14:35 Punchestown

Saturday 16 November 2019

All12:1512:5013:2514:0014:3515:1015:4016:00

Kildare Now Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 14:35 | Winning time: 5m 17.8s

Ashdale Bob

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: P D Kennedy| T: Mrs J Harrington

33/1

Newcomer by Shantou is half-brother to Paul Nicholls inmate Storm Arising who is 1-5 courtesy of a Wincanton maiden hurdle success. Market can guide.

Form:

Blue Sari²⁴⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Mark Walsh| T: W P Mullins

3/10

Won well at Gowran on debut and found only Ballymore Novice hurdle favourite Envoi Allen in the Cheltenham Champion Bumper. Little doubt he will jump well at first time of asking for champion trainer so hard to oppose here.

Form: 12-

Bread And Butter

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: C P McNamara⁽⁷⁾| T: G P Cromwell

33/1

Newcomer by Westerner the first progeny of a maiden mare by Milan. Best watched on debut barring significant market support.

Form:

Brinkley²⁰⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Sean Flanagan| T: Miss E Doyle

50/1

Son of Martaline showed promise when a 21L seventh of 25 here in lone bumper try. Fare better than most here but unlikely to make the frame.

Form: 7

Cahirdown Boy²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: R P Treacy⁽⁵⁾| T: E McNamara

100/1

Failed to complete in first two starts before a well-beaten seventh at Wexford last time out. This considerably warmer so makes no appeal.

Form: FP7

Comporta¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Richard Condon⁽⁷⁾| T: J J Hanlon

66/1

58-rated Flat performer brought down at the first at 66/1 in lone previous hurdles try. If he is to win hurdles races they will be at a lower level than this opposition-wise.

Form: B

Diamond Grove²²³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Keith Donoghue| T: E Cawley

33/1

Showed promise when placed on his only start in a point-to-point. Best watched on Rules debut.

Form: 2-

Fakir¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: S A Shortall| T: J P O'Brien

7/1

French import by Day Flight out of a Bobinski mare. Winner on final start in France in a 1m7f bumper and showed promise despite a couple of errors on hurdles bow at Cork finishing fifth of 22. Certainly one of the dangers to Blue Sari.

Form: 1-5

Favori Logique²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: J S McGarvey| T: R O'Sullivan

50/1

Third and fourth placed finished in bumpers show he has ability so one to watch here ahead of future hurdles endeavours although likely to struggle today.

Form: 34

Flash²³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Donagh Meyler| T: Miss E Doyle

66/1

Beaten 10L into sixth by The Bosses Oscar who runs here in lone bumper start at Thurles last month. One to watch but not get involved with on hurdles bow.

Form: 6

Friary Rock¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Phillip Enright| T: M F Morris

12/1

Fifth in a Fairyhouse bumper last April and found only an 11/10F too strong on hurdles bow at Wexford last month so has certainly shown plenty of ability already. With more to come he is a fair each-way proposition here.

Form: 5-2

Fusain¹⁹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead

10/1

Third to a pretty useful sort with prior experience who has won since in lone start in France back in May over hurdles. Interesting recruit to top yard and one to note in the market.

Form: 3

Handsworth³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: L P Dempsey| T: J P Dempsey

100/1

By Jeremy out of a full sister to high-class staying hurdler Bog Warrior but always struggling before being pulled up at Fairyhouse last month so remains best watched.

Form: P

It's A Hoofer¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: J P O'Sullivan⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss E Doyle

100/1

Well beaten in a Galway bumper and Down Royal maiden hurdle so hard to find any reason to be positive at this stage.

Form: 00

Mazboon⁴³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Liam McKenna⁽⁷⁾| T: J J Lambe

100/1

54-rated maiden on the Flat has an unseated rider and tailed off to his name since sent hurdling and looks set to struggle again here.

Form: U0

Round The Buoy¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: M F Mooney| T: D P Dunne

100/1

Midfield and never a factor on hurdles bow at Wexford and that coupled with his very ordinary Flat form is evidence enough to look elsewhere.

Form: 8

Spiritus Mundi⁴³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: N P Madden| T: J Queally

100/1

Never involved when beaten 67L into ninth in a 2m1f maiden hurdle at Killarney on racecourse debut in May before suffering a similar fate in a Gowran Park maiden over 2m2f on return to action last month. Needs to improve.

Form: 90

The Bosses Oscar²³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott

9/1

Ex-placed point-to-pointer made a nice impression when comfortably beating Bombay Blue who'd already been second in a similar bumper. Ought to be better still over hurdles now and rates the biggest threat to Blue Sari.

Form: 3-21

Breezy Bell²²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: C D Timmons⁽³⁾| T: E Cawley

66/1

Winner on the Flat in Germany, well beaten and never a factor in a couple of starts in France. Tough hurdling introduction for the filly.

Form:

Moonlight Glory³⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Dillon Maxwell⁽⁷⁾| T: A McNamara

66/1

Finished 10th of 15 in a Carlisle bumper; her lone previous start so is best watched here.

Form: 0

So Near So Farhh¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: A W Short⁽³⁾| T: C A McBratney

33/1

Out and out stayer on the Flat finished fifth of 14 on hurdles bow at Down Royal last month. With this probably a stronger race she must improve to make the frame and in all likelihood will want 3m.

Form: 5

Tucanae²⁰²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Sean O'Keeffe⁽⁵⁾| T: P Nolan

25/1

Daughter of Yeats out of a US bred mare. Half-sister to a number of winners including top class chaser Dodging Bullets. Looks a long-term prospect.

Form: 1

Non-Runners

French Dynamite¹⁷⁵

Weight: 11-7| Age: 4

T: M F Morris J: Reserve 1

Raleagh Flora

Weight: 11-7| Age: 4

T: C A McBratney J: Reserve 2

Forecasts

Blue Sari (3/10), Fakir (7/1), The Bosses Oscar (9/1), Fusain (10/1), Friary Rock (12/1), French Dynamite (12/1), Tucanae (25/1), Ashdale Bob (33/1), So Near So Farhh (33/1), Diamond Grove (33/1), Bread And Butter (33/1), Brinkley (50/1), Favori Logique (50/1), Raleagh Flora (50/1), Comporta (66/1), Breezy Bell (66/1), Flash (66/1), Moonlight Glory (66/1), Handsworth (100/1), Cahirdown Boy (100/1), Spiritus Mundi (100/1), It's A Hoofer (100/1), Round The Buoy (100/1), Mazboon (100/1)

Although the Cheltenham Champion Bumper doesn't always work as well as you might hope the early impressions are that this year's will do and runner-up BLUE SARI who was having just his second start at the Festival is expected to make up into a top-drawer novice hurdler for Willie Mullins so he can kick-off the campaign with a win. Mullins' perennial rival Gordon Elliott runs The Bosses Oscar who won his only bumper impressively so he at this stage could be anything and is the most feared rival. Friary Rock who was second on hurdles bow is the best of those to run over obstacles under Rules although his stablemate French Dynamite would be even more interesting if running as a reserve.