14:05 Naas

Tuesday 16 April 2024

All13:3014:0514:4015:1515:5016:2517:00

Daragh Fitzpatrick Bookmakers Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:05 | Winning time: 4m 14.8s

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Selected odds by:

Answering³¹

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr D Doyle⁽⁷⁾| T: T Doyle| OR: 116| D

15/2

Career best when winning 18-runner maiden hurdle at Thurles (15.9f, heavy, 11/10) 31 days ago, always holding on. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Respected.

Form: 856221

Clarens¹⁰⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: J W Kennedy| T: J P Flavin| OR: 116| BF| D

12/1

7/2, well-held seventh of 9 in handicap hurdle at Tramore (16.8f, heavy) 106 days ago. Booking of Kennedy catches the eye and he'll be a player if back to the form he showed when second at Navan in December.

Form: 6302P7

Ebasari^t²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: D J Gilligan⁽⁵⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 116| D

11/1

Fell in handicap hurdle at Cork (20f, heavy, 18/1) 26 days ago. Respectable fourth at Navan prior to that.

Form: F-8P54F

Soldante^t⁸⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: E Walsh| T: Ciaran Murphy| OR: 116| D

12/1

Winner in hurdle at Tramore in November. Fifth of 6 in novice hurdle at Down Royal (17.2f, heavy, 9/2) 84 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Others more persuasive.

Form: 525-135

Wajaaha^p²⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: L A McKenna⁽⁵⁾| T: P J McKenna| OR: 116| D

50/1

66/1, ninth of 11 in handicap at Dundalk (12f) 25 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Fairly useful hurdler, respectable on last hurdle run.

Form: 0-50460

Construct^t⁷⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: B W Harvey| T: J C McConnell| OR: 114| D

150/1

Fair winner at 16f on flat. Visored for 1st time, eleventh of 14 in handicap at Dundalk (10.7f, 66/1) 76 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Down in trip. Pulled up over fences at Sedgefield on latest jumps start.

Form: 740/8-2P

Johngus¹⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr S Tobin⁽⁷⁾| T: S Aherne| OR: 109| D

16/1

Latest win in hurdle at Limerick in December. Eleventh of 15 in handicap hurdle at Cork (16f, heavy, 7/1) 15 days ago.

Form: 7-17540

Tempo Chapter Two^b⁵¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: K C Sexton| T: P W Flynn| OR: 107| D

28/1

Sixteen runs since last win in 2022. 80/1, eleventh of 16 in handicap hurdle at this course (15.6f, heavy) 51 days ago.

Form: 425U90

Cheerful Chap^p²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: J P O'Sullivan⁽³⁾| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 103

4/1

First run since leaving N. Dooly when good second of 20 in handicap hurdle (33/1) at Cork (20f, heavy) 26 days ago. Considered.

Form: 0-70542

Upthereforthinking¹²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: C Stone-Walsh⁽⁵⁾| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 99

5/1

Respectable sixth of 16 in handicap hurdle (5/1) at Navan (20f, heavy) 121 days ago, needing stronger gallop. Remains lightly raced for a good stable.

Form: 469466

Verbal Sparring¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-5| J: J J Slevin| T: D McDonogh| OR: 93

9/2

8/1, not seen to best effect (all but came down fifth) when respectable sixth of 25 in handicap hurdle at this course (16f, soft) 12 days ago. Had been shaping up well prior to that. Might prove the answer.

Form: 0282F6

Red Striker¹²

Age: 9| Weight: 10-1| J: K Callaghan⁽⁵⁾| T: J Barcoe| OR: 89| D

9/2

33/1, creditable third of 25 in handicap hurdle at this course (16f, soft) 12 days ago. Enters calculations.

Form: 083953

Mullins Cross²⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 10-0| J: Sam Ewing| T: J J Hanlon| OR: 85| D

33/1

Latest win in hurdle at Bangor in December. Fifth of 7 in handicap hurdle (9/1) at Bangor (16.7f, heavy) 24 days ago.

Form: 100455

Forecasts

Cheerful Chap (4/1), Verbal Sparring (9/2), Red Striker (9/2), Upthereforthinking (5/1), Answering (15/2), Ebasari (11/1), Clarens (12/1), Soldante (12/1), Johngus (16/1), Tempo Chapter Two (28/1), Mullins Cross (33/1), Wajaaha (50/1), Construct (150/1)

VERBAL SPARRING had an excuse last time and had been knocking on the door in similar company prior to that so he gets the nod. Recent course third Red Striker is next on the list ahead of Cheerful Chap who made a positive start for new trainer Philip Rothwell when second at Cork last month. Last-time-out Thurles maiden winner Answering also makes the shortlist.