14:05 Galway

Tuesday 9 October 2018

All14:0514:4015:1515:4516:1516:5017:20

Mervue Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 14:05 | Winning time: 4m 38.3s

Avec Espoir^h⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Phillip Enright| T: V T O'Brien

100/1

Well held in a couple of maiden hurdles recently and nothing of note in five dismal career efforts to date and unlikely to play a part in the finish here.

Form: F0-970

Bakmaj^t²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Keith Donoghue| T: A Fleming

2/1

Produced a couple of rock solid performances in maiden hurdles since returning to action in June following over a year on the sidelines. Will look to improve here.

Form: 210/32

Ballon Onabudget¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: K J Brouder⁽⁷⁾| T: D E Fitzgerald

100/1

Arcadio gelding, picked up for €1,300. Little impression on debut at Navan in a Maiden hurdle last month.

Form: 0

Captain Doran^t1¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: G N Fox| T: S J Mahon

100/1

Well down the field in a number of dismal starts to date. First time tongue-tie unlikely to bring about the required amount of improvement needed to play a role here.

Form: 890

Crimson Chief²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: M A Enright| T: J Morrison

66/1

Never nearer in a couple of career starts to date on the level and over hurdles. Plenty to find here.

Form: 159

Flattothemat^t²²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: D F O'Regan| T: S J Mahon

100/1

11-race maiden; absent since competing over hurdles for Kieran Purcell at Clonmel in September 2017 before returning to action on the beach at Laytown. Well beaten again since and others preferred.

Form: 88-6

Kilchreest Moon

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: A W Short⁽³⁾| T: B T Murphy

100/1

Gelding by Moon Ballad out of a Teamster mare. Sire not exactly setting the bloodstock world alight as yet and best watched on debut.

Form:

Live Every Day²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr S Cavanagh⁽⁷⁾| T: J J Walsh

66/1

Ask gelding. Dam modest maiden hurdler. Promising fourth of 13 beaten over 12l on debut at Listowel last month. Open to improvement here.

Form: 4

Momus¹⁵⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: N Meade

8/1

Shaped as if a drop in trip would suit when weakening into fourth in a point-to-point at Dromahane in March before a 25L defeat in a Leopardstown maiden hurdle in December. Won a Roscommon bumper when last seen in May. More progress possible.

Form: 4/9-1

Steel Cap^h²²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott| D

20/1

Craigsteel gelding is a brother to fairly useful hurdler Graineyhill and half-brother to bumper winner Incas Article. Well held when never nearer fifth of 15 in a 2m Galway maiden hurdle last month. Could appreciate step up in trip.

Form: 15

Amber And Black²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: A McCurtin⁽³⁾| T: J J Walsh

50/1

Daughter of Oscar out of a Shernazar mare. Half-sister to recent winner, Quick Grabim. Likely to improve on debut run at Listowel when seventh of 14 last month.

Form: 7

Diamond Hill²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| BF| C

5/2

Won at the Galway festival on the Flat over 1m4f before finishing fourth of 11 on hurdling debut at Listowel last month. Should make his presence felt here.

Form: 15-44

Ourbitontheside²²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: A E Lynch| T: J T R Dreaper

100/1

Daughter of Mahler out of a Danehill Dancer mare. Half-sister to winners Sutton Place, Ok Coral and Grade 2 runner up Ms Parfois. Well beaten on hurdling debut at Galway last month. Plenty to prove here.

Form: 0

Sancta Simona^t²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: B J Geraghty| T: W P Mullins| BF

5/2

Purchased by leading owner following an impressive 11L demolition of an eight-runner field at Kilbeggan in May. Well held at Listowel recently but market likely to reveal expectation on hurdling debut.

Form: 2-13

Suinda²²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Mr A McMahon⁽⁷⁾| T: W P Mullins

12/1

Will have disappointed connections in three gloomy maiden hurdle spins to date and it is hard to see him making any significant impact here today.

Form: 3-1543

Non-Runners

Fortune Street²⁸⁷

Weight: 11-12| Age: 5

T: P Nolan J: B J Cooper

Forecasts

Bakmaj (2/1), Sancta Simona (5/2), Diamond Hill (5/2), Momus (8/1), Suinda (12/1), Steel Cap (20/1), Fortune Street (20/1), Amber And Black (50/1), Crimson Chief (66/1), Live Every Day (66/1), Kilchreest Moon (100/1), Flattothemat (100/1), Ballon Onabudget (100/1), Avec Espoir (100/1), Ourbitontheside (100/1), Captain Doran (100/1)

Trainer Willie Mullins holds a number of keys to the winner of the opener here and his J P McManus-owned SANCTA SIMONA is taken to get off the mark on hurdling debut here from stablemates, Suinda, who is expected to improve sooner rather than later and Galway festival winner on the Flat, Diamond Hill. The Barry Connell-owned Bakmaj and Noel Meade's Momus are deserving of consideration.