16:30 Fairyhouse

Saturday 8 April 2023

All14:1014:4515:2015:5516:3017:0517:40

I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle Series Final (Grade B)

Off time: 16:30 | Winning time: 6m 30.4s

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Selected odds by:

Harry Des Ongrais¹⁰²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 130| CD

8/1

Winner in hurdle at Wexford in October. 7¼ lengths third of 5 to Favori De Champdou in Gr 2 hurdle at Limerick (23f, heavy, 7/1) 102 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Must improve.

Form: 50-4123

Seabank Bistro²²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: P Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 130

10/3

Pulled up in Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Spa) (12/1) at Cheltenham (24f, good to soft) 22 days ago won by Stay Away Fay, tailed off when pulled up 3 out. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Can bounce back.

Form: 46-321P

Hardy Bloke⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Conor Clarke⁽⁷⁾| T: E Mullins| OR: 123| D

9/1

Career best when winning 6-runner minor event hurdle at Wexford (24f, heavy, 10/3) 8 days ago, keeping on well.

Form: 54U341

Sam's Choice^b⁶³

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: L P Dempsey| T: G Elliott| OR: 123

50/1

Latest win in hurdle at Leopardstown in December. Sixteenth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (24f, good to soft, 14/1) 63 days ago.

Form: 232510

The Gradual Slope²²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-10| J: M M McDonagh⁽⁵⁾| T: S O O'Brien| OR: 121

18/1

Latest win in hurdle at Down Royal in January. Pulled up in handicap hurdle at Down Royal (20f, heavy, 9/2) 22 days ago, weakening before 3 out. Back up in trip. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 16146P

Desertmore House^p1,t²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-9| J: R A Doyle| T: M Brassil| OR: 120| D

33/1

Latest win in hurdle at Downpatrick in September. Eighth of 11 in handicap hurdle at Naas (19f, soft, 50/1) 27 days ago. Up in trip. Cheekpieces on 1st time. Others more persuasive.

Form: 561108

Shannon Glory²⁰²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: D E Mullins| T: Paul Power| OR: 118

25/1

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. Fifth of 6 in minor event hurdle (11/4) at Listowel (20f, good). Off 6 months. Up in trip. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 2-32115

Verdant Place⁴⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: A P Kelly⁽⁷⁾| T: P T Foley| OR: 118

11/4

Promising sort. 2 wins from 4 runs this season. 5/2, career best when winning 17-runner handicap hurdle at Punchestown (23.5f, good to soft) 48 days ago, pushed out. Expected to be bang there.

Form: 57-9311

Western Walk³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: M J M O'Sullivan⁽⁵⁾| T: Jonathan Sweeney| OR: 118

10/3

First run since leaving Gavin Patrick Cromwell when 13/8, career best when winning 10-runner novice hurdle at Navan (22.4f, good to soft) 35 days ago, easily. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Player.

Form: 533-241

Mr Saxobeat²²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-5| J: D J O'Keeffe| T: T Gibney| OR: 116

16/1

Eleven runs since last win in 2021. Pulled up in handicap hurdle (8/1) at Down Royal (20f, heavy) 22 days ago, dropping away quickly. Back up in trip. Others more persuasive.

Form: 8-U273P

Story Rory^t¹⁶⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 10-0| J: K Callaghan⁽⁷⁾| T: T Gibney| OR: 110

40/1

2 wins from 5 runs this season. Latest win in hurdle at Sligo in August. Twelfth of 15 in handicap hurdle (40/1) at Cheltenham (24f, good to soft) 168 days ago.

Form: 0-13130

Rebellious Gale^t⁴⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: P J Carberry| T: A J Martin| OR: 106

10/1

5/1, creditable fourth of 15 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (24.4f, good to soft) 45 days ago. Stable in good form.

Form: 525354

Non-Runners

Favori De Champdou²²

Weight: 11-12| Age: 8

T: G Elliott J: C McGivern

Landrake¹⁹

Weight: 11-10| Age: 6

T: G Elliott J: D J Gilligan

Forecasts

Verdant Place (11/4), Western Walk (10/3), Seabank Bistro (10/3), Favori De Champdou (11/2), Harry Des Ongrais (8/1), Landrake (8/1), Hardy Bloke (9/1), Rebellious Gale (10/1), Mr Saxobeat (16/1), The Gradual Slope (18/1), Shannon Glory (25/1), Desertmore House (33/1), Story Rory (40/1), Sam's Choice (50/1)

VERDANT PLACE has improved with each run since being switched to handicaps and can complete the hat-trick with further progress likely. Seabank Bistro is worth another chance on handicap bow having been outclassed in the Albert Bartlett last time, with Western Walk another to consider after an impressive debut win for this stable.