17:05 Thurles

Saturday 24 March 2018

All14:1014:4515:2015:5516:3017:0517:40

Bill Dowling Memorial Handicap Hurdle (80-95)

Off time: 17:06 | Winning time: 6m 17.8s

Ballea Fox^t⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-11| J: D J McInerney⁽⁵⁾| T: S Spillane| OR: 94

6/5

Put a number of second-rate displays behind him when winning a handicap hurdle at Limerick last time out at 16/1 with Goodthynemilan 9L back in second. Up 9lb for the effort but not one to trust.

Form: 7-00U1

Seanathair^t1⁵³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Ricky Doyle⁽⁵⁾| T: I Madden| OR: 92

50/1

Moderate maiden hurdler who has shown next to nothing in three chases for a new yard this winter. Very little to be positive about.

Form: 0P0-PP7

The Grey Guy⁵

Age: 11| Weight: 11-7| J: P F Mangan| T: B O'Keeffe| OR: 89

8/1

Veteran duel winner over the trip and a winner on the ground Out of form in two starts since the turn of the year but worth a market check in the conditions and his third of 18 in this event last season.

Form: 03-5157

Coole Craft^b¹⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-6| J: Brian Hayes| T: R Donohoe| OR: 88| C

20/1

Has looked out of sorts recently in two handicap hurdles since a number of solid displays in December and January. Market likely to be the best guide here.

Form: 8322P6

Queen Khaleesi^p,t⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: D N Russell| T: P Neville| OR: 88

3/1

Beaten favourite last time out finishing fourth of 10 beaten 13L behind Ballymadun before unseating when in mid-division in a Limerick handicap hurdle earlier this week. Market should be informative for the 15-race maiden.

Form: 75324U

Foreign Bay^t1⁸⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: D F O'Regan| T: S J Mahon| OR: 86

28/1

Modest hurdler in two starts for previous yard and has not improved for new stable. requires a chunk of improvement needed to play a role here.

Form: 70-6405

Dundeedy Lad⁵⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Phillip Enright| T: R Tyner| OR: 86| BF

12/1

Well beaten and no impression in five starts this season including when backed in to favourite in a Gowran Park handicap hurdle in January beaten 99L. Hard to see him making any significant impact.

Form: 0-700F8

Select Opportunity^h⁹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: A W Short⁽⁵⁾| T: E Cawley| OR: 84

16/1

Fell on his first chase start when last seen in December coming from a 78-day break. Best watched back over hurdles returning from another long break.

Form: 462U2F

Marcelo^p1,t⁵⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 11-1| J: R P Treacy⁽⁵⁾| T: T Foley| OR: 83

25/1

Shown little so far including when pulled up on his first outing in over a year at Clonmel before a 52L defeat when last seen in January.

Form: 0/58-P6

Dawn Light Cave^t⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: D E Mullins| T: D Cullen| OR: 82

25/1

Beaten over 300L in just five hurdle starts since November the latest coming in a Limerick handicap hurdle earlier this week 43L behind Ballea Fox. Looks opposable.

Form: 1-09066

Do Be Doin'^p,t²⁷

Age: 10| Weight: 11-0| J: R Loughran| T: M Hassett| OR: 82| C

16/1

Has failed to finish in two of his last four starts over the larger obstacles. Course winner but rated a better chaser than hurdler so hard to construct much of a case for him in this company.

Form: 80U4B6

Frenchfort⁸⁶

Age: 11| Weight: 10-12| J: A J Flaherty⁽⁷⁾| T: V T O'Brien| OR: 80

66/1

Not shown much in five previous starts beaten a total of 367L and very hard to see him improving at his age.

Form: 000/08

Larkfield Lass⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: A E Lynch| T: R P Rath| OR: 80

12/1

Unable to halt an alarming slide in form since the turn of the year in four drab starts and well beaten in all. Needs to show significant improvement in this company.

Form: 035764

My Forever Friend^p1¹⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 10-12| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: J J Hanlon| OR: 80

16/1

Failed to build on a promising run here last month when finishing 99L adrift of Spancil Hill earlier this month at Gowran Park. First-time cheekpieces unlikely to bring about any improvement.

Form: 000/547

Forecasts

Ballea Fox (6/5), Queen Khaleesi (3/1), The Grey Guy (8/1), Larkfield Lass (12/1), Dundeedy Lad (12/1), Do Be Doin' (16/1), Select Opportunity (16/1), My Forever Friend (16/1), Coole Craft (20/1), Dawn Light Cave (25/1), Marcelo (25/1), Foreign Bay (28/1), Seanathair (50/1), Frenchfort (66/1)

Foreign Bay and My Forever Friend could tussle for the lead here in the early stages of this contest with Larkfield Lass, Coole Craft and Select Opportunity chasing in behind. Quite a few of these run well without winning but QUEEN KHALEESI can put the record straight here quickly turned out following a hiccup at Limerick earlier in the week.