18:25 Killarney

Monday 15 May 2023

All16:5517:2517:5518:2518:5519:2519:5520:25

M.D. O'Shea & Sons Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 18:25 | Winning time: 4m 53.0s

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Selected odds by:

Britzka^b,t⁷¹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: C P Millar⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 132

50/1

Two wins from 5 runs last season. 28/1, fifth of 7 in handicap hurdle at Wexford (16f, good to soft) 71 days ago. Up in trip. Trainer going well.

Form: 6/211P5-

Popong¹³⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-5| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 123| D

16/1

Fourteen runs since last win in 2020. 50/1, seventeenth of 27 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (24f, soft) 138 days ago.

Form: 2P/2220-

Quirt Evans^t⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: D F O'Regan| T: D M O'Brien| OR: 123| D

40/1

Twelve runs since last win in 2021. Creditable eighth of 14 in handicap hurdle (100/1) at Clonmel (16.2f, soft) 4 days ago. Back up in trip. Has work to do.

Form: 47400-8

Flying Scotsman^b³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 122

9/2

14/1, respectable eighth of 14 in handicap hurdle at Cork (19f, good to soft) 36 days ago. Good second off this mark at Fairyhouse in December. One to consider.

Form: 0/59258-

Garrybello^h,t¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Keith Donoghue| T: T Cooper| OR: 122

20/1

Below form fifteenth of 25 in handicap hurdle (28/1) at Punchestown (16.2f, good to soft) 18 days ago. Up in trip.

Form: 1P/0750-

Optional Mix^t¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: S O'Callaghan⁽⁷⁾| T: E Doyle| OR: 119| D

12/1

20/1 and tongue strap on for 1st time, unseated rider in handicap chase at Punchestown (21.2f, good to soft) 18 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles.

Form: 21238U-

The Gradual Slope¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: M M McDonagh⁽⁵⁾| T: S O O'Brien| OR: 119

11/2

Latest win in hurdle at Down Royal in January. 22/1, respectable tenth of 25 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (19.8f, good to soft) 19 days ago. Not taken lightly.

Form: 146P70-

Tempo Chapter Two⁶⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 10-13| J: Sean Flanagan| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 117

14/1

16/1, last of 11 in handicap hurdle at Naas (19f, soft) 64 days ago. First run for yard after leaving Adrian Murray. One to monitor in the betting.

Form: 000/P50-

The Priests Leap^p1,t⁹⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 10-12| J: J S McGarvey| T: G Elliott| OR: 116

40/1

Switches from chase to hurdles. Up in trip. First run for yard after leaving William Durkan. Trainer going well. Cheekpieces on for 1st time. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Needs keeping a close eye on in the betting.

Form: 4P/436P-

Viceregent²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Philip Byrnes⁽⁵⁾| T: C Byrnes| OR: 116

13/2

Respectable fourth of 13 in maiden hurdle (5/1) at Tramore (20.3f, soft) 29 days ago. Creditable third (Flying Scotsman second) at Fairyhouse on his only handicap start. Respected.

Form: 923324-

Feigh³⁶⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Shane Fenelon⁽⁷⁾| T: J J Hanlon| OR: 115| C

40/1

Course winner. Creditable fourth of 14 in handicap hurdle at this course (22.2f, good to soft, 16/1). Off 12 months. First run for yard after leaving Willie Mullins. Others more persuasive.

Form: 32400/4-

The Big Chap^t²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-10| J: Donagh Meyler| T: P W Flynn| OR: 114

11/2

Career best when winning 14-runner handicap hurdle at Kilbeggan (15f, good to soft, 5/1) 25 days ago, battling well. Significantly back up in trip. Another to consider.

Form: 6/16221-

Jeepydoff Meel^p1³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-9| J: Ricky Doyle| T: G Elliott| OR: 113

14/1

16/1, below form eleventh of 20 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (20.4f, good to soft) 36 days ago. Stable in good form. Cheekpieces on 1st time.

Form: 533340-

Story Rory^t³⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-6| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: T Gibney| OR: 110

22/1

Tenth of 12 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (24.5f, soft, 40/1) 37 days ago, possibly amiss when. Can give a good account without posing serious threat to principals.

Form: 131300-

Winding River^t⁴³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-4| J: R J Condon⁽⁵⁾| T: O McKiernan| OR: 108

11/1

Didn't need to improve to win 12-runner handicap hurdle at Downpatrick (21.7f, heavy, 16/5) 43 days ago, pushed out. RESERVE.

Form: FP0231-

Prince Zaltar^t1²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-4| J: P J O'Hanlon⁽⁵⁾| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 108| BF| D

9/2

Latest win in hurdle at Navan in March. 11/4, good second of 11 in handicap hurdle at Tramore (20.6f, good to soft) 28 days ago, unsuited by way race developed. Tongue strap on 1st time. RESERVE.

Form: PP2412-

Non-Runners

Mighty Tom¹

Weight: 12-3| Age: 8

T: C Collins J: Phillip Enright

Port Stanley¹⁹

Weight: 11-2| Age: 9

T: Mrs J Harrington J: Sean O'Keeffe

Pale Blue Dot²⁵

Weight: 10-4| Age: 7

T: D Hogan J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Mighty Tom (11/4), Prince Zaltar (9/2), Flying Scotsman (9/2), The Big Chap (11/2), The Gradual Slope (11/2), Viceregent (13/2), Winding River (11/1), Optional Mix (12/1), Port Stanley (12/1), Jeepydoff Meel (14/1), Tempo Chapter Two (14/1), Popong (16/1), Garrybello (20/1), Story Rory (22/1), Pale Blue Dot (33/1), Quirt Evans (40/1), Feigh (40/1), The Priests Leap (40/1), Britzka (50/1)

FLYING SCOTSMAN arrives in form and might prove the answer to this very tricky handicap. Mighty Tom ran a good first race for his new stable when third in a big field at Punchestown last month and heads the many possible dangers along with The Big Chap and Viceregent, who is quite closely matched with the selection on Fairyhouse form before Christmas.