13:35 Thurles

Sunday 20 January 2019

All12:3013:0013:3514:1014:4015:1515:50

Matty Ryan Memorial Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 13:36 | Winning time: 3m 51.90s

The King Of Brega^p²⁹

Age: 12| Weight: 11-10| J: D P Holden⁽⁷⁾| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 129| CD

5/2

Winner of two of his last three starts in handicap hurdle company including a win in a Thurles contest last month off a 6lb lower mark. Enters calculations.

Form: 547141

Western Boy^p²⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 11-10| J: Darragh O'Keeffe⁽⁷⁾| T: P A Fahy| OR: 129| CD

16/1

Course winner who has also been victorious over the trip. Out of form in a number of gloomy starts since October. Likely to find it tough going here.

Form: 1/P50-70

Ask Nile^p,t²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: A E Lynch| T: S Neville| OR: 122

10/1

Appeared to improve for the fitting of cheekpieces when third of nine beaten 5¾L at Limerick in October. Blowing hot and cold since and is likely to find one or two better handicapped sorts lurking.

Form: F-73647

Like An Open Book²⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-2| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: J M Burke| OR: 121| CD

5/1

Holds a 67% win and place strike rate over C&D here which includes a win over 12-months ago off a 14lb lower mark. Looks opposable on current mark.

Form: 542333

Tourboy^t²⁴⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: I J McCarthy| T: M Fahey| OR: 121

16/1

Winner of a Punchestown maiden hurdle over 18-months ago but has been well held in six subsequent starts. Others look open to more improvement.

Form: P9FP-30

Lareena²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: Paul Townend| T: Kevin O'Sullivan| OR: 114| CD

14/1

Winner on her only visit here over C&D in an 18-runner contest last March. Well held in a number of disappointing handicap hurdle starts since and hard to fancy here on second start for yard since leaving Willie Mullins.

Form: 248970

Polished Steel^t1²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-9| J: R M Power| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 116| BF

4/1

Well beaten and no impression in a series of maiden hurdle starts since November but more can be expected on handicap debut.

Form: 5-7447

Paolozzi²²⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 10-0| J: Phillip Enright| T: M J Byrne| OR: 105| D

20/1

Two from five over hurdles, but the 10-year-old is very lightly raced of late and has a bit to prove at present.

Form: 25/P09-P

Smiling Eliza^p1⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-10| J: M A Enright| T: G Elliott| OR: 117| D

5/1

Has appeared to lose her form since winning a Punchestown three-year-old hurdle in October. Beaten in better races last month and capable of bouncing back in this contest in first-time cheekpieces.

Form: 121486

Youngnedofthehill^t²³

Age: 11| Weight: 9-10| J: C J Orr⁽⁵⁾| T: S Nolan| OR: 101

12/1

Running well in defeat but the veteran is still one from 24 over hurdles and needs to bounce back in a big way to have a say here.

Form: 205394

Result Amended

Polished Steel - Original Position 4th. Amended Position 3rd.

Smiling Eliza - Original Position 3rd. Amended Position 4th.

Forecasts

The King Of Brega (5/2), Polished Steel (4/1), Smiling Eliza (5/1), Like An Open Book (5/1), Ask Nile (10/1), Youngnedofthehill (12/1), Lareena (14/1), Western Boy (16/1), Tourboy (16/1), Paolozzi (20/1)

With Ask Nile and Lareena possibly taking each other on for the lead in the early stages it could set the race up for a couple held up to come with a late run. C&D winner LIKE AN OPEN BOOK can get the better of the solid and consistent veteran, The King Of Brega, who, at the age of 12 is another successful over C&D. Smiling Eliza is capable of bouncing back in this contest in first-time cheekpieces.