16:20 Naas

Sunday 8 March 2020

All14:1014:4015:1515:4516:2016:5017:20

Expert Air, The International Express Delivery Experts Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 16:22 | Winning time: 4m 47.1s

Badness Backfires⁴³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: Mrs D Foster

100/1

Gelding by San Frontieres out of a Mizzen Mast mare. Pulled up on sole point-to-point start in February 2018 before a wretched effort on maiden hurdle debut at Fairyhouse in January.

Form: P/0

Euclyde Dubreau⁶⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G Elliott

25/1

By Anzillero out of a half-sister to fairly useful hurdler/chaser Quaska d'Airy. Dismal effort on debut in a Fairyhouse 2m4f maiden hurdle at the turn of the year on yielding ground. Needs to step it up for respected connections.

Form: 0

Get Crackin¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: A W Short⁽³⁾| T: E Cawley

100/1

Getaway gelding. Sent off at odds of 100/1 on both career starts so far before running accordingly. No realistic chance on what he has shown so far.

Form: 00

Gold Des Bois^t¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: R M Power| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 116| BF

11/4

Career best effort on his third start in a Thurles maiden hurdle over 2m5f to finish third of 17 beaten 4L behind Granny Knot last month. Makes more appeal than most.

Form: F1-0643

Home Hunter¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr J W Reilly⁽⁷⁾| T: O McKiernan

66/1

Milan gelding, cost €31,000 in 2016 Closely related to Daklondike and half-brother to Great Endeavour. No impression when pulled up before the last obstacles on hurdling debut at Punchestown last month.

Form: P

Kargs Post²¹

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

100/1

Whitmore's Conn gelding, tailed off on recent rules bow in a 2m soft-to-heavy Navan maiden having gone off a 100-1 chance. Plenty to prove on second start.

Form: 5-0

Major Jim¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Simon Torrens⁽⁷⁾| T: S Nolan

100/1

Mustameet gelding. Nothing of note in three dismal maiden hurdle efforts so far since the turn of the year, sent off at odds of 100/1 on all three occasions.

Form: 00-P

Mise Raftaire⁸³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: S A Shortall| T: B Cawley

80/1

Some promise in second bumper when beaten just over 8L into fifth of 14 at Roscommon before finishing down the field when making no impression on hurdling debut at Naas when last seen in December.

Form: 050

Pat's Pick²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: D F O'Regan| T: N Meade

4/1

Posted a career best effort finishing fourth of 20 beaten over 8L in a 2m Navan maiden hurdle last month. In the right hands to improve once again.

Form: 1/74

Sean Hogan

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: D P Holden⁽⁷⁾| T: H De Bromhead

14/1

Flemensfirth gelding out of a Beneficial mare. Cost €82,000 as a three-year-old. Closely related to Minella Beat. Market likely to reveal expectations on hurdling debut.

Form:

The Dukes Nephew²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: L P Dempsey| T: J P Dempsey

66/1

San Frontieres gelding out of a Safety Catch mare. Mid-division when never a factor on debut at Navan last month on heavy ground over 2m. Hard to entertain his chances.

Form: 0

The Very Man^t²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott| OR: 125

5/6

Experienced four-race maiden. Career best effort finishing second of 20 runners 3½L behind the Willie Mullins-trained Francin at Navan last month. Winner holds five entries at the Cheltenham festival next week.

Form: 17-F342

Boghlone Honey¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: T Ryan⁽⁵⁾| T: L P Cusack

66/1

Daughter of Jeremy. Well held and no impression on hurdling debut at Punchestown last month. Needs to take a big step forward to get competitive in this company.

Form: 67

Carriealice^h1¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Phillip Enright| T: S Nolan

100/1

Mustameet filly out of a Mr Combustible mare. Dam, eight-race maiden over hurdles. Dismal effort on hurdling debut in July last year before failing to finish in a couple of point-to-point starts last month. First-time hood unlikely to assist.

Form: 7UU

Estijmaam¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: P D Kennedy| T: Mrs J Harrington

16/1

Six-race maiden on the Flat. Pleasing introduction on hurdling debut at Punchestown over 2m last month and likely to be open to improvement in this contest.

Form: 5

Papal Pearl^t¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Sean O'Keeffe⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs J Harrington

25/1

A little bit hit and miss last season but ran some good races in defeat, most notably at Navan and Punchestown. Encouraging effort on latest start over 2m last month but more needed here.

Form: 396-356

Tara Gael²²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: J J Slevin| T: P A Fahy

100/1

Daughter of Kayf Tara out of a Generous mare. Dam winner of three of her seven starts over hurdles racing between 2m and 2m3f. Beaten over 170L on debut in a Gowran Park bumper last month.

Form: 0

Will You Win²¹

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

66/1

Well beaten and no impression in a couple of career starts so far including a dismal effort over 2m last month at Navan. Faces a tough ask in this company.

Form: 00

Non-Runners

Kaatskill Nap⁵²⁴

Weight: 11-12| Age: 7

T: W P Mullins J: Danny Mullins

Royal Reve²²

Weight: 11-12| Age: 6

T: T M Walsh J: Mark Walsh

Forecasts

The Very Man (5/6), Gold Des Bois (11/4), Kaatskill Nap (10/3), Pat's Pick (4/1), Sean Hogan (14/1), Estijmaam (16/1), Papal Pearl (25/1), Euclyde Dubreau (25/1), Royal Reve (33/1), Boghlone Honey (66/1), Will You Win (66/1), The Dukes Nephew (66/1), Home Hunter (66/1), Mise Raftaire (80/1), Badness Backfires (100/1), Tara Gael (100/1), Major Jim (100/1), Kargs Post (100/1), Carriealice (100/1), Get Crackin (100/1)

THE VERY MAN has been running well in defeat in a number of starts November and can take advantage of his experience over hurdles to get off the mark over timber at the fifth attempt. The six-year-old finished a gallant second behind the Cheltenham festival bound Francin on his latest start at Navan last month. The Gordon Elliott-trained gelding can hold off his biggest dangers, who are expected to be Gold Des Bois for trainer Jessica Harrington, who posted a decent effort on his third start in a Thurles maiden hurdle over 2m5f to finish third of 17 beaten 4L behind Granny Knot last month and the Willie Mullins-trained Kaatskill Nap on his first run for 524 days.