15:20 Thurles

Thursday 6 February 2020

All13:1513:4514:1514:4515:2015:5516:25

Holycross Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 15:21 | Winning time: 5m 55.6s

Alighted⁴²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: D N Russell| T: J P O'Brien

16/1

Worryingly pulled up on first run for over 12 months in a Down Royal maiden over Christmas. Market likely to reveal expectations on return.

Form: 1/2-P

Golden Spread³³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Danny Mullins| T: W P Mullins| C

8/1

Winner of a couple of bumpers last spring before finishing eighth of 10 beaten 10L in a Grade 1 contest in May. Disappointed on hurdling debut behind Escaria Ten at Cork last month. More needed.

Form: 3211-85

Minella Encore³³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins

9/2

Learning all the time in a couple of initial hurdling starts since November, hitting the frame on both occasions. Needs to improve holding a couple of fancy entries for the Cheltenham festival.

Form: 1114/23

Sempo^t³⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| C

8/11

Posted a career best effort over timber finishing second of 16 beaten 1¾L in a Leopardstown 2m4½f maiden hurdle at the venues Christmas festival. Another that needs to improve holding high profile entries at Cheltenham.

Form: 4316-32

Born In Galway¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Donagh Meyler| T: K Purcell

200/1

Wide-margin defeats in bumpers were followed by a disappointing hurdling starts at Naas last month. Well beaten on latest run and remains easy to oppose here.

Form: 0-84700

Heroes Of Renown³⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: R M Power| T: J Motherway

6/1

Improved from first start to second over hurdles at Leopardstown over Christmas. Looks a progressive type and is shortlisted here.

Form: 530-45

Memory Tree^t1⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: H Morgan⁽⁷⁾| T: Paul Power

100/1

Failed to build on a promising hurdling debut at Tramore when finishing 119L adrift in a Limerick 2m5f maiden on heavy ground when last seen in December. Needs to show more sparkle before any faith is placed in the gelding.

Form: 3F4-38

Oscar Montel⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Sean O'Keeffe⁽⁵⁾| T: E McNamara

50/1

The early promise of his effort over C&D in November has leveled out a little following a couple of heavy defeats at Punchestown and at Limerick over Christmas. Needs to improve significantly.

Form: 3-34205

Our Marvmichael^h³⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: D P Holden⁽⁷⁾| T: H De Bromhead

100/1

Has shown little in a couple of starts in December since returning to action at Clonmel following an 18 month absence. Faces a tough task in this company.

Form: 546/00

Western Fancy³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: E Walsh⁽⁷⁾| T: N Meade

33/1

Gelding by Presenting out of a Brian Boru mare. Dam, a winner over hurdles and fences racing between 2m and 2m4f. Improvement needed on a couple of dismal efforts in December and more recently at Fairyhouse last month.

Form: 68

Face The Odds^t1⁹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade

12/1

Won a maiden point-to-point well enough in May before a second of 14 beaten 18L on return to action in a Down Royal maiden over a similar trip in November. Best watched in the market back from another absence.

Form: 3-12

Friary Rock^p1²²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Phillip Enright| T: M F Morris| OR: 118

20/1

Running well in defeat in a number of maiden hurdle starts since October. Capable of improvement and not one to completely rule out in first-time cheekpieces.

Form: 5-2553

Gabbys Cross⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead

25/1

Not disgraced finishing fifth of 17 beaten 23L on hurdling debut at Limerick over Christmas. More likely than some to run his race for inform trainer/jockey combination.

Form: 105

Presenting Cody²²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: C A Landers⁽⁵⁾| T: K Purcell

100/1

Sixth of 24 beaten 27L on hurdling debut in a Naas 2m3f contest in December before another dismal effort at Punchestown last month. Not in the form required to come in for consideration.

Form: P60

Runadrum⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: P J O'Hanlon⁽⁷⁾| T: R K Watson

125/1

Gelding by Dansant has disappointed in a couple of starts in bumper company since his debut in November on final start for trainer Patrick McKenna. Best watched on stable debut.

Form: P-80

Queen Of Fame²⁸⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: Brian Hayes| T: D G Murphy

100/1

First Reserve: Well beaten in two maiden hurdles earlier this year and difficult to make a case for unless the long break has done her some good.

Form: 07-

Non-Runners

Cepalo Delafayette⁶⁷⁶

Weight: 11-4| Age: 8

T: G P Cromwell J: J M Moore

Mr Lombardi²⁷

Weight: 11-2| Age: 5

T: M F Morris J: M Hamill

Rapid Response³²

Weight: 10-11| Age: 6

T: Mrs J Harrington J: R M Power

Backonthehill³⁶

Weight: 10-9| Age: 5

T: E Sheehy J: Reserve 2

Jimli³²

Weight: 10-9| Age: 5

T: R K Watson J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Sempo (8/11), Minella Encore (9/2), Heroes Of Renown (6/1), Golden Spread (8/1), Rapid Response (8/1), Face The Odds (12/1), Alighted (16/1), Friary Rock (20/1), Gabbys Cross (25/1), Western Fancy (33/1), Oscar Montel (50/1), Jimli (66/1), Backonthehill (66/1), Mr Lombardi (66/1), Memory Tree (100/1), Queen Of Fame (100/1), Presenting Cody (100/1), Our Marvmichael (100/1), Cepalo Delafayette (100/1), Runadrum (125/1), Born In Galway (200/1)

The Joseph O'Brien-trained SEMPO can get off the mark at the third attempt for connections to continue the improvement shown since his debut at Fairyhouse in November. The son of Oscar can progress once more with the eight-year-old Minella Encore proving to be the biggest danger for trainer Willie Mullins. Heroes Of Renown ran with plenty of credit on his second hurdle starts at Leopardstown over Christmas and looks capable of hitting the frame ahead of the Noel Meade-trained Face The Odds. Rapid Response for Jessica Harrington could go well at a price.