19:15 Tipperary

Thursday 23 May 2019

All17:0517:4018:1018:4519:1519:4520:20

Tipperary Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 19:18 | Winning time: 6m 42.0s

Behind The Curtain⁹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade

5/1

Soft-ground Cork bumper winner in January over 2m having looked a prospect on debut at Punchestown previously. Showed aptitude for this game at Navan (2m, yielding; 4-1) when fourth in February and may build on that now.

Form: 214-

Nibblers Charm²⁵³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: D J McInerney⁽³⁾| T: R Hackett

25/1

40-1 winner of a Listowel bumper in September over 2m4f on heavy ground. Previous hurdles try brought wide-margin defeat and may have minor role to play again over jumps.

Form: 01-

Generator City¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: S A Mulcahy⁽⁷⁾| T: D Hogan| OR: 106| D

7/1

Plenty promise in three starts over timber so far, latest when 12½L fourth nine upped to 2m5½f at Ballinrobe on good ground this month. Point-to-point winner should have few concerns upped in journey again.

Form: 2148-34

Hourie¹⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Sarah Kavanagh⁽⁷⁾| T: J W Nicholson

66/1

Arakan gelding, failed to complete in two point-to-points and pulled up on hurdles bow over this trip at Cork (good to yielding; 125-1) last month. Better effort since at Roscommon over shorter, though not yet deemed worthy of support.

Form: FPP-6

Our Dark Horse^b1²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Phillip Enright| T: Eamon Courtney| OR: 106

12/1

Lightly-raced maiden finished fourth of 19 beaten 2¾L in a Cork 3m maiden hurdle on return from an 11-month break, perhaps feeling effects of that only six days later at Sligo last month, should do better here.

Form: 42/4P4-7

Poker D'Ainay²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins

9/4

Half-brother to multiple winners, including fairly useful chaser Torpille d'Ainay. Better showing on second hurdles start at Kilbeggan (2m3½f, good; 10-1) last month. Seemingly not one of the yard's bright stars, but could offer more again up to 3m.

Form: 220P3-

Stacks Mountain¹⁵²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: D N Russell| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 116

5/4

Not exactly progressive after nine starts over timber, but in the frame each of the last three, including when tackling 2m7f at Thurles (good; 9-2) in December and finishing second. Goes well fresh and seems a fair benchmark.

Form: 7/48232-

Myladyrose⁶⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: E O'Connell⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs A Mooney

66/1

Only midfield in maiden hurdles at Punchestown and Limerick so far (up to 2m6f) and she'll have to improve markedly on those efforts to get in the firing line when it matters here.

Form: 4P67-

Non-Runners

Quarry Rebel⁴¹⁰

Weight: 11-4| Age: 6

T: P O'Flynn J: Darragh O'Keeffe

Forecasts

Stacks Mountain (5/4), Poker D'Ainay (9/4), Behind The Curtain (5/1), Generator City (7/1), Our Dark Horse (12/1), Quarry Rebel (20/1), Nibblers Charm (25/1), Myladyrose (66/1), Hourie (66/1)

There should be more to come from Poker D'Ainay, and perhaps this longer trip will help find it, but the solid option is STACKS MOUNTAIN on the formbook. Trainer Henry De Bromhead has his team in good order and the six-year-old has plenty in his favour. He was unlucky not to open his account at Thurles in December over a similar trip (second) and goes well fresh, enough to get him the nod. Generator City has been improving over timber lately and shouldn't be fazed by this longer trip.