14:20 Leopardstown

Friday 27 December 2024

All12:0512:3513:1013:4514:2015:0015:30

Spinal Injuries Ireland Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:20 | Winning time: 3m 53.8s

Settings

Selected odds by:

Best Years Yet^h¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: R A Doyle| T: M Brassil| OR: 141

80/1

20/1 and hooded, first run since leaving A. Chaille-Chaille when seventh of 8 in minor event hurdle at Punchestown (16.6f, soft) on Irish debut 17 days ago. Big step forward needed on this handicap bow.

Form: 32/1-7

Suprise Package²⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-6| J: Sam Ewing| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 135| D

28/1

Very good fourth of 13 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16.5f, good, 25/1) 26 days ago. Not without each-way hope.

Form: 166/1-U4

Enniskerry^t²⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 11-5| J: Sean Flanagan| T: B Connell| OR: 134| C| D

9/1

Good second of 13 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16.5f, good, 13/2) 26 days ago. One to consider.

Form: 1P/73-62

Ethical Diamond^h1¹⁸⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-3| J: M J M O'Sullivan| T: W P Mullins| OR: 132

11/1

Thrice-raced maiden over hurdles. Useful winner on the Flat. Fourth of 19 in handicap (7/4) at Royal Ascot (12f, good to firm). Switches from Flat to hurdles and very much of interest on his handicap debut in this sphere.

Form: 060-

Gaucher^h,t²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: D E Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 132| D

12/1

22/1, 9½ lengths sixth of 8 to Tounsivator in Royal Bond Novices' Hurdle at Fairyhouse (16.5f, good) 26 days ago. More needed now pitched into a handicap.

Form: 214216

Glan^p²⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-3| J: C P Millar⁽⁵⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 132| D

33/1

Good sixth of 13 in handicap hurdle (20/1) at Fairyhouse (16.5f, good) 26 days ago, left poorly placed. Cheekpieces on 1st time over jumps. Needs to raise her game a touch.

Form: 1P00-06

Pinot Gris^b,t⁴⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-3| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 132| C| D

6/1

Blinkered for 1st time, career best when winning 4-runner novice hurdle at Naas (16f, good to soft, 2/1) 47 days ago, hard held. Should have more to offer.

Form: 3431-21

Batman Girac^h,t²³⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-1| J: D A Jacob| T: W P Mullins| OR: 130| D

12/1

40/1, bit below form 9¼ lengths sixth of 10 to Kargese in Champion Juvenile Hurdle at Punchestown (16f, soft). Off 7 months but he could have a part to play if on-song and fully tuned-up for this.

Form: 1/74056-

Lark In The Mornin²³⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-1| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 130| BF| D

11/2

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. Successful at the Cheltenham Festival in March. 9/4, respectable fifth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Haydock (15.6f, good to firm), going in snatches. Off 7 months. Merits respect.

Form: 2631-5

Aeros Luck^h,t²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: J Kearney⁽³⁾| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 127| D

22/1

Seventeenth of 24 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (20.2f, good, 11/1) 27 days ago. Back down in trip. Others more persuasive.

Form: 168-320

Little Mixup^h1⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 10-10| J: D King| T: D Hogan| OR: 125| D

100/1

50/1, respectable tenth of 18 in handicap hurdle at Thurles (16.1f, good) 6 days ago. Hood on 1st time. Very hard to make a case for.

Form: 0UURP0

Special Cadeau²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-10| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 125

12/1

Creditable second of 25 in novice hurdle (12/1) at Fairyhouse (16f, good) 27 days ago, running on. Stable having good spell and each-way claims on this handicap debut. Yard also saddles Lieber Nicc.

Form: 8/442-42

Ballystone³⁸⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: B W Harvey| T: J C McConnell| OR: 123| D

80/1

Well-beaten last of 5 to Slade Steel in Navan Novices' Hurdle (80/1) at Navan (20f, heavy). Off 12 months ahead of this debut for new yard/handicap bow.

Form: 382/155-

Indiana Jones^p,t¹²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-8| J: G Brouder⁽³⁾| T: M F Morris| OR: 123| D

33/1

22/1, ninth of 10 in handicap hurdle at Killarney (17f, soft) 127 days ago. Others preferred.

Form: 409-079

Cappucino^h1,t1²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-5| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: Liz Doyle| OR: 120| D

25/1

Two wins from 3 runs this season. Twelfth of 13 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16.5f, good, 8/1) 26 days ago. Hood and tongue strap on 1st time. Uphill task.

Form: 236-110

Lieber Nicc⁵⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-4| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 119

11/2

Respectable fifth of 18 in handicap hurdle at Down Royal (16.9f, good to soft, 11/2) 55 days ago. Still early days for this 5-y-o and he has to enter calculations.

Form: 83-3125

Clarens^t⁴¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-3| J: A Harvey⁽⁵⁾| T: J P Flavin| OR: 118| D

20/1

9/1, career best when winning 15-runner handicap hurdle at Navan (16.2f, good to soft) 41 days ago. This is more demanding up 7 lb but he's a player all the same.

Form: 75-7551

Jacovec Cavern^h⁴⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-3| J: Conor Clarke⁽⁷⁾| T: E Mullins| OR: 118

6/1

Respectable eighth of 15 in handicap hurdle (22/1) at Cheltenham (16.4f, good to soft) 40 days ago. Worth a look.

Form: 60686/8

Metamorpheus^b1,t⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-1| J: Cian Quirke⁽⁵⁾| T: P Nolan| OR: 116| D

22/1

Tongue strap on for 1st time, below form 21¼ lengths eighth of 15 to Clarens in handicap hurdle (11/1) at Navan (16.2f, good to soft) 41 days ago. Blinkers on 1st time and needs to bounce back.

Form: 569/9-58

Non-Runners

Wee Charlie⁶

Weight: 10-8| Age: 7

T: Gerard O'Leary J: A P Kelly

Diamond Nora³⁸

Weight: 10-2| Age: 5

T: D Queally J: Philip Donovan

Forecasts

Lieber Nicc (11/2), Lark In The Mornin (11/2), Pinot Gris (6/1), Jacovec Cavern (6/1), Enniskerry (9/1), Ethical Diamond (11/1), Gaucher (12/1), Batman Girac (12/1), Special Cadeau (12/1), Diamond Nora (16/1), Clarens (20/1), Aeros Luck (22/1), Metamorpheus (22/1), Cappucino (25/1), Wee Charlie (25/1), Suprise Package (28/1), Indiana Jones (33/1), Glan (33/1), Ballystone (80/1), Best Years Yet (80/1), Little Mixup (100/1)

Cases can be made for any number of these but few arrive here in better form than WEE CHARLIE, who has sprouted wings since joining this yard and the way he went through the race when runner-up at Thurles recently strongly suggested that he is still ahead of his mark. Unexposed trio Diamond Nora, Ethical Diamond and Pinot Gris are all feared (in that order of preference), while Enniskerry and Lieber Nicc are also appealing. Jacovec Cavern hails from a shrewd yard and needs a second look, too.