14:30 Thurles

Sunday 20 December 2020

All12:3013:0013:3014:0014:3015:0015:30

Boomerang.ie Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:30 | Winning time: 4m 18.8s

Humaniste⁵¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: E J O'Grady| OR: 129| D

12/1

Improved to win Tipperary handicap hurdle in October. Probably best not to judge him too harshly on a poor run on AW Flat since as he has a largely progressive profile over hurdles.

Form: 15/72-81

Saint D'Oroux^p,t⁸⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-6| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 128| D

5/1

Respectable third of 6 in novice hurdle at Listowel (20f, soft, 7/1) 85 days ago. Enters calculations.

Form: 513-933

West Cork Wildway^t1⁶³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: P O'Flynn| OR: 124

7/2

Shaped as if still in form when Fifth of 7 in novice at Cork (24.2f, good) 63 days ago, needing stronger gallop. Significantly down in trip. Tongue strap on 1st time.

Form: 124-125

Future Proof^b⁴³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade| OR: 123| D

18/1

16/1, creditable eighth of 16 in handicap at Naas (14f, heavy) 43 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Stable having good spell. Blinkers back on.

Form: P021-0P

Sullane Hill³¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: P C O'Connor| OR: 123| CD

11/2

Arrives in search of a course hat-trick after pair of wins last month. Form of latter win boosted by third winning since so even a 10 lb rise unlikely to prevent another prominent showing.

Form: 4-8P311

Bolbec⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: J S McGarvey| T: J J Hanlon| OR: 119| D

100/1

Thirteenth of 17 in maiden chase at Punchestown (16f, heavy, 200/1) 9 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles. Others more persuasive.

Form: 8710/90

The Little Yank¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Danny Mullins| T: J P Ryan| OR: 116| D

9/1

Fifteen runs since last win in 2019. Bit below form 15 lengths sixth of 12 to Conright Boy in handicap hurdle (9/1) at Cork (16f, heavy) 14 days ago, unsuited by way race developed.

Form: 334576

Conright Boy^p,t¹⁴

Age: 11| Weight: 10-9| J: A W Short| T: Mrs C O'Leary| OR: 114| D

18/1

Didn't need to improve to win 12-runner handicap hurdle (18/1) at Cork (16f, heavy) 14 days ago, rallying to catch idling runner-up close home. Not an obvious type to follow up.

Form: 212-021

Strange Notions^h²⁹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: Phillip Enright| T: C O'Brien| OR: 114| CD

9/1

Didn't need to be at best when winning 18-runner maiden hurdle (evens) over C&D (heavy) when last seen in March. Has gone well fresh before.

Form: 43/2251-

Morning Skye³²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-5| J: C J Orr⁽³⁾| T: Mrs D A Love| OR: 110

11/1

Creditable fourth of 16 in handicap hurdle (8/1) at Naas (15.8f, soft). Off 10 months. First run for yard after leaving Peter Fahey. Looks competitive on form if ready to roll after break.

Form: 243034-

Lucky Phil^h,t⁴⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-4| J: B J Cooper| T: T Cooper| OR: 109| D

11/1

One win from 21 NH runs. Creditable fifth of 11 in handicap hurdle at this course (20f, soft, 16/1) 45 days ago, unable to sustain effort after racing wide. Interesting back at 2m.

Form: 0-2F855

Turbo^t¹⁴²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-4| J: K C Sexton| T: J R Finn| OR: 109

28/1

Thirteenth of 15 in handicap chase (9/1) at Galway (22.5f, soft) 142 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles. Back down in trip. Tongue strap back on. Easy to look elsewhere.

Form: U567-10

Stamina Chope¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-2| J: J M Moore| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 110

12/1

25/1, creditable 5½ lengths fifth of 12 to Conright Boy in handicap hurdle at Cork (16f, heavy) 14 days ago. Not long with this yard and one to consider.

Form: 5-25545

Non-Runners

Mc Alpine²²

Weight: 9-12| Age: 6

T: P J Rothwell J: Reserve 1

Forecasts

West Cork Wildway (7/2), Saint D'Oroux (5/1), Sullane Hill (11/2), The Little Yank (9/1), Strange Notions (9/1), Lucky Phil (11/1), Morning Skye (11/1), Stamina Chope (12/1), Humaniste (12/1), Future Proof (18/1), Conright Boy (18/1), Mc Alpine (25/1), Turbo (28/1), Bolbec (100/1)

LUCKY PHIL was better than the result when plotting a wide course here last time so might be worth siding with to bring an end to Sullane Hill's winning run at this venue. Gordon Elliott's Saint d'Oroux and Strange Notions, who landed a C&D maiden hurdle when last seen in March, are also on the shortlist.