12:10 Clonmel

Thursday 5 December 2019

All11:4012:1012:4013:1013:4514:2014:5515:30

Powerstown Handicap Hurdle (80-102)

Off time: 12:10 | Winning time: 4m 26.90s

Bee A Beneficiary^h²⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: B J Foley⁽⁵⁾| T: D Queally| OR: 101| BF

10/1

103-rated chaser who has been running with credit over the larger obstacles recently. Likely to give a good account of herself from top weight on return to hurdling.

Form: 3-69334

Peace N' Milan¹²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: A W Short⁽³⁾| T: F J Flood| OR: 99| CD

40/1

Down the pack in a couple of starts over hurdles last month. Out of form recently but C&D winner is now 10lb lower than last winning mark and cannot be totally dismissed.

Form: P09-P00

Geesala Scorpion¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 99

16/1

Scorpion half-brother to bumper winner/fair hurdler Benny In Milan. Has so far been well held in four maiden hurdles. In good hands, but others make more appeal.

Form: 0807

Betsy Boots²⁰⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: P J O'Hanlon⁽⁷⁾| T: R K Watson| OR: 95

33/1

Infrequent visits to the track will not be helping the Stowaway mare as she bids to progress in the game. Not seen since May and market likely to be the best guide on stable debut.

Form: 90220-5

William of Wykeham^t²³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-6| J: D R Fox| T: M M McNiff| OR: 98

16/1

Nine-race maiden, without a win in six starts over hurdles. Best effort for sometime when finishing fifth of 16 beaten a little over 8L in a Fairyhouse 2m4f handicap hurdle last month. More progress likely.

Form: 655P-65

Marshalled²³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Mark Walsh| T: P Roche| OR: 93

12/1

By Flemensfirth out of a dam who was a maiden hurdler. Three-race maiden beaten 129L on latest start in a Fairyhouse 2m4f contest last month. Hard to recommend on that evidence.

Form: 6-05

Thatbeatsbanagher⁸⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: N P Madden| T: E Bolger| OR: 93| BF

14/1

Off the mark for connections at the 13th time of asking when landing a Killarney 2m5f handicap chase on yielding ground in August. Yet to hit the frame in eight starts over hurdles but could be of interest now in a winning mood.

Form: 340714

Fox Le Bel³³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: J S McGarvey| T: Miss E Doyle| OR: 92

20/1

Three-race maiden. Ninth of 17 beaten over 57L behind Envoi Allen at Down Royal in the early part of last month on soft ground. Market likely to reveal expectations on handicap debut.

Form: 8-49

The Trigger^t¹⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-12| J: M Hamill⁽³⁾| T: R McNally| OR: 87

66/1

Miserly return of one win from 20 starts over hurdles, the veterans last win coming in a Perth handicap over 2m4f off a 5lb lower mark in June last year. Well beaten on latest start and remains easy to oppose.

Form: 927F-90

Shantou Sisu²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-10| J: Ricky Doyle⁽³⁾| T: W J Lanigan| OR: 85| BF

5/2

11-race maiden but the Shantou gelding has saved his better efforts for this venue previously. Second of 18 beaten over 7L in a handicap hurdle over a similar trip here signaled a career best effort. One for any shortlist.

Form: 5430-26

Dressednblack⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: R P Treacy⁽⁵⁾| T: T Doyle| OR: 84

25/1

Yet to hit the frame in 28 career starts on both Flat and jump starts including eight starts over hurdles. Overall record casts doubt on her ability to get competitive in this contest.

Form: P056-65

Quay Melodie³⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: J P O'Sullivan⁽⁷⁾| T: W J Martin| OR: 83

66/1

Four-race maiden finished down the field beaten 41L on handicap debut in a Wexford soft to heavy ground contest in October over a similar trip. Needs to improve on recent starts to take a hand here.

Form: P-P7697

Clouncerna^b⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-5| J: Donagh Meyler| T: J R Barry| OR: 80

10/1

Career best effort for the 11-race maiden when finishing third of 17 beaten over 11L in a Thurles 2m handicap on soft ground last month. One to note in this contest.

Form: 800583

Impressive Duke^t1⁵⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-5| J: Danny Mullins| T: R McNally| OR: 80

6/4

Winner of his last two chase starts, both in England when in the care of Co Down trainer James Black, running out a ready winner on both occasions. Dismal effort on return over hurdles return following a 112-day break at Downpatrick in October.

Form: P29-110

Forecasts

Impressive Duke (6/4), Shantou Sisu (5/2), Bee A Beneficiary (10/1), Clouncerna (10/1), Marshalled (12/1), Thatbeatsbanagher (14/1), Geesala Scorpion (16/1), William of Wykeham (16/1), Fox Le Bel (20/1), Dressednblack (25/1), Betsy Boots (33/1), Peace N' Milan (40/1), The Trigger (66/1), Quay Melodie (66/1)

BEE A BENEFICIARY can improve on her third of 11 in a competitive handicap hurdle over 2m5½f in October. The daughter of Beneficial has been running well over the larger obstacles of late and can hold off the attentions of potential improver William Of Wykeham who showed plenty of promise behind Lagenod at Fairyhouse last month. Handicap debutantes' Geesala Scorpion for trainer Joseph O'Brien and the Padraig Roche-trained Marshalled, one of three in the line-up for owner J P McManus, can go better than their most recent efforts in maiden company.