15:15 Punchestown

Sunday 12 January 2020

All12:3013:0513:3514:1014:4015:1515:45

Irish Jockeys Association Critical Illness Cover With Irish Life Mares Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:15 | Winning time: 5m 25.90s

Sassy Yet Classy⁹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 109

8/1

Inching down the handicap but for a reason; has not shown too much on her last four starts and while has slight chance on best of her form others make more appeal at present.

Form: 1-36657

Whatucallher¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: J S McGarvey| T: E P Harty| OR: 109| D

13/2

Showed lots of promise before winning a mares only maiden hurdle at Clonmel in October; excuses on penultimate starts at Thurles (coughing) but below par last time out at Leopardstown; needs to bounce back to get involved.

Form: 33-4108

Fag An Bealach³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Donagh Meyler| T: A L T Moore| OR: 107| BF

3/1

Romped home to win by 15L on debut in a Down Royal bumper, before disappointing against Grade 3 opponents in the spring. Promising efforts over hurdles when running well in defeat on all three starts since October. Not to be taken lightly.

Form: 1-0342

Lill Smith^t⁶⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade| OR: 107

16/1

Lightly-raced mare; has shown a nice consistency throughout her career without winning but last effort in November was well below her standard; if that blip can be ignored then she has a fair chance of success.

Form: 644-240

Minx Tiara¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: O R Brown⁽⁷⁾| T: D M O'Brien| OR: 109| D

5/1

Won her maiden at the second time of asking for connections when landing a Wexford 2m4f contest in June. Has been running well in defeat in three starts over hurdles since October. Bit more needed but enters calculations.

Form: 039223

Rebel Early³³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: W J Burke| OR: 104

7/1

Bounced back to form at Gowran Park in November staying on strongly on the run-in to finish 2½L adrift of the winner over 2m on heavy ground. Capable of a big run if jumping better (unseated rider last time at Tramore).

Form: 0F1-42U

Liffeydale Dreamer^t³³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: R M Power| T: Madeleine Tylicki| OR: 106

12/1

Was in fair form this time last season and a return to that consistency would see her go close; on the downside her last two runs have been woeful and she is still a maiden over hurdles.

Form: 5524-9P

Peterstown⁴⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: T Gibney| OR: 100

16/1

Still a maiden but her second in a Mares Maiden Hurdle at Wexford on penultimate start was an effort which left the impression that she would soon be ending that soon; needs a big bounce back though after struggling at Punchestown in November.

Form: 5808-20

Colour Me In¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-9| J: Sean O'Keeffe⁽⁵⁾| T: T Mullins| OR: 98

20/1

Long standing maiden over hurdles and while can put in the occasional decent effort, is not one to rely upon for win purposes despite looking favourably handicapped at present.

Form: 06U930

Laureate^t¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: A W Short⁽³⁾| T: C A McBratney| OR: 94

22/1

Broke her maiden at Downpatrick (2m3f) back in June but has been unable to follow it up since; signs of a revival at Navan in November but pulled up last time at Down Royal and plenty to prove at present.

Form: 68554P

Vinabell^t¹²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-3| J: P E Corbett| T: S Nolan| OR: 89| D

16/1

Her sole success came over hurdles at Fairyhouse (2m4f) in October 2018; probably needs to drop a few more pounds in the handicap to get truly competitive based on recent efforts.

Form: 17P-490

My Club Colours²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 9-13| J: Phillip Enright| T: P Nolan| OR: 85

9/1

Well beaten on all her starts over hurdles including on her handicap debut last time out at Fairyhouse where she was never a factor; difficult to get excited about.

Form: 0-688

Forecasts

Fag An Bealach (3/1), Minx Tiara (5/1), Whatucallher (13/2), Rebel Early (7/1), Sassy Yet Classy (8/1), My Club Colours (9/1), Liffeydale Dreamer (12/1), Vinabell (16/1), Peterstown (16/1), Lill Smith (16/1), Colour Me In (20/1), Laureate (22/1)

Hard to make a confident case for any of these runners and a hopeful selection is LILL SMITH. The seven-year-old never gets beaten too far and although she needs to put a poor run last time out behind her, she has the consistency to suggest she is capable of landing this contest off her current mark. Peterstown is another who needs to bounce back from a poor run on her latest outing. She had previously shown form good enough at Wexford to suggest she is more than capable of winning a similar race. Sassy Yet Classy is not one to reply on at present but she is certainly starting to look well handicapped.