16:50 Cork

Thursday 22 March 2018

All14:0014:3515:0515:4016:1516:5017:20

UCC Don't Step On The Crest Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 16:50 | Winning time: 6m 50.60s

Laid Back Luke^p²⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 11-8| J: Robbie Colgan| T: S Lavery| OR: 123

8/1

Loves Gowran Park and his mark has shot up following his victory there a month ago. Beaten since at Fairyhouse and this looks another stern test.

Form: 41-4P19

Shannak⁶⁷

Age: 10| Weight: 11-5| J: Danny Mullins| T: A Mullins| OR: 120| D

7/2

Fairyhouse specialist who was going well when coming down there at the second last in January. Handles testing ground and a reproduction of November's Nass fourth, behind the likes of Oscar Knight and Glenloe, would be more than good enough.

Form: 9-4456F

Shower Cross^h⁶⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: A McCurtin⁽⁵⁾| T: J J Walsh| OR: 117| D

7/2

Point-to-point winner and made a winning hurdling debut over an extended 2m3f at Limerick (heavy) in December. Improved on that effort in defeat next time, but needs to prove he stays this far on ground this soft.

Form: 167612

Twiss's Hill⁴³

Age: 9| Weight: 11-1| J: D N Russell| T: D H Kelly| OR: 116| D

12/1

Ran some good races in defeat over fences last autumn, but his last two efforts have been much poorer. Switches to hurdles with top rider booked, but still 12lb above his last winning hurdles mark.

Form: 42-2247

Captainofthefleet^p²⁸

Age: 11| Weight: 10-12| J: E O'Connell⁽⁷⁾| T: E O'Connell| OR: 113| CD

10/1

Popular veteran who is still plying his trade over timber and on the Flat. This looks a tall order on recent form shown.

Form: 0-0076F

Thekingofconnemara⁶⁵⁵

Age: 11| Weight: 10-12| J: D F O'Regan| T: S J Mahon| OR: 113| CD

33/1

Both his victories came in 2014 and he is likely to need this after an absence of almost two years.

Form: 00234/P-

Guided By You²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-6| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade| OR: 109| CD

4/1

Recorded a slow time when scoring over C&D on desperate ground in January. Has never been a fluent jumper and that has seen his limitations exposed on both starts since.

Form: 4120

Mick The Jiver^p¹²

Age: 8| Weight: 9-11| J: Phillip Enright| T: E O'Grady| OR: 98| D

3/1

Winner over fences on heavy ground a year ago, but far less effective over hurdles and his last run in this discipline should have earned him some leniency from the handicapper. Represents last year's winning trainer/jockey team.

Form: 1-08758

Non-Runners

Mary Frances¹⁴

Weight: 11-8| Age: 6

T: M Hassett J: A W Short

Cosmo's Moon¹

Weight: 10-13| Age: 5

T: R P McNamara J: R J Condon

Forecasts

Mary Frances (13/8), Mick The Jiver (3/1), Shower Cross (7/2), Shannak (7/2), Guided By You (4/1), Laid Back Luke (8/1), Captainofthefleet (10/1), Cosmo's Moon (10/1), Twiss's Hill (12/1), Thekingofconnemara (33/1)

Laid Back Luke, Mary Frances and Shower Cross have been in good form lately and that is reflected in their current marks. In contrast SHANNAK looks well-treated on his autumn fourth at Naas. He was in the process of running a big race before taking a tumble last time and this looks easier than his recent tests. Guided By You would be feared if his jumping has improved and Davy Russell looks an interesting booking for Twiss's Hill.