap chase (13/2) at Kilbeggan (25f, good). Off 17 months. Switches from chase to hurdles. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 642/615-

L'yser^t²⁵⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-13| J: M J M O'Sullivan⁽⁵⁾| T: B Connell| OR: 115| D

7/2

Lightly-raced winner under NH rules. Good fifth of 24 in handicap hurdle (11/1) at Fairyhouse (20f, soft). Off 8 months. Booking of O'Sullivan a plus. Needs consideration.

Form: 78415-

Building Bridges⁴⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: Mr O McGill⁽⁷⁾| T: Gary McGill| OR: 113| D

28/1

Won 2 handicap hurdles this summer. 16/1, fourth of 12 in handicap at Dundalk (12f) 47 days ago, better placed than most. Switches from Flat to hurdles.

Form: 0P-1531

Roi De Dubai³¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-11| J: Thomas Reilly⁽⁷⁾| T: J C McConnell| OR: 113| D

100/1

80/1, twentieth of 23 in handicap hurdle at Navan (22f, heavy) 31 days ago.

Form: 234-000

Unanswered^t⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-11| J: P J Carberry| T: A J Martin| OR: 113

11/4

Progressive on Flat and over hurdles, seeing off another improving type when winning a 21f Cheltenham handicap last month and the third boosted that form when going close at Kempton the other day. Can defy the handicapper again.

Form: 0000-11

Conna Cottage²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: K M Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 111

7/1

Lightly-raced winner under NH rules. 4/7, career best when winning 17-runner novice hurdle at Clonmel (16.2f, heavy) 20 days ago, driven out. Up in trip. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 24-841

Music Of Tara^t⁷⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-9| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 111

17/2

Lightly-raced maiden. Respectable ninth of 15 in handicap hurdle (10/1) at Punchestown (20.4f, good) 77 days ago. Open to improvement.

Form: 163-249

Garcon Doux¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: B Hayes| T: P Fenton| OR: 109

100/1

Last of 15 in handicap hurdle (50/1) at Cork (20f, soft) 17 days ago. Can give a good account without posing serious threat to principals.

Form: 01-F270

Jake Peter¹²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: C G O'Dwyer⁽⁷⁾| T: M A Cahill| OR: 109

80/1

28/1, tenth of 14 in handicap at Dundalk (16f) 12 days ago, badly hampered. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Up in trip. Below form on last hurdle run.

Form: 222PU/0-

Gali Flight¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Niall Moore⁽⁷⁾| T: P Fenton| OR: 106

14/1

Remains a maiden after 17 NH runs. Respectable seventh of 15 in handicap hurdle (13/2) at Cork (20f, soft) 17 days ago. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 487327

Insane Bolt^b,t¹⁰²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Sam Ewing| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 106

18/1

7/1, last of 10 in handicap at Newmarket (18f, good to firm), unsuited by step up in trip. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Up in trip. Good on last hurdle run. Others more persuasive.

Form: PF/064-3

West Is Awake^h³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: J J Slevin| T: E Cawley| OR: 104

8/1

Respectable fourth of 15 in handicap hurdle (8/1) at Thurles (20.7f, soft) on reappearance 34 days ago. Interesting with that run behind him.

Form: 69916-4

Luimneach³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: M P Walsh| T: D McDonogh| OR: 102

9/1

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. 1 win from 3 runs this season. 3/1, career best when winning 14-runner maiden at Limerick (19f, heavy) 36 days ago. Should have more to offer and respected.

Form: 00-561

Staging Post^b1,t¹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: P T Enright| T: M M McNiff| OR: 100

125/1

Last of 13 in handicap hurdle at Thurles (15.5f, good to soft, 66/1) 10 days ago. Back up in trip. Blinkered for 1st time.

Form: 44-P9P0

She's Commanche²⁵⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 10-10| J: C D Maxwell| T: A Murray| OR: 98| BF| CD

20/1

C&D winner. 4/1, fell in handicap chase at Fairyhouse (21.4f, good to soft). Off 8 months. Switches from chase to hurdles. Merits consideration if ready to roll after a break.

Form: 35364F-

A Cheap Thrill^p,t1¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-9| J: Conor Clarke⁽⁷⁾| T: E Mullins| OR: 97

40/1

Cheekpieces on for 1st time, below form fifteenth of 24 in handicap hurdle at Cork (20f, soft, 5/1) 17 days ago. Tongue strap on 1st time.

Form: 0799-P0

Clody Valley^t³⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 10-9| J: D E Mullins| T: Miss E Doyle| OR: 97| D

25/1

Latest win in hurdle at Fairyhouse in November. 5/1, below form seventh of 12 in handicap hurdle at Cork (20f, soft) 38 days ago.

Form: 824017

Serpolette^h,t²⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-7| J: J C Gainford| T: E D Delany| OR: 95| D

66/1

18/1, thirteenth of 18 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (16.3f, good to soft) 29 days ago. Back up in trip. Hood back on. RESERVE.

Form: 502600

Non-Runners

Delante¹⁰

Weight: 11-13| Age: 4

T: T Cooper J: B W Harvey

Papal Lodge²⁵

Weight: 11-13| Age: 6

T: Peter Fahey J: Aidan Coleman

Contrapposto²

Weight: 11-3| Age: 8

T: R Donohoe J: Liam McKenna

Navigator Jack²

Weight: 11-1| Age: 5

T: E Griffin J: S D Torrens

Breezy Bell²⁹

Weight: 10-8| Age: 7

T: E Cawley J: K C Sexton

Toor Moment⁸⁷

Weight: 10-8| Age: 7

T: Ms M Flynn J: C D Smithers

Lily Of Dromard³⁶

Weight: 10-7| Age: 8

T: M J O'Connor J: D J O'Keeffe

Evening Verse¹²

Weight: 10-7| Age: 5

T: Miss H McLoughlin J: Reserve 2

Three Comets⁵⁸

Weight: 10-7| Age: 6

T: L Comer J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Unanswered (11/4), L'yser (7/2), Conna Cottage (7/1), Sam's Choice (8/1), West Is Awake (8/1), Music Of Tara (17/2), Luimneach (9/1), Gali Flight (14/1), Contrapposto (16/1), Papal Lodge (16/1), Insane Bolt (18/1), She's Commanche (20/1), Delante (25/1), Toor Moment (25/1), Navigator Jack (25/1), Clody Valley (25/1), Building Bridges (28/1), Breezy Bell (33/1), Three Comets (33/1), Evening Verse (33/1), Lily Of Dromard (33/1), A Cheap Thrill (40/1), The Echo Boy (40/1), Serpolette (66/1), Jake Peter (80/1), Garcon Doux (100/1), Roi De Dubai (100/1), Staging Post (125/1)

UNANSWERED's latest Cheltenham win looks strong form and he can take the next step up the ladder here. West Is Awake shaped well on his reappearance and heads the dangers along with last month's Limerick maiden winner Luimneach and Barry Connell's L'yser.