13:10 Gowran Park

Saturday 24 November 2018

All11:3512:0512:3513:1013:4514:2014:5515:30

Ladbrokes Novice Hurdle

4YO only | 2m | 12 Runners | Turf | Weighed In

Off time: 13:10 | Winning time: 3m 56.70s

Epswell⁴⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: Ruby Walsh| T: W P Mullins

7/1

Winner on debut in a Sligo maiden hurdle over 2m4f in August on hurdles bow, quickly dropped out at Galway (2m½f, yielding) only start since. Represents top firm, remains with potential.

Form: 532-1P

Kuraka¹⁵⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G Elliott| OR: 119| BF| D

25/1

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). Beaten favourite over C&D in June when last spotted.

Form: 23316-6

Satoshi⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott

9/1

Awarded a 2m6f Punchestown maiden hurdle last weekend having finished second in full-blooded three-way go for the line. That was improved form off a break, interesting to see how he goes now dropped to 2m.

Form: 9-1

Buttons And Bows²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: J S McGarvey| T: P J Flynn| D

12/1

Filly by Flemensfirth out of a Galileo mare. Won a 24-runner Cork maiden hurdle over this trip on debut this month having gone off 25/1, sticking on well after coming under pressure, should improve.

Form: 1

Challow^v²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: A E Lynch| T: T G McCourt

25/1

Running well without success finishing runner-up on a number of occasions earlier in the season. Just 1L down in fourth in 2m Cork maiden won by Buttons And Bows on return, entitled to get involved.

Form: 634

De Mazzaro^h1,t²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: C D Maxwell| T: T G McCourt

50/1

Outran odds of 66/1 on hurdling bow at Cork recently in finishing, though will have to take a step forward on that to get by the likes of Buttons And Bows (first) and Challow (fourth).

Form: 5

Edelweis De L'aube²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: Sarah Kavanagh⁽⁷⁾| T: P A Fahy

100/1

Spirit One gelding out of a Northern Crystal mare related to multiple point-to-point winner Monsieur Gibraltar. Wide-margin defeats in three bumpers and hard to make case for here.

Form: 00-9

Entoucas⁴¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: Mark Walsh| T: J P O'Brien

9/2

Network gelding, scored cosily on sole point-to-point outing. That was more than 400 days ago but does need close look on rules bow for trainer/jockey in excellent form.

Form: 1-

Falco De Candale Aa

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead

16/1

Walk In The Park gelding. Half-brother to French hurdler/chaser up to 2m5f Bimbo de Candale. Dam French 2m hurdle winner.

Form:

Inca Gold⁵⁸⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| BF

25/1

Son of Galileo, didn't really match expectations in three 2017 Flat runs for Ballydoyle, re-emerges here for jumps career and one of two in the field for Joseph O'Brien. Market check needed.

Form:

Percy B Shelley⁵³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade

28/1

Ten-race maiden on the Flat and has regressed. Makes first foray into this sphere and, while trainer has been having good season, probably best watched today.

Form:

Sizing Pottsie²³⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: R M Power| T: Mrs J Harrington| BF| D

9/10

Made a winning debut when successful in a Leopardstown bumper on soft ground in March then finished close fourth in valuable Punchestown contest a month later. Back from a break, has clear potential going hurdling.

Form: 14-

Forecasts

Sizing Pottsie (9/10), Entoucas (9/2), Epswell (7/1), Satoshi (9/1), Buttons And Bows (12/1), Falco De Candale Aa (16/1), Inca Gold (25/1), Challow (25/1), Kuraka (25/1), Percy B Shelley (28/1), De Mazzaro (50/1), Edelweis De L'aube (100/1)

The betting should prove useful here but a chance is given to French import ENTOUCAS, one of two for trainer Joseph O'Brien. The yard are in form and he was a cosy winner of his point-to-point in one run last year. There should be a good deal more to come. Stablemate Inca Gold is also interesting while Sizing Pottsie has smart bumper for and should be able to make his mark over jumps before long. Epswell underperformed at Galway but could bounce straight back at a track where the champion trainer farms winners. Buttons And Bows, Satoshi and Challow complete the shortlist in a wide open event.