14:25 Leopardstown

Thursday 28 December 2017

All12:1512:5013:2013:5014:2515:0015:35

Ballymaloe Foods Flat Race

Off time: 14:26 | Winning time: 4m 12.0s

Buck A Trend²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr D L Queally⁽³⁾| T: J Dullea

16/1

Still held chances when unseating rider late on in a point-to-point at Ballindensik (soft-to-heavy) earlier this month. Worth a check in the market on rules debut.

Form: U

Eagle Crag

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr J C Barry⁽⁵⁾| T: J G Murphy

40/1

Unraced son of Azamour purchased for 25,000 gns as a yearling at the sales in October 2013. Half-brother to useful Flat horse Imperial Concorde and interesting to see how he fares on debut.

Form:

Voix Des Tiep³¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr P W Mullins| T: W P Mullins| BF

9/10

Sent off favourite prior to finishing a good second in a bumper held over C&D on soft ground on debut back in February. A repeat of that effort should see him prove hard to beat in this contest.

Form: 2-

Active Force²⁶³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: Ms N Carberry| T: N Meade

6/1

Made an impressive start to his career when winning a point-to-point on yielding-to-soft ground at Courtown in April. Purchased for £165,000 at the sales subsequently and he is one for the shortlist on rules debut.

Form: 1-

Advantage Point

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: Mr M J O'Hare⁽⁵⁾| T: E P Harty

33/1

Unraced son of Germany out of a mare who is an unraced half-sister to a point-to-point winner. Probably best watched for a stable who are 0/31 with their bumper runners in recent seasons.

Form:

Alighted

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: Mr B O'Neill| T: J P O'Brien

16/1

Unraced Getaway gelding purchased for €50,000 as a store horse at the sales in June last year. Half-brother to rules winner Teddy Tee and represents a leading yard on debut.

Form:

Nearly Man

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: Mr J J Codd| T: G Elliott

12/1

Unraced son of Turgeon purchased for €70,000 in June last year. Half-brother to useful French jumps horses La Symphonie and Au Combat and one for the shortlist for leading connections.

Form:

Speaker Connolly²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: R Deegan⁽⁷⁾| T: A Fleming

20/1

Decent effort in finishing fifth in a 25 runner maiden hurdle over 2m2f at Fairyhouse (soft) on debut earlier this month. Worth a check in the market on his first start in bumpers.

Form: 5

Sweat Equity^t1

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: Ben Harvey⁽⁷⁾| T: J C McConnell

66/1

Unraced Acclamation gelding cost €60,000 as a yearling in 2014. Dam is an unraced half-sister to a number of useful Flat performers and he wears a tongue tie for today's racecourse debut.

Form:

Take Five⁴⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: Mr J P Berry⁽⁷⁾| T: J A Berry

50/1

Finished well beaten in a point-to-point and a Grade 3 novice hurdle so far. Probably best watched on this occasion.

Form: 5-6

Whisperinthebreeze⁶⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: Miss K Harrington⁽³⁾| T: Mrs J Harrington

6/1

Impressive winner of a point-to-point at Tinahely (yielding-to-soft) on debut back in October. Making his rules debut for a leading stable today.

Form: 1

Young Wolf

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: Ms K Walsh| T: Ms M Mullins

11/2

Unraced son of Vinnie Roe and a half-brother to Grade 2 winning hurdle Neon Wolf. Stable can boast an 18% strike-rate (17/96) in bumpers in recent years and market support would be interesting on racecourse debut.

Form:

Worth The Wait

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr T Reilly⁽⁷⁾| T: J C McConnell

66/1

Unraced daughter of Gold Well cost €14,000 at the sales in June 2015. Dam unraced and probably best watched on debut.

Form:

Non-Runners

Whatchamacallit

Weight: 11-11| Age: 4

T: J P O'Brien J: Mr D O'Connor

Forecasts

Voix Des Tiep (9/10), Young Wolf (11/2), Active Force (6/1), Whisperinthebreeze (6/1), Whatchamacallit (8/1), Nearly Man (12/1), Alighted (16/1), Buck A Trend (16/1), Speaker Connolly (20/1), Advantage Point (33/1), Eagle Crag (40/1), Take Five (50/1), Worth The Wait (66/1), Sweat Equity (66/1)

With all the big stables represented this looks likely to prove a highly competitive affair and having won the race twice in the last three seasons this contest can again go the way of Willie Mullins with his VOIX DES TIEP taken to get off the mark at the second attempt today. The selection ran well on debut in the spring and can see off the Gordon Elliott-trained Nearly Man who held plenty of engagements this week and is a close relative of a couple of useful jumps horses in France. Point-to-point winner Active Force can put that experience to good use by claiming third on his rules debut.