15:35 Thurles

Thursday 7 November 2019

All12:5013:2013:5514:3015:0015:3516:05

Thurles.ie Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 15:36 | Winning time: 5m 58.50s

Ballymacaw³³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr B O'Neill| T: J Halley

8/1

Kilbeggan bumper winner in July, ran well in defeat on hurdling debut in a Tramore maiden in August over 2m5f, finishing third of 12 beaten 1½L. Not exactly built on that in two further runs but suited by this trip.

Form: 421355

Santana Plessis¹¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: L P Dempsey| T: G Elliott

6/1

Made light work of good chance to get off the mark in bumper at Kilbeggan in July (2m4f, good; 8-13f), scoring at sixth attempt. Looks likely to relish trip on hurdles bow.

Form: 3/28-221

Shanwalla²³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr L P Gilligan⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Gilligan

5/2

Listowel bumper in September (fifth start) and beaten in head-bobber on hurdles bow at Roscommon (2m4f, heavy; 7-1) on hurdles bow next time. Has run well again since at Punchestown and should well again upped in distance.

Form: 422123

Amerijano¹²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Sean O'Keeffe⁽⁷⁾| T: P Nolan

20/1

Has failed to complete in a couple of maiden hurdles since a promising third of 14 on debut at Galway a little over 12 months ago. Attracted some market support last time, before falling at the first back at Galway; not written off.

Form: 3P-F

Four Country Roads¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: M Hourigan

11/1

Better effort on return when close fourth in Cork bumper (2m3f, yielding; 16-1) recently and interesting to see if that can be built on back over hurdles.

Form: 835-094

Hell On Earth²³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G Elliott

25/1

Cost €70,000 as a three-year-old, Germany gelding. Fifth of 17 beaten 32L on hurdling debut in a Punchestown contest last month and more needed here for respected connections. Can improve.

Form: 370-5

Oscar Montel⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: J M Moore| T: E McNamara

40/1

Made the frame on second start in point-to-points in April and shown enough in pair of September bumper runs to suggests he will have a future going jumping and up in trip.

Form: P3-34

Pivotal Pursuit^t³⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: S A Shortall| T: Kevin McDonagh

100/1

Unplaced in five starts so far, including maiden hurdles at Kilbeggan (2m2f, good to yielding; 66-1) and Roscommon (2m4f, heavy; 100-1). Lots to work on.

Form: 0-6098

Royal Thief¹⁸⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead

11/10

Flame And Glory gelding, third at Naas on hurdles bow in February (2m, good to yielding; 13-2) and fair efforts afterwards in bumper at Clonmel and Punchestown. Upped in trip for hurdles reappearance.

Form: 33-6

Ruler Of Dubai⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: R P Treacy⁽⁵⁾| T: L Young

100/1

100-1 and tailed off both starts in maiden hurdles last month at Punchestown (good to yielding) and Clonmel (soft), goes up from minimum distance now and plenty to find.

Form: 06

Silver Sedge¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: P J Cawley⁽⁷⁾| T: D Hogan

50/1

Carlotamix gelding out of a Portrait Gallery mare, ran well enough in a bumper here last month on debut; sharp rise in trip now turning attention to jumping.

Form: 7

Forecasts

Royal Thief (11/10), Shanwalla (5/2), Santana Plessis (6/1), Ballymacaw (8/1), Four Country Roads (11/1), Amerijano (20/1), Hell On Earth (25/1), Oscar Montel (40/1), Silver Sedge (50/1), Ruler Of Dubai (100/1), Pivotal Pursuit (100/1)

It took him a while to get on the board in bumpers but SANTANA PLESSIS did it eventually when tackling 2m4f at Kilbeggan in July and this further examination of stamina looks a positive for him on his hurdling debut for a prolific trainer/jockey combination. Shanwalla, Royal Thief and Amerijano are also considered while Four Country Roads showed more in a bumper at Cork recently and gets the chance to build on that now back over hurdles.