15:05 Gowran Park

Saturday 6 October 2018

All13:2513:5514:3015:0515:4016:1516:5017:25

Kilkenny Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle (Grade B)

Off time: 15:05 | Winning time: 5m 35.2s

Neverushacon^p,t²⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-10| J: R M Power| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 129| C

14/1

Course winner over 2m, has scored over hurdles and fences this year, though two most recent jumps starts have been poor. Comes here off positive Flat run last month, has stamina question to answer.

Form: 82-1109

Deor²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-7| J: Darragh O'Keeffe⁽⁷⁾| T: J E Kiely| OR: 126

13/2

Easily a career-best when scoring decisively at Listowel (2m4f, soft) last month. Raised 10lb and goes up in trip now, there could still be more to come.

Form: 00-8U41

Easy Gold^p1²³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-6| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 125| D

12/1

Lightly-race maiden winner over 3m at Bellewstown in July, was patiently ridden and found little on when pulled up on handicap bow at Listowel (3m, soft) last month. Represents top yard and should prove better than that.

Form: 5-31P

Small World^b⁷⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 10-3| J: D J Mullins| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 122| D

16/1

Winner on most recent start in a Ballinrobe handicap hurdle (2m6f, good), landing the prize in good style running out by 6½L from the front end. Raised 8lb for the win and could find life tougher. Pulled up over C&D in June.

Form: 216-0P1

Kilcarry Bridge^t²³

Age: 11| Weight: 10-2| J: Donagh Meyler| T: J P Ryan| OR: 121| CD

7/1

Former C&D scorer is now racking up a losing sequence (stands at 14) and recent efforts over hurdles haven't suggested an end is in sight.

Form: 6-07028

Fred The Foot^t¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-1| J: M J Bolger| T: J C McConnell| OR: 120| D

7/2

Improving sort, back-to-back wins at Down Royal and Clonmel (3m, yielding to soft) illustrating his progress. Up another 7lb on back of that latest score, likely not got to the bottom of him yet.

Form: 755-411

High Nellie¹³

Age: 8| Weight: 10-1| J: Brian Hayes| T: M J Bowe| OR: 120| D

25/1

Mare scored over this trip at Limerick in July, though she was all out to do so, hasn't matched that form in three starts since from this new mark and seems likely to find a few too strong again.

Form: 2P1384

Pass The Ball⁴⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 10-0| J: N P Madden| T: N Madden| OR: 119| D

12/1

Enjoying a good season, with two hurdles win at up to 2m4½f and a Flat success. Held at Sligo last time off this mark, goes up in trip here and point-to-form suggest he'll stay the distance.

Form: 14-9113

Hey Little Boy^b²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-12| J: Danny Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 117| BF

7/1

No win over hurdles since Tramore maiden (2m5f, good) in August last year, fell over this C&D earlier in the summer and has a bit to prove from this rating but in great hands and tries blinkers for the first in this code after positive Flat run.

Form: 50-5F35

Nobody Home⁴⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 9-10| J: Phillip Enright| T: E Cawley| OR: 115| D

25/1

Novice hurdle winner at Fairyhouse (2m4f, soft to heavy) in April, disappointing in August outing at Sligo however and plenty more needed here.

Form: 4514-79

Randalls Ur Poet²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-10| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: S Fahey| OR: 121

8/1

Placed in nine of his 12 starts over timber, including in some good novice events last year, made the frame at Listowel (2m, soft) last month but well held and this is a deal tougher.

Form: 3232-33

Rolanna^p¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 9-10| J: A W Short⁽³⁾| T: W J Martin| OR: 115

12/1

Unbeaten in two starts over timber this season, winning at Cork and Navan (2m6f, good to firm) latest. Makes handicap debut here and likely has improvement to find to continue winning ways.

Form: 3369-11

Rightdownthemiddle^p¹⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 9-10| J: M A Enright| T: G Elliott| OR: 115| D

14/1

Ready winner over 3m at Perth in July on previous hurdles start, went well back there last time over fences and should be competitive now taking advantage of lower hurdles rating back on home soil.

Form: 0P0-172

Steel Wave²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 9-10| J: Robbie Colgan| T: W P Mullins| OR: 115

12/1

Modest efforts over fences this summer since scoring in beginners contest at Kilbeggan (2m4f, soft) in May. Reverts to hurdles here and doesn't make big appeal no recent form.

Form: 14B546

Non-Runners

De Plotting Shed¹⁷

Weight: 11-10| Age: 8

T: G Elliott J: Liam McKenna

Forecasts

Fred The Foot (7/2), Deor (13/2), Kilcarry Bridge (7/1), Hey Little Boy (7/1), Randalls Ur Poet (8/1), De Plotting Shed (10/1), Pass The Ball (12/1), Steel Wave (12/1), Rolanna (12/1), Easy Gold (12/1), Neverushacon (14/1), Rightdownthemiddle (14/1), Small World (16/1), Nobody Home (25/1), High Nellie (25/1)

FRED THE FOOT has a chunky rise to defy for his Down Royal success but he appears to be on the improve with each start. There may well be more to come upped to 3m and it seems unlikely that we've seen his best stuff just yet. Easy Gold, one of a trio for the champion trainer in this, is a distance winner and will surely leave his disappointing handicap bow at Listowel behind. Deor comes here off a career-best win and is another with potentially more to offer while Rightdownthemiddle is on a workable mark back on Irish shores.