12:00 Navan

Saturday 9 December 2023

All12:0012:3213:0713:4214:1714:5215:25

Mervyn Gray Construction Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 12:00 | Winning time: 4m 32.6s

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Selected odds by:

Al Kalila²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Brian Hayes| T: S R B Crawford

50/1

Twice-raced maiden. 7/2, fourth of 13 in bumper at Kelso (16.2f, soft) 28 days ago, running on. Makes hurdles debut. Respected.

Form: 34

Big Tom

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: B P Kennedy⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs M Whelehan

250/1

€3,500 3-y-o, Sageburg gelding. Dam modest 2m hurdle winner out of 2m-2¾m hurdle winner (stayed 3m) Annadot.

Form:

Butcher Hollow⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Sean Flanagan| T: T Cooper| D

5/2

Fairly useful winner at 16f in bumpers. 11/4, won 9-runner bumper at Galway (16.4f, heavy) on NH debut 42 days ago, travelling strongly. Makes hurdles debut. Considered.

Form: 1-1

Earlofbrackenstown¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: C D Maxwell| T: G P Cromwell

250/1

Twice-raced maiden. Tenth of 13 in novice hurdle (100/1) at Cork (16f, heavy) 13 days ago.

Form: 00

Fernhill Fling³⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: P J O'Hanlon⁽³⁾| T: P J Rothwell

200/1

Once-raced maiden. 80/1, sixth of 11 in bumper at Thurles (16.1f, soft) on NH debut 37 days ago. Makes hurdles debut.

Form: 6

Jacenry¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: B W Harvey⁽³⁾| T: D Harvey

250/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. Tenth of 19 in novice hurdle at Punchestown (19.4f, soft, 250/1) 14 days ago.

Form: 0000

Jack Du Large²²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: J S McGarvey| T: G Elliott

50/1

Promising type. Fifth of 12 in novice hurdle at Wexford (20f, heavy, 8/1) on NH debut 22 days ago. Likely to improve.

Form: 5

Jasko Des Dames^t1²⁶⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead

4/1

Won 11-runner bumper at Lignieres (11.9f, good to soft) by 3 lengths from Jigoro. Off 8 months. Makes hurdles debut. First run for yard after leaving Mlle D. Mele. Wears tongue strap. Interesting.

Form:

Jigoro³⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott

5/2

Promising sort. First run since leaving E. D'andigne when second of 18 in novice hurdle (4/1) at Cork (16f, soft) on IRE NH debut 34 days ago, travelling best. The one to beat.

Form: 2

Juke Box Rock⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Kieren Buckley⁽³⁾| T: G P Cromwell

250/1

Thrice-raced maiden. 200/1, eleventh of 16 in novice hurdle at Thurles (16.5f, good to soft) 9 days ago.

Form: 000

Lieber Nicc

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: M P O'Connor⁽³⁾| T: H De Bromhead

18/1

€45,000 3-y-o, Champs Elysees gelding. Dam unraced half-sister to useful hurdler/smart chaser (stayed 2¾m) Mount Colah. Yard in good form so not ruled out on hurdling bow.

Form:

Milo Lises²²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins

15/8

Once-raced maiden. Second of 16 in bumper (10/1) at Punchestown (16.4f, good to soft) on NH debut, going with enthusiasm. Off 7 months. Makes hurdles debut. Yard in good form. Well in the mix.

Form: 2-

Next Stop Paris

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Keith Donoghue| T: Peter Fahey

28/1

€58,000 3-y-o, Westerner gelding. Half-brother to useful hurdler/smart chaser Jetoile. Market can guide.

Form:

Ossie's Lodge⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: A P Heskin| T: A J Martin

33/1

Lightly-raced winner under NH rules. 1 win from 2 runs this season. Very good eighth of 24 in novice hurdle (66/1) at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) 7 days ago. Shortlisted.

Form: 83-18

Paddy's Milestone²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: P J Carberry| T: S R B Crawford

66/1

Once-raced maiden. 40/1, seventh of 19 in novice hurdle at Down Royal (16.9f, soft) on NH debut 28 days ago. Can build on it.

Form: 7-7

Ragmans Corner⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: K C Sexton| T: G Keane

250/1

Once-raced maiden. Unseated rider 1st in novice hurdle at Thurles (16.5f, good to soft, 100/1) on NH debut 9 days ago.

Form: U

Royal Time^t²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Donagh Meyler| T: S Crawley

250/1

Once-raced maiden. 80/1 and tongue strap on, twelfth of 19 in novice hurdle at Down Royal (16.9f, soft) on NH debut 28 days ago.

Form: 0

Spatman De Cerisy¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: J C Gainford| T: P Nolan

125/1

Once-raced maiden. Seventh of 19 in novice hurdle (80/1) at Punchestown (19.4f, soft) on NH debut 14 days ago. Needs to build on it.

Form: 7

Tell Us This¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Ricky Doyle| T: G P Cromwell

200/1

Twice-raced maiden. 66/1, eighth of 13 in novice hurdle at Cork (16f, heavy) 13 days ago.

Form: 08

Walk The Warrior³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: D E Mullins| T: Ms M Mullins

40/1

Once-raced maiden. 12/1, ninth of 16 in bumper at Punchestown (16f, good to soft) on NH debut. Off 7 months. Makes hurdles debut. No forlorn hope.

Form: 9-5

Without Exception⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: C Owens⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Rothwell

250/1

Thrice-raced maiden. Twenty first of 24 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft, 200/1) 7 days ago.

Form: 000

Little Hero¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: C L Walsh⁽⁷⁾| T: Paul Mulligan

250/1

Twice-raced maiden under NH rules. Thirteenth of 19 in novice hurdle at Punchestown (19.4f, soft, 250/1) on hurdles bow 14 days ago.

Form: 0-0

Meoulflower²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: P Cluskey

250/1

Twice-raced maiden. Tenth of 15 in novice hurdle at Down Royal (22.5f, soft, 300/1) 29 days ago. Down in trip.

Form: F0

Missy Mu

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Phillip Enright| T: S Crawley

250/1

Mount Nelson filly. Half-sister to modest 21f hurdle winner Huckleberry Rock. Dam (h125) bumper/2m hurdle winner (stayed 2½m).

Form:

Tankardstown Diva^h¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: E Walsh⁽³⁾| T: Ian Donoghue

150/1

Thrice-raced maiden under NH rules. 100/1 and hooded for 1st time, ninth of 15 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (20.2f, heavy) on hurdles bow 15 days ago. Back down in trip.

Form: F-479

The Great Unknown²³⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: H De Bromhead

20/1

€100,000 3-y-o, Walk In The Park filly. Dam unraced half-sister to useful hurdler/high-class chaser (stayed 3m) Coney Island. Stable in good form. Considered.

Form: 3-

Forecasts

Milo Lises (15/8), Jigoro (5/2), Butcher Hollow (5/2), Jasko Des Dames (4/1), Lieber Nicc (18/1), The Great Unknown (20/1), Next Stop Paris (28/1), Ossie's Lodge (33/1), Walk The Warrior (40/1), Al Kalila (50/1), Jack Du Large (50/1), Paddy's Milestone (66/1), Spatman De Cerisy (125/1), Tankardstown Diva (150/1), Tell Us This (200/1), Fernhill Fling (200/1), Meoulflower (250/1), Jacenry (250/1), Ragmans Corner (250/1), Juke Box Rock (250/1), Missy Mu (250/1), Big Tom (250/1), Without Exception (250/1), Royal Time (250/1), Little Hero (250/1), Earlofbrackenstown (250/1)

JIGORO made a promising start for Gordon Elliott when runner-up in a big-field Cork novice and can go one better now with a fair bit of improvement on the cards from this ex-French recruit. Willie Mullins' hurdling newcomer Milo Lises could emerge as the chief threat, although Henry de Bromhead's duo Jasko des Dames and The Great Unknown can have a say too. Butcher Hollow completes the shortlist.