14:10 Down Royal

Wednesday 26 December 2018

All12:0012:3013:0013:3514:1014:4515:20

Connolly's RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 14:11 | Winning time: 4m 12.5s

Generalisation²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr B O'Neill| T: H De Bromhead| BF

5/1

Shaping with promise over hurdles but still looks the type to do better once he goes handicapping. Wouldn't want the ground to come up soft though.

Form: 4/43

Kristofferson¹¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: C D Maxwell| T: J Magnier

33/1

Big improvement form his first couple of starts is required and also needs to be a lot smoother at his obstacles after making mistakes on hurdling debut. Best watched.

Form: 95

Melly And Me⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade| OR: 109

3/1

Getting the hang of things and certainly looks like he can pay his way with a win before too long. Thrived since joining his highly respected yard and can be considered as a contender in this company.

Form: F8-2242

Golan Warrior¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Mr R A Devine⁽⁷⁾| T: S R B Crawford

66/1

Brings modest form in point-to-points with him for this hurdling debut and is hard to recommend. Others much more appealing at this stage.

Form: 64P-6P

Mr Jacaranda^t1¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: E O'Connell⁽⁵⁾| T: A J Martin

66/1

Made very little impact in either of his previous starts over hurdles and needs to step things up considerably. Fitted with a tongue tie, so may improve, but significant enough doubts to look elsewhere for the winner.

Form: 0-0

Pilot Station^t1²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Sarah Kavanagh⁽⁷⁾| T: P A Fahy

18/1

Needs to step things up several notches from his debut run over hurdles and dangerous to read too much into his proximity to a potentially high-class performer in a bumper last time. Improvement required.

Form: 67-75F6

Presented Well¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: D Robinson⁽³⁾| T: H De Bromhead

8/13

Already shown enough to suggest a race of this type is well within his sights. Still going well when he fell last time out and has a big chance to atone if that mishap hasn't affected his confidence. Leading contender.

Form: F22-2F

Equilibrium²⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: A W Short⁽³⁾| T: C A McBratney

25/1

Fourth of five finishers in a maiden point-to-point in April and created a favourable impression. Interesting one to monitor in the betting on hurdling debut here.

Form: 4-

Jeremys Dream¹¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: P J Vaughan⁽⁵⁾| T: G Elliott

16/1

Modest efforts posted in a bumper and one previous run over hurdles up to press. Another who needs to take a big step forward.

Form: 76

Retrace^t1³¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: P E Corbett⁽³⁾| T: S R B Crawford

66/1

Yet to trouble the judge and the fitting of a tongue tie needs to bring about a lot of improvement. Hard to recommend on this occasion.

Form: F0-76

Some Day Jemima³¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: D F O'Regan| T: L P Cusack

50/1

Beat just one rival home on her debut at Navan last month; entitled to have come on for the experience but was never a factor on that occasion and hard to see her being good enough if that effort is a reliable gauge.

Form: 8

Forecasts

Presented Well (8/13), Melly And Me (3/1), Generalisation (5/1), Jeremys Dream (16/1), Pilot Station (18/1), Equilibrium (25/1), Kristofferson (33/1), Some Day Jemima (50/1), Retrace (66/1), Mr Jacaranda (66/1), Golan Warrior (66/1)

A good chance for PRESENTED WELL to banish the memory of a sloppy fall last time out and gelding is expected to be hard to beat if his jumping holds together this time. Generalisation, a stablemate of the selection, is also shaping with promise and can give the rest a good run for the money, while Equilibrium also appeals as one with her best days ahead.