17:47 Ballinrobe

Friday 11 April 2025

All16:4017:1217:4718:1718:4719:1719:47

McGrath Limestone Works Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 17:47 | Winning time: 4m 11.1s

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Selected odds by:

Fiveonefive²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: J C Gainford| T: C Collins| OR: 130| D

10/1

Latest win in hurdle at Cartmel in June. Creditable 9¾ lengths fifth of 15 to Clarens in handicap hurdle (16/1) at Navan (16.2f, good to soft) in November but fell heavily on his return (from 4 months off) at Wexford 25 days ago. Others preferred.

Form: 61085F

Baltic Bird¹⁷⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Patrick M O'Brien⁽⁷⁾| T: W Durkan| OR: 125| C

9/2

Course winner. Latest win in hurdle here in May but produced a laboured effort when 8/1, seventh of 11 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (20f, good) 177 days ago. Needs to bounce back on his return.

Form: 07-1407

Extrapolation⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: D E Mullins| T: R O'Brien| OR: 123| BF| CD

15/8

C&D winner. Fairly useful winner at 17f in chases. Had a pipe-opener on the Flat when eighth of 14 in maiden at Gowran (9.6f, good to soft) 9 days ago, inadequate test. Claims on return to hurdles.

Form: 355-317

Glenashling^h²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 122| D

12/1

Lightly-raced and off the mark in a maiden at Downpatrick (16.9f) last month, having been awarded the race following interference. Travelled well that day and there could be more to come on handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 6081

Impero^p¹¹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Danny Gilligan| T: C Collins| OR: 121| D

4/1

Untrustworthy maiden on Flat completed a hat-trick for this yard in 2½m Musselburgh novice last November. Struggled from a higher mark in a Graded handicap hurdle the following month but merits plenty of respect back down in class.

Form: 0/21119

Presenting Lad^t¹⁸⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-12| J: Phillip Enright| T: M M McNiff| OR: 116| CD

28/1

C&D winner landed at hat-trick over fences/hurdles in the autumn but found his good form coming to a halt when 6/1, seventh of 9 in handicap hurdle at Tipperary (16.2f, good to soft). Not dismissed if firing on all cylinders after 6 months off.

Form: 311137

Pakens Rock²⁹

Age: 12| Weight: 10-10| J: Cian Quirke⁽³⁾| T: D Collins| OR: 114| D

10/1

Ran better than for a while when 12/1, second of 7 in handicap chase at Limerick (22.8f, good to soft) on stable debut last month. May have more on his plate back over hurdles over a sharper test.

Form: 20-5982

Flidais¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-5| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: J P Ryan| OR: 109| CD

5/1

C&D winner. 14/1, much improved when winning 14-runner novice chase at Clonmel (16.4f, good to soft) 15 days ago. Reverts to hurdles and can be competitive off this sort of mark.

Form: 528581

Non-Runners

Garrybello¹⁹⁶

Weight: 11-3| Age: 7

T: T Cooper J: Sam Ewing

Zoffanien⁴¹

Weight: 11-2| Age: 8

T: T O'Brien J: John Shinnick

Forecasts

Extrapolation (15/8), Impero (4/1), Baltic Bird (9/2), Flidais (5/1), Garrybello (8/1), Pakens Rock (10/1), Fiveonefive (10/1), Zoffanien (10/1), Glenashling (12/1), Presenting Lad (28/1)

IMPERO was progressive over hurdles earlier in the season and having been pitched in the deep end last time, he may be able to regain the winning thread back down in class. Zoffanien is on a long losing run but shaped as though he might be building up to something on his latest run, while Extrapolation should be spot on for this return to hurdles following a spin on the Flat 9 days ago.