Costello & McDermott Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 18:35 | Winning time: 6m 23.2s

Difficult Decision¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: B Browne⁽⁵⁾| T: O McKiernan

33/1

Second in a point-to-point last year, no immediate promise on first start for yard last month and we won't see the best of this one until getting more of a trip and fences.

Form: F2/9-

Hugo 'n Taz^t¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: D G Hogan| T: D Hogan| BF

6/4

Banging the door down and only just denied victory at Fairyhouse on latest start. Drop back in trip here no issue at all, handles the ground and has been handed another golden opportunity to get off the mark.

Form: 343322

It's Frightening

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: J P O'Sullivan⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Rothwell

40/1

Pedigree hardly screams "winner first time" and yard not known for winners in this sphere. Not hard to look elsewhere for the winner.

Form:

Our Dark Horse⁷⁰³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Phillip Enright| T: Eamon Courtney

16/1

Placed in a couple of good ground point-to-points but that was back in 2016 and hes not been seen since. Hard to make a solid case for after such a long absence.

Form: 42/

Touch Base¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Mark Walsh| T: G Elliott

1/1

Looks one of the two to concentrate on after a good effort at Tramore last time out, staying on well and just denied in a three-way finish. Every chance of going two better here, with improvement likely.

Form: 03-

Le Hachette¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: C Brassil⁽⁵⁾| T: J P Ryan| OR: 84

14/1

Cork effort last October the best of her four to date and it's one that gives her claims to third spot here if she can reproduce it after a break. Plenty to find to trouble the top two, however.

Form: 8569-4

Forecasts

Touch Base (1/1), Hugo 'n Taz (6/4), Le Hachette (14/1), Our Dark Horse (16/1), Difficult Decision (33/1), It's Frightening (40/1)

This looks to be between Hugo 'n Taz and TOUCH BASE on all we know, and there shouldn't be much between them. Preference is just for the latter, who takes in this event rather than the opener, presumably as this trip should suit better. He can improve past Hugo 'n Taz, doing nothing wrong at present and for whom a win at some point looks a given. Le Hatchette may be the one for the trifecta.