16:05 Naas

Sunday 24 February 2019

All13:3014:0014:3015:0015:3516:0516:3517:05

Paddy Rewards Club Handicap Hurdle (80-116)

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

Off time: 16:05 | Winning time: 3m 55.60s

Mountain Fox⁶⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Ricky Doyle⁽⁵⁾| T: F Oakes| OR: 116| D

9/1

15-race Flat maiden so was a real surprise when he won on hurdles debut at Thurles at 25/1. Well held on handicap debut and likely to find it tough going here.

Form: 17

Cristal Icon^t⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-11| J: D J Mullins| T: T Mullins| OR: 116| D

25/1

Wide margin Cork maiden hurdle winner last year, but on an 12-race losing run under both codes since and well out of her depth in a Grade 3 contest at Gowran Park earlier this month. Others look open to more improvement.

Form: 0984P6

Water Sprite^b,t⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: Danny Mullins| T: M Torrens| OR: 112| D

20/1

Will have disappointed connections since landing a Limerick handicap hurdle in October with a number of heavy defeats since including when beaten over 77L at Navan earlier in the month. Hard to make a case for her on form to hand.

Form: 160080

Ejayteekay¹³³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: Robbie Colgan| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 110| D

10/1

Running well in defeat on softer ground towards the end of the summer in a couple of handicap hurdles at Listowel and Navan. Distance winner but looks opposable in current form.

Form: 273446

Ming Dynasty^t⁴⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: G N Fox| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 109| BF

9/4

Running well in defeat during December, hitting the frame in a couple of contests at Fairyhouse and Limerick before a 3¼L reversal behind Mystique Heights over C&D last month. Form solid and fancied here.

Form: 998235

Wait Here^h,t⁷⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Darragh O'Keeffe⁽⁷⁾| T: A Leahy| OR: 109| D

3/1

Second of 11 beaten 4L on a dramatic return to form at Tipperary in October before finishing third of 16 beaten a little over 8L at Cork over this trip in December. Can go well but ground a concern.

Form: 0P9823

Mick The Boyo⁷¹

Age: 11| Weight: 11-4| J: T Ryan⁽⁷⁾| T: J Grace| OR: 108| CD

10/1

Landed a quick C&D double in January of last year but has had a torrid time of it since until a hint of return to form at Fairyhouse in December. 10th of 15 in this contest last season off a 2lb lower and not expected to fare much better here.

Form: 07-00P4

Daliyan^t⁴⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-3| J: Phillip Enright| T: R Sweeney| OR: 107| D

33/1

One from 14 over hurdles and not spotted for over two years before finishing last of six at Cork in October and 15th of 19 over C&D in December. Needs to improve on even his best form to play a part here.

Form: 03388/0

Dark Decade¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: G Elliott| OR: 104

11/2

Will have disappointed leading connections in three dour maiden hurdle efforts since December. More likely to be of interest on handicap debut for a yard with a 41% win and place strike rate at this meeting in the last four years.

Form: 088

Edelweis De L'aube^h¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: T G M Ryan| T: P A Fahy| OR: 104

20/1

Little encouragement found in first four races but definitely running a career best latest when booked for fifth only to fall at the last in a Thurles maiden last month. Beaten since in a novice hurdle here and hard to fancy on handicap debut.

Form: 00-99F8

Mutadaffeq^t²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: J B Kane⁽⁵⁾| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 99

14/1

79-rated four time flat winner for David O'Meara, well beaten in a number of maiden hurdles over 2m at Leopardstown, Punchestown and Fairyhouse recently. Best watched on handicap debut.

Form: 900

Saint Irini¹⁰⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-10| J: S J Crimin⁽⁵⁾| T: E D Delany| OR: 87

25/1

Modest 55-rated handicapper on the Flat recently not seen over timber since pulling up at Clonmel in June and yet to finish in the frame over hurdles in five starts. Makes little appeal in this heat.

Form: 9-809P

Non-Runners

Let The Heirs Walk⁴¹

Weight: 11-10| Age: 5

T: B W Duke J: Sean Flanagan

Curious Times²⁶

Weight: 11-9| Age: 6

T: S R B Crawford J: J J Slevin

Lesssaidthebetter⁴⁹

Weight: 9-11| Age: 5

T: P J Rothwell J: A W Short

Forecasts

Ming Dynasty (9/4), Curious Times (11/4), Wait Here (3/1), Dark Decade (11/2), Let The Heirs Walk (7/1), Mountain Fox (9/1), Ejayteekay (10/1), Mick The Boyo (10/1), Mutadaffeq (14/1), Edelweis De L'aube (20/1), Water Sprite (20/1), Saint Irini (25/1), Lesssaidthebetter (25/1), Cristal Icon (25/1), Daliyan (33/1)

With Curious Times likely to be popular in the market and a big danger to follow up on his shock win at Down Royal last time out it may be worth siding with the Gavin Cromwell-trained MING DYNASTY who has been running well in defeat since handicap debut in December. Jockey Ger Fox finished second of 16 in that race and returns to plate here with the seven-year-old more than capable of seeing off the attentions of Dark Decade and Let The Heirs Walk.