12:15 Limerick

Friday 27 December 2019

All12:1512:5013:2514:0014:3515:1015:45

Keith Lynch Memorial Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 12:15 | Winning time: 4m 25.0s

Twist²⁰⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: R P Treacy⁽⁵⁾| T: E McNamara| OR: 109

50/1

Invincible Spirit gelding. Knocking on the door in a couple of pleasing efforts over hurdles when last seen in June. Possibly best watched on first start since leaving Nicky Henderson.

Form: 5-732

Argumental²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: D N Russell| T: J P O'Brien

4/1

Cost €85,000 as a three-year-old and half-brother to 2m7f-3m1f hurdle/chase winner Royal Native. Fourth of 18 beaten 3¼L on encouraging maiden hurdle debut at Thurles last month. Bold bid expected.

Form: 25-4

Ciel De Neige²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: D J McInerney| T: W P Mullins| OR: 135

1/4

Authorized gelding ran a creditable race in defeat on return to action in a Fairyhouse 2m handicap hurdle earlier this month. Debut came in the Grade 3 Fred Winter at the Cheltenham festival in March. Intriguing contender.

Form: 44/53-4

Coolbane Boy⁶⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: Sean O'Keeffe⁽⁵⁾| T: W J Burke

16/1

Mountain High gelding out of a Grand Plaisir mare. Pleasing third of 14 beaten 6½L ion a Wexford maiden hurdle, making his debut in October. More needed but enters calculations.

Form: 3

Fairoffthecross⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: A W Short⁽³⁾| T: D Hassett

100/1

Doyen gelding. Dam unraced half-sister to unreliable but useful hurdler/chaser Out Sam. Two very poor hurdling efforts at Cork this month does not suggest he will be up to getting involved.

Form: 00

Forrard Away⁴⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: M J Bolger| T: J T R Dreaper

100/1

Gelding by Califret out of a Treasure Hunter mare. Dam placed in bumpers, half-sister to decent 2m7f hurdle winner Torboy. Needs to improve on desperate hurdling debut at Naas last month.

Form: 0

Gabbys Cross²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: Mr B O'Neill| T: H De Bromhead

10/1

A half-brother to fairly useful chaser Not A Role Model. No extra in the straight on debut in a Fairyhouse bumper earlier this month over a similar trip. Worth a market check on hurdling introduction given connections.

Form: 10

Hide Out^t¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: J P O'Sullivan⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Rothwell

100/1

Beaten 20L plus in two bumpers and completely tailed off in a couple of hurdling spins at Gowran Park and earlier this month at Naas on soft ground. Looks to be opposable once again.

Form: 8950

High As Akite⁸¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: A McCurtin⁽⁵⁾| T: D Kenneally

100/1

Gelding by Mountain High out of a Beneficial mare. Little encouragement in a couple of maiden hurdle starts since September. Not in the form required to play a part.

Form: 00

Johnny Little Legs¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: M M McDonagh⁽⁷⁾| T: S O O'Brien

33/1

Ninth of 24 beaten 39L on hurdling debut in a Naas maiden over 2m3f on soft ground earlier this month. Makes little appeal given that effort.

Form: 9

Living's Boy An Co²³⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: M J Stenson⁽⁷⁾| T: N Meade

25/1

Gelding by Diamond Boy out of a Laveron mare. Dam unraced. Best watched on debut though the yard were back among the winners yesterday with Miss Cognac.

Form: P-P

Nero Rock^h1⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: M Hamill⁽³⁾| T: M F Morris

16/1

Has failed to build on a promising debut in a Cork maiden hurdle in May with a couple of desperate displays since October. First time hood unlikely to bring about the required amount of improvement needed to play a role here.

Form: 65-02P0

Presenting Dylan²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: P J Cawley⁽⁷⁾| T: P G Kelly

25/1

Gelding by Dylan Thomas out of a Presenting mare. Encouraging fourth of 14 on hurdling debut in a Limerick 2m contest last month. Will look to improve on that effort here.

Form: 084

Tuscansunset¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: K C Sexton| T: A Leahy

100/1

Gelding by Morozov. Cost 7,000 euros as a foal and is related to some fair National Hunt performers. Improvement needed from a couple of desolate efforts at Limerick and Cork recently and easily dismissed.

Form: 80

Amour Libranno¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-9| J: B J Foley⁽⁵⁾| T: E M O'Sullivan

100/1

Daughter of Libranno out of a Hurricane Run mare. French import, four-race maiden on the Flat and beaten over 65L on each of her two starts over hurdles to date.

Form: 00

Bye Bye Brussels⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-9| J: Danny Mullins| T: A J McNamara

33/1

Below-par 45-rated handicapper on the Flat, the daughter of Big Bad Bob finished a respectable fifth of 24 on maiden hurdle debut at Cork last month. Not to be taken lightly.

Form: 5

Coolnacritta

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: T Ryan⁽⁷⁾| T: J P Ryan

66/1

First Reserve: Gelding by Windsor Knot out of a Beneficial mare. Probably best watched on racecourse debut if making the final line-up.

Form:

Non-Runners

Capilano Bridge¹¹

Weight: 11-2| Age: 4

T: C O'Dwyer J: Ricky Doyle

Korriman²¹⁸

Weight: 11-2| Age: 4

T: M J McDonagh J: K J Brouder

Big Bad Loans²⁹

Weight: 11-2| Age: 4

T: E O'Connell J: Reserve 2

All Class

Weight: 10-9| Age: 4

T: P Griffin J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Ciel De Neige (1/4), Argumental (4/1), Capilano Bridge (4/1), Gabbys Cross (10/1), Nero Rock (16/1), Coolbane Boy (16/1), Living's Boy An Co (25/1), Presenting Dylan (25/1), All Class (25/1), Bye Bye Brussels (33/1), Johnny Little Legs (33/1), Big Bad Loans (33/1), Twist (50/1), Coolnacritta (66/1), Korriman (66/1), Hide Out (100/1), Forrard Away (100/1), Tuscansunset (100/1), Amour Libranno (100/1), Fairoffthecross (100/1), High As Akite (100/1)

CIEL DE NEIGE should strip fitter for his recent run at Fairyhouse earlier in the month and may well have too much for his inferior rivals. The Authorized gelding finished a promising third of 21 beaten 3¾L in the Grade 3 'Fred Winter' at the Cheltenham festival in March on his debut over hurdles. The Joseph O'Brien-trained Argumental can build on his fourth of 18 beaten 3¼L on encouraging maiden hurdle debut at Thurles last month and can emerge as the biggest danger while Capilano Bridge for trainer Conor O'Dwyer and Coolbane Boy can compete for minor honours. The former Nicky Henderson-trained Twist could go well at a big price.