16:20 Punchestown

Tuesday 18 February 2020

All13:4514:1514:4515:2015:5016:2016:2516:5016:55

Leinster Leader Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 16:21 | Winning time: -

Ballyadam Destiny³⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Phillip Enright| T: T O'Brien

25/1

By top sire Martaline cost €70,000 as a three-year-old and is a brother to 2m-2m4f hurdle winner Papagana and half-brother to two more winners in France; some promise here on debut but too many mistakes to be considered here.

Form: 9

Hotel Du Nord⁹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: P D Kennedy| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 123

8/1

Point-to-point winner had run well on all three starts in maiden hurdles before looking a little overwhelmed in a Navan novice hurdle over an extended 2m6f on penultimate start; pulled up after long break last time at Fairyhouse; hard to assess.

Form: 54545-P

I Don't Get It²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: G P Brouder⁽⁷⁾| T: N McCluskey

100/1

Stowaway gelding who was completely tailed off on bumper debut at Down Royal in December and barely showed any improvement at the same venue last time; others preferred.

Form: 08

Major Jim³⁹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: P E Corbett| T: S Nolan

100/1

Tailed off in a pair of maiden hurdle starts in January and very difficult to make any sort of case for.

Form: 00-

Native Gold

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: A W Short⁽³⁾| T: E Cawley

100/1

Gold Well gelding, half-brother to a winner over this trip; dam a 2m chase and 2m4f hurdle winner. Tough ask on debut.

Form:

Osmotic⁶⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott

7/1

Bumper winner at Roscommon in May and while he didn't take to life over hurdles when returning in December, he's with top connections and better should be expected now.

Form: 4-1P

Pencilfulloflead⁴⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: R M Power| T: G Elliott| BF

4/6

Bumper winner on debut in a 2m Down Royal bumper on soft ground in November and ran well in Listed Navan event subsequently; decent hurdling debut at Naas in January where some poor jumping probably cost him victory.

Form: 142

Spanish Leather³¹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Sean O'Keeffe⁽⁵⁾| T: B Jordan

50/1

Two-time winner in point-to-points but unlikely this contest will play to his strengths.

Form: P121PF-

Thunderosa^p,t³⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: D J Hand⁽⁷⁾| T: D A McLoughlin

50/1

Point-to-point winner but struggled since switched to racing under Rules and hard to fancy in this event/

Form: 5/33406

Vent D'Automne³⁴⁶

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

10/1

Runner-up to a useful sort on sole point-to-point start and improved from Rules debut to win a bumper at Ballinrobe in 2018. Only seen once since when down the field at Gowran Park in March 2019 but not one to put a line through.

Form: 22/19-

Home Hunter

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: B Browne⁽⁵⁾| T: O McKiernan

66/1

Milan gelding, cost €31,000 in 2016; closely related to Daklondike and half-brother to Great Endeavour; dam a half-sister to Full Irish; worth a market check on debut.

Form:

Runadrum¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Liam McKenna⁽⁷⁾| T: R K Watson

66/1

Shown nothing in point-to-points, bumpers and hurdles and hard to make a case for in a race of this depth.

Form: P-808

Et Dite³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| BF

7/2

Grade 3 winner in France and shown promise in a trio of runs over hurdles. Gets weight from the whole field and step up in trip should suit.

Form: 1/452

Non-Runners

Cala Di Volpe³⁴

Weight: 11-10| Age: 5

T: R K Watson J: P J O'Hanlon

Forecasts

Pencilfulloflead (4/6), Et Dite (7/2), Osmotic (7/1), Hotel Du Nord (8/1), Vent D'Automne (10/1), Ballyadam Destiny (25/1), Cala Di Volpe (25/1), Thunderosa (50/1), Spanish Leather (50/1), Runadrum (66/1), Home Hunter (66/1), Native Gold (100/1), Major Jim (100/1), I Don't Get It (100/1)

PENCILFULLOFLEAD looks the one to beat here following his excellent second at Naas last time out. The Willie Mullins pair Et Dite and Vent D'Automne look like they could be the main dangers and the latter is narrowly preferred in the hope he can bounce back to the level of his bumper form.