14:50 Gowran Park

Saturday 23 June 2018

All13:4014:1514:5015:2515:5516:3017:1017:45

Kilkenny City & County Vintners Hurdle

Off time: 14:52 | Winning time: 3m 47.2s

Amschel³⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: J F O'Shea

8/1

Winner last month at Clonmel over longer trip on second start, drop in distance not a major concern and likely is going to have more to offer.

Form: 21

Conron²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: P D Kennedy⁽³⁾| T: Mrs J Harrington| D

4/1

Winning hurdles bow at Punchestown in May, since finished third at Ballinrobe (2m½f, good) and perfectly entitled to be in the mix again here.

Form: 13

Kuraka¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott| OR: 119| D

13/8

Clear winner of Limerick maiden hurdle (2m, heavy) in April, has run well since over timber and scored on the Flat at Leopardstown (1m5f, good to firm). Reverts to jumping and not hard to see him in firing line.

Form: 23316-

Chin'up¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Sean Flanagan| T: Miss E Doyle

25/1

Poor bumper form will have disappointed connections and nothing of encouragement in hurdles starts at Tramore and Roscommon so far. Watching brief.

Form: 46-578

Room To Roam¹³³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: K C Sexton| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 118

10/3

Has run with credit all three starts in maiden hurdles so far, all at 2m in soft/heavy going. Handles good to firm and chance he's going to appreciate this surface a bit more.

Form: 233-

Saga Altais¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Danny Mullins| T: A Mullins

50/1

Flat maiden, not threatened in two starts over timber so far, though appears to be leading his trade and not given a hard time either run. Can continue education.

Form: 5-0

Uncle Henry^t⁹²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| BF

6/1

Has shown useful form in five Flat outings on the AW at Dundalk (including a win and rate in 80s). Interesting recruit to this sphere for trainer that does well with such types.

Form:

Annie Iraya

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Donagh Meyler| T: Paul Power

100/1

Half-sister to plenty of winners. Dam was unraced. Bred for speed rather than jumping but market best guide on first outing.

Form:

Forecasts

Kuraka (13/8), Room To Roam (10/3), Conron (4/1), Uncle Henry (6/1), Amschel (8/1), Chin'up (25/1), Saga Altais (50/1), Annie Iraya (100/1)

Plenty in with chances in an open event. Uncle Henry is an interesting recruit off the AW having been low-mileage there and need paying attention for respected young handler. ROOM TO ROAM met some above-average sorts in his winter/spring campaign over timber and, with the prospect of decent ground improving his lot, he could well be up to taking this. Clonmel winner Amschel along with Conron and Kuraka can all be given some claims to getting in the scrap for honours.