16:10 Leopardstown

Sunday 5 February 2023

All13:1013:4014:1014:4015:1015:4016:1016:40

Festina Lente Charity Liffey Handicap Hurdle (0-150) (Grade B)

Off time: 16:11 | Winning time: 3m 54.06s

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Selected odds by:

Gaelic Warrior¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: P Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 143| D

10/11

Almost landed an almighty gamble in last season's Fred Winter at Cheltenham, going like the best prospect in the field only for his relative inexperience to cost him. Has easily landed short odds in Tramore maiden and Clonmel conditions race on his return to action. Can make light of top weight.

Form: 6/332-11

Ballyadam^t¹⁹²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-11| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 142| D

22/1

12/1, fourteenth of 20 in handicap hurdle at Galway (16f, good). Off 6 months. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: F2505-0

Anna Bunina^t⁴⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: A Harvey⁽⁷⁾| T: J C McConnell| OR: 139| D

50/1

Latest win in hurdle at Bellewstown in July. Tenth of 14 in handicap hurdle at this C&D (soft, 25/1) 40 days ago. Others more persuasive.

Form: 121960

Good Time Jonny^t³⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: Liam McKenna⁽⁵⁾| T: A J Martin| OR: 139| C| D

28/1

Course winner. Good third of 27 in handicap hurdle at this course (24f, soft, 28/1) 39 days ago. Significantly down in trip. Not taken lightly.

Form: 19P-403

An Epic Song⁶³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: J J Slevin| T: M Brassil| OR: 135| D

80/1

50/1, twelfth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy) 63 days ago.

Form: 71/481-0

Tax For Max^t⁶⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: D A Jacob| T: W P Mullins| OR: 135| D

12/1

Tongue strap on for 1st time, didn't need to improve to win 6-runner minor event hurdle (5/4) at Punchestown (16.3f, good to soft) 68 days ago, comfortably. Can pull hard.

Form: 83-1431

Effernock Fizz^p,t²³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: M J M O'Sullivan⁽⁵⁾| T: C Collins| OR: 133| D

33/1

Very useful mare. Won Welsh Champion Hurdle (Handicap) at Ffos Las in October and second over fences at Cheltenham a fortnight later. Sharper for a spin on AW Flat last month.

Form: 317212

The Tide Turns^t⁴⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott| OR: 131| D

28/1

Useful juvenile last season (fourth in Grade 1 at this meeting) but he hasn't been sighted in his 3 handicap starts this season. Mark on the slide but can only watch unless the betting strongly hints otherwise.

Form: 403-000

Man O Work⁶³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Cian Cullinan⁽⁷⁾| T: P G Fahey| OR: 129| D

10/1

8/1, creditable fourth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy) 63 days ago. Likely to give his running but will need a bit more to go close.

Form: 1F15-24

Whatsavailable^t⁶⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: D J O'Keeffe| T: M F Morris| OR: 125

22/1

Tongue strap on for 1st time, career best when winning 12-runner handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (20.2f, soft, 11/4) 64 days ago, driven clear. Down in trip.

Form: 9-FU491

All Those Years²⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-6| J: P Byrnes⁽⁵⁾| T: C Byrnes| OR: 123| D

16/1

Shaped as if better for first outing in 6 months when fifth of 9 in handicap hurdle (10/1) at Cork (20f, heavy) 29 days ago. His much-respected stable won this race 3 times in a row between 2018 and 2020. Needs considering.

Form: 34/1-P65

An Mhi¹²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-5| J: Sam Ewing| T: G Elliott| OR: 122| BF

28/1

Lightly-raced maiden. Sixth of 9 in rated novice hurdle (3/1) at Down Royal (17.2f, soft) 12 days ago. Opening handicap mark demands improvement but no shock were he to find it.

Form: 42-F226

Nibiru^p,t⁴⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 10-5| J: P T Enright| T: A J Martin| OR: 122| D

40/1

2 wins from 5 runs this season. Bit below form sixth of 14 in handicap hurdle (14/1) at this C&D (soft) 40 days ago. Cheekpieces back on. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 7-51106

Fortunedefortunata⁸⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-4| J: D F O'Regan| T: G Elliott| OR: 121| BF| D

9/1

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. Won Galway handicap on return for new yard in October and fine fourth of 23 in handicap at Navan (16f, soft) a fortnight later. Probably has an even bigger performance in him. Merits consideration.

Form: 14-14

Hey Johnny¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-2| J: D E Mullins| T: T Mullins| OR: 119| D

12/1

2 wins from 6 runs this season. Career best when winning 6-runner handicap hurdle (7/4) at Thurles (15.5f, soft) 14 days ago, pushed out. Up 9 lb in a much deeper race this time, though.

Form: 31UP41

Charli Parcs⁴⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 10-1| J: C G O'Dwyer⁽⁷⁾| T: A A Howard| OR: 118| C| D

33/1

Course winner. Below form seventh of 14 in handicap hurdle at this C&D (soft, 14/1) 40 days ago, unable to sustain effort.

Form: 568497

Common Practice²²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-0| J: L P Dempsey| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 128| D

10/1

Useful Flat performer and a similar standard over hurdles. Not at best when beaten 18 lengths into second in Fairyhouse juvenile latest but appeals as one who could do well in handicaps.

Form: 67142

Forecasts

Gaelic Warrior (10/11), Fortunedefortunata (9/1), Man O Work (10/1), Common Practice (10/1), Hey Johnny (12/1), Tax For Max (12/1), All Those Years (16/1), Ballyadam (22/1), Whatsavailable (22/1), An Mhi (28/1), Good Time Jonny (28/1), The Tide Turns (28/1), Effernock Fizz (33/1), Charli Parcs (33/1), Nibiru (40/1), Anna Bunina (50/1), An Epic Song (80/1)

This is ultra competitive but it's still tough to ignore the claims of GAELIC WARRIOR who looks a Graded winner in the making so a mark in the mid-140s shouldn't prove beyond him. The excellent record of the Charles Byrnes yard in this race means it would be no surprise to see All Those Years take a big step forward from last month's comeback run at Cork so he's second choice ahead of 4-y-o Common Practice, who gets in off a featherweight.