15:15 Thurles

Thursday 5 March 2020

All14:0514:4015:1515:5016:2517:0017:35

thurles.ie Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 15:15 | Winning time: 4m 16.50s

Kismet Hardy⁶⁶²

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

6/1

Had some fair form on the Flat back in 2016; has just been seen just the once over hurdles back in 2018; difficult to assess but respected given connections.

Form: 6-

Onlyhuman¹³⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: R M Power| T: Mrs J Harrington

7/4

Rated 102 on the Flat and thought good enough to contest at Listed class; looks a very interesting recruit to hurdling and strong market support would be a good sign of stable confidence.

Form:

Sirjack Thomas^h²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: D J McInerney| T: A McGuinness

50/1

83-rated handicapper on the Flat; two outings over hurdles have proved most disappointing and while too early to write off, is probably worth taking on again.

Form: 0-00

Mademoiselle Penny⁶⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: E Walsh⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Flynn

16/1

Has shown glimpses of ability over hurdles including last time out at Tramore; much more needed here to get involved.

Form: 2848

Charlie Siringo⁷⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: J M Moore| T: N Meade

50/1

No real promise in a couple of bumpers before being sent hurdling, finishing down the field on both occasions; last seen struggling on the AW at Dundalk; others have stronger cases.

Form: 05P0

Duca Di Milano⁴¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Richard Condon⁽⁷⁾| T: P A Fahy

100/1

Didn't show a lot in pair of Galway bumper in the autumn and showed not much more in three spins over hurdles (all at Fairyhouse); hard to see him being good enough.

Form: 58086-

Golden Birch^b1,t1¹⁷⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: I J Power| T: P Breen

100/1

Pulled up on sole point-to-point start in January and no impression in four dismal efforts over hurdles; form doesn't warrant support here; blinkered and tongue-tied for the first time.

Form: 0P-700

Optum²⁹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Miss M O'Sullivan⁽⁷⁾| T: E M O'Sullivan

25/1

Westerner gelding out of a Anshan mare. Brother to useful 2m1f hurdle winner Magnium.; would have finished closer on hurdles debut but for a few mistakes; fair each-way claims if hurdling better.

Form: 4

Pottlerath²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: H Morgan⁽⁷⁾| T: P A Fahy

33/1

Ran well in a bumper here in October but hurdles form since has been underwhelming; difficult to make a strong argument for.

Form: 5308

Ran Rite⁵³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Donagh Meyler| T: D M O'Brien

40/1

Fairly experienced point-to-pointer who had his sole success in October; has been off the boil since and that recent form does not suggest he can win this on his debut under rules.

Form: 25-12P5

Sao Paulo²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: T Ryan⁽⁵⁾| T: M Hourigan

100/1

Nothing of note in four starts for trainer Charles Byrnes before pulling up in a December point-to-point; disappointed on stable debut over course and distance in February; entitled to improve but still might not be good enough.

Form: 9/P0

Sargent Lightfoot^h⁴⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: J J Slevin| T: A Murray

100/1

Showed little ability in two bumper outings last year, fared even worse on his hurdling debut at Fairyhouse in January and no real improvement on latest start at Navan.

Form: 8000

Witness Cant State^t¹⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: Ricky Doyle⁽³⁾| T: M Brassil

100/1

Lightly raced gelding by Nickname yet to hit the frame in four starts over hurdles including when unseating rider at the first over course and distance last time out.

Form: 88/8-B

Cashins Hill

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: B Browne⁽⁵⁾| T: P Byrne

66/1

National Hunt bred but not related to anything particularly useful; market will be guide but looks an unlikely winner.

Form:

Cornhill Lass¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: D J Mullins| T: T Mullins

20/1

Has shaped okay in a couple of her bumpers but may need more time and hard to fancy based on weak effort on hurdles debut at Punchestown last month.

Form: 0390

Miss Sophiea^h⁵⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: M A Enright| T: S Curling

100/1

Beaten just one rival home on two racecourse appearances to date; very difficult to suggest she will be able to improve to play a strong role here.

Form: F08

Satin Sun

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: Brian Hayes| T: J Dullea

100/1

Reasonably well-bred National Hunt type related to various winners; will probably need more time and market may provide clues.

Form:

Strange Notions^h³²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: Phillip Enright| T: C O'Brien| OR: 114

1/1

One of the more likely winners based on some useful form in maiden events and a decent fifth place on her handicap debut at Leopardstown in February; interesting contender.

Form: 4/43-225

Forecasts

Strange Notions (1/1), Onlyhuman (7/4), Kismet Hardy (6/1), Mademoiselle Penny (16/1), Cornhill Lass (20/1), Optum (25/1), Pottlerath (33/1), Ran Rite (40/1), Sirjack Thomas (50/1), Charlie Siringo (50/1), Cashins Hill (66/1), Satin Sun (100/1), Sargent Lightfoot (100/1), Sao Paulo (100/1), Witness Cant State (100/1), Miss Sophiea (100/1), Golden Birch (100/1), Duca Di Milano (100/1)

STRANGE NOTIONS has the best form of this rag-tag bunch and a repeat of her recent handicap run at Leopardstown where she finished a respectable 5th or 27 could see her leading home her rivals and landing a deserved first victory. She already has three placed efforts in hurdle races to her name. Onlyhuman will no doubt be popular in the betting ring given connections. The seven-year-old has the best Flat form of those on show and if he can translate that to hurdles then he is capable of getting the better of his rivals. Optum needs to brush up on his hurdling but showed enough on his latest start to suggest he would be capable of winning a maiden hurdle.