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Off time: 16:10 | Winning time: 4m 7.3s

Duca De Thaix^t¹⁷⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| D

6/4

Grade 3 hurdles winner at Limerick (2m, heavy) in December but could make no impact in valuable handicaps at the spring festivals. Quickly put to fences, and claims for all his best form has come on testing ground.

Form: 416090-

Kildorrery^h²³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: M J Stenson⁽⁷⁾| T: T M Walsh| D

10/1

Won a weak novice hurdle at Kilbeggan last month, and ran at least as well when fifth of 16 to Try Again on handicap debut at Navan last time. No easy task on chase debut based on hurdles rating,

Form: 168-715

Mr Picotee^p,t⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: A E Lynch| T: V Halley| OR: 118| D

33/1

Best recent effort over hurdles when fourth of 10 to Ingleby Mackenzie at Tramore in August, but he's run poorly since, and make limited appeal back over fences (0-8 in this sphere).

Form: 230400

My Manekineko²⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: A W Short⁽³⁾| T: J Nash| D

25/1

A five-time winner earlier in his career on Flat/over hurdles, but struggling for form at present, and this belated switch to fences (on 59th career start) looks a bit of a gamble.

Form: 29/9-P02

Trainwreck²⁵⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| D

4/5

Won a decent handicap at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting and better than result on subsequent outing there in Grade 1 company. Type to make a better chaser, and sure to be well schooled.

Form: 2/61210-

Non-Runners

Us And Them²¹⁷

Weight: 11-12| Age: 5

T: J P O'Brien J: D N Russell

Forecasts

Trainwreck (4/5), Duca De Thaix (6/4), Us And Them (11/4), Kildorrery (10/1), My Manekineko (25/1), Mr Picotee (33/1)

This has the look of a match between exciting prospects TRAINWRECK and Us And Them, and the former is preferred on the basis that he's likely to be fully clued up on chase debut. Us And Them beat the selection over hurdles here last season, so will not be an easy opponent to brush aside. Duca de Thaix is clear pick of the others.