15:20 Listowel

Monday 18 September 2023

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

Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle (Listed Handicap)

Off time: 15:20 | Winning time: 4m 3.7s

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Selected odds by:

Charlie Luciano²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-12| J: N J Ryan⁽⁷⁾| T: N Meade| OR: 129

11/1

3 wins from 4 runs this season. Career best when winning 9-runner handicap hurdle at Ballinrobe (18f, good to soft, 11/2) 21 days ago, driven out. Up 7 lb but excellent attitude will stand him in good stead.

Form: 61-1121

Common Practice^p1²²⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-12| J: M P Walsh| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 129| D

9/1

Winner in hurdle at Galway in October. Unseated rider in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (16f, good to soft, 10/1). Off 7 months. Cheekpieces on first time and he's well weighted. Market check essential.

Form: 67142U-

Boher Road¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-10| J: P T Smithers⁽⁷⁾| T: J P Fahey| OR: 127| D

11/2

Won 11-runner novice hurdle at Wexford (16.4f, soft, 7/1) 17 days ago by 19 lengths from The Lovely Man, unchallenged. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 2U1

Jackpot De Choisel^t²⁰⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-8| J: B W Harvey⁽³⁾| T: J C McConnell| OR: 125| D

7/1

Thrice-raced winner over hurdles. 19¾ lengths fifth of 6 to Corbetts Cross in Johnstown Novices' Hurdle (13/2) at Naas (15.5f, good to soft). Off 6 months. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 315-

Bojak⁶⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: D J O'Keeffe| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 121

16/1

Proved a different proposition in a well-run race when landing 18-runner novice hurdle at Cork (16.9f, good to soft) 66 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut and he's not taken lightly.

Form: 351

Morning Soldier²²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: M J M O'Sullivan| T: T Mullins| OR: 121| BF

28/1

22/1, bit below form ninth of 16 in handicap at Naas (10.5f, good to soft) 22 days ago, never nearer. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Others more persuasive.

Form: 2662-35

Samui²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: D J Gilligan⁽⁵⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 121| BF| D

4/1

Latest win in hurdle at Tramore in June. Below form 18¼ lengths fourth of 9 to Charlie Luciano in handicap hurdle at Ballinrobe (18f, good to soft, evens) 21 days ago, reportedly suffering from breathing problem.

Form: 19-2124

Metamorpheus¹⁶¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-3| J: C D Smithers⁽⁷⁾| T: P Nolan| OR: 120| D

18/1

Winner in hurdle at Punchestown in January. 17/2, below form ninth of 19 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) 161 days ago. In good hands but more needed on return.

Form: 31569-

Dark Note¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-1| J: C M Quirke⁽⁵⁾| T: A Slattery| OR: 118

22/1

Winner in hurdle at Sligo in July. Creditable fourth of 12 in handicap (10/1) at Clonmel (9.6f, good) 11 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 5-33214

Flamborough²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-1| J: D King⁽⁵⁾| T: T Gibney| OR: 118

9/1

Fairly useful winner at 14f on Flat. Creditable 3¼ lengths third of 9 to Charlie Luciano in handicap hurdle (10/1) at Ballinrobe (18f, good to soft) 21 days ago.

Form: 26-63

Shajak^t²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-1| J: J S McGarvey| T: G Elliott| OR: 118| BF| D

22/1

Useful winner at 12f on Flat. 6/4, pulled up in novice hurdle at Kilbeggan (19f, good to soft) 24 days ago, losing touch next. Makes handicap hurdle debut and return to 2m in his favour.

Form: 521P

War Correspondent^p,t⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: R P Cody| OR: 117| BF| D

16/1

Unreliable sort. Cheekpieces on for 1st time in this code, last of 11 in handicap hurdle (3/1) at Cork (17f, good to soft) 42 days ago.

Form: 136-F00

Pont Audemer³⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-9| J: D E Mullins| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 112| D

33/1

Sixteenth of 19 in handicap at the Curragh (10f, good to soft, 18/1) 30 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles.

Form: 0133-34

Spy^p1²³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-9| J: P T Enright| T: C Byrnes| OR: 112

10/1

Lightly-raced maiden over hurdles. Fairly useful winner at 9f on Flat. 8/1, creditable third of 14 in novice hurdle at Killarney (16.4f, good to soft) 23 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut with promise of a bigger performance.

Form: 2443

Winning Smut¹²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-8| J: S W Flanagan| T: M Hourigan| OR: 111

50/1

100/1, excellent third of 7 in minor event hurdle at Killarney (20f, good) 126 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Has work to do.

Form: 47-83

New Year Honours^t¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: J W Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 110| D

17/2

1 win from 3 runs this season. Good third of 10 in minor event hurdle at Bellewstown (17.2f, good, 5/1) 19 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut and she's of interest at the foot of the weights.

Form: 200-123

Mercury Mission⁴⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-6| J: S F O'Keeffe| T: M J O'Connor| OR: 109

22/1

Fairly useful maiden on the Flat. Third of 12 in novice hurdle at Galway (16.6f, soft, 66/1) 49 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut. RESERVE.

Form: 233

Weseekherthere^p¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-4| J: J C Gainford| T: G Elliott| OR: 107| D

40/1

Career best when winning 11-runner novice hurdle (3/1) at Bellewstown (20.4f, good) 19 days ago. Back down in trip. Makes handicap hurdle debut. RESERVE.

Form: 8-51341

Non-Runners

Sundial⁴⁵

Weight: 11-1| Age: 4

T: P Roche J: S D Torrens

The Lovely Man¹⁷

Weight: 10-13| Age: 4

T: Colm Murphy J: R J Condon

Forecasts

Samui (4/1), Boher Road (11/2), Jackpot De Choisel (7/1), New Year Honours (17/2), Common Practice (9/1), Flamborough (9/1), Sundial (10/1), Spy (10/1), Charlie Luciano (11/1), The Lovely Man (12/1), War Correspondent (16/1), Bojak (16/1), Metamorpheus (18/1), Dark Note (22/1), Shajak (22/1), Mercury Mission (22/1), Morning Soldier (28/1), Pont Audemer (33/1), Weseekherthere (40/1), Winning Smut (50/1)

COMMON PRACTICE ran in a couple of strong races last winter and back from a break with cheekpieces on for the first time, he could be ahead of his current mark. There's clearly plenty of depth to this race though, with The Lovely Man and the Gordon Elliott-trained pair Shajak and New Year Honours all potential threats.