14:20 Wexford

Sunday 17 March 2019

All13:4514:2014:5515:3016:0016:3517:10

Shamrock Enterprises Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 14:22 | Winning time: 4m 11.6s

An Fraoch Mor³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: C A Landers⁽⁵⁾| T: R O'Sullivan

13/8

Finished midfield in two bumpers showing enough ability to merit respect before a promising fourth of nine - behind Ballymore winner City Island - on hurdling debut in a Naas 2m3f maiden last month. Enters calculations.

Form: 574

Darver Star⁵⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: J M Moore| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 104

5/2

Hints of ability in four-race career so far, three starts over hurdles including when finishing fourth of 21 beaten 6½L in a Fairyhouse maiden in January on most recent start. Expected to improve for Champion hurdle winning trainer.

Form: 6594

Megalomaniac²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: H Morgan⁽⁷⁾| T: H De Bromhead

6/1

Little encouragement in a couple of career starts to date including when well held in a Naas maiden hurdle finishing 10th of 23 beaten 36L. Plenty to prove in this contest for leading connections.

Form: 8-80

Stones And Roses⁵⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mark Walsh| T: W P Mullins

5/1

Rare bumper flop for this yard as he finished 13 of 14 at Fairyhouse when completely tailed off from 4f out. Not much to shout about in a couple of maiden hurdle starts since January including a 97L defeat at Fairyhouse last month. Others preferred.

Form: 060

Tapenade¹⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G Elliott

11/1

Improvement from debut run to second start in a Kelso bumper finishing fourth of 10 beaten 6¼L on good ground in January before finishing fifth of 13 beaten 14½L earlier this month at Thurles. Ease in the ground may be of assistance.

Form: 545

Araukan⁸⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: M A Enright| T: S J Treacy

100/1

Mare was returning from a year off when tailed off over 2m3½f at Clonmel in December on hurdles bow before another disappointing effort at Naas later in the month. That run may have come too soon but still hard to fancy in this company.

Form: 0P-00

Caddy Shack^h1¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Mr J P Berry⁽⁷⁾| T: J A Berry

66/1

Has looked moderate in point-to-points, bumpers and four starts over hurdles. First time hood unlikely to bring about the required amount of improvement needed to play a role here.

Form: U00607

Clear Left^h³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: B Browne⁽⁵⁾| T: S K Ryder

20/1

Has failed to build on the promise of her debut run in a Naas bumper in November in two further starts on the level. Poor performance on hurdling debut last month at Clonmel and looks up against it here.

Form: 5980

Lady Sue³⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: C D Maxwell| T: C Kidd

100/1

Milan mare who needs to find improvement from somewhere following a number of heavy defeats in her three-race career to date. Hard to construct much of a case for the mare here.

Form: P00

Mangan Julia²⁸⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Phillip Enright| T: Miss Lillian E A Doyle| OR: 86

66/1

Six race maiden for previous yard and without success in four hurdle starts to date. Pulled up after three out when last seen in June. Beat watched on return to action on stable debut.

Form: 70760-P

Trees Valley¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: D J McInerney⁽³⁾| T: W J Burke

16/1

Mahler mare half-sister to useful staying chaser Major Malarkey. Promising third hurdle run in a Clonmel maiden last month over 2m finishing fourth of 11 beaten 14L, improving on three previous starts. Worth a market check.

Form: F004

Forecasts

An Fraoch Mor (13/8), Darver Star (5/2), Stones And Roses (5/1), Megalomaniac (6/1), Tapenade (11/1), Trees Valley (16/1), Clear Left (20/1), Caddy Shack (66/1), Mangan Julia (66/1), Araukan (100/1), Lady Sue (100/1)

Promising fourth of nine - behind Ballymore winner City Island - on hurdling debut in a Naas 2m3f maiden last month, AN FRAOCH MOR can improve for the drop in trip to take the honours on his second start over timber. Darver Star can be expected to improve for Champion hurdle winning trainer Gavin Cromwell following his fourth of 21 when last seen in January, while more is anticipated from the Gordon Elliott-trained Tapenade sooner rather than later.