14:45 Naas

Sunday 31 January 2021

All12:4513:1513:4514:1514:4515:1515:4516:15

Celebrating The 2020 ITBA Award Winners Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:03 | Winning time: 4m 13.0s

Aarons Day³⁴³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Liam McKenna⁽⁷⁾| T: O McKiernan| OR: 125| CD

9/1

Promising type. Career best when winning 22-runner handicap hurdle at this course (15.8f) 11 months ago. Absent since but feasible to think he can do better again this term.

Form: 0/67611-

Star Max^p³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: H Morgan⁽⁵⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 125| D

20/1

Fourteen runs since last win in 2019. 25/1, sixteenth of 20 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (24f, soft) 34 days ago. Significantly down in trip. Cheekpieces back on.

Form: 233440

Thermistocles³¹⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 125

28/1

Useful winner at 22f in chases. Career best when winning 11-runner novice chase (9/1) at Thurles (22f, soft), keeping on well. Off 10 months. Switches from chase to hurdles. Down in trip.

Form: F0P031-

Majurca⁷³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Mark Walsh| T: A A Howard| OR: 123

28/1

Useful form at best over fences in France. Not at same level in 2 starts for Joseph O'Brien back in 2018/19 season and the betting may prove the best guide on return for new stable.

Form: 1414F5/

Yaha Fizz^p1¹⁸

Age: 11| Weight: 11-7| J: R P Treacy| T: E D Delany| OR: 120| CD

16/1

Veteran C&D winner. Respectable sixth of 10 in handicap chase at this course (16f, heavy, 11/1) 18 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles. Cheekpieces on for 1st time.

Form: 5-4R886

Capilano Bridge³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Ricky Doyle| T: C O'Dwyer| OR: 118| D

9/2

Winner in hurdle at Thurles in November. 12/1, good sixth of 20 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (16f, good to soft) 36 days ago, running on late. Mark demands that little bit more.

Form: 24-5316

Baltimore Bucko^h,t³³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Mr J J O'Neill⁽⁷⁾| T: Keri Brion| OR: 118| D

5/1

16/1 and hooded tongue strap on, third of 8 in novice hurdle at Limerick (16f, heavy) on IRE NH debut 33 days ago. No forlorn hope making handicap debut

Form: 2183

Sean Says^b¹³³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: K J Brouder| T: R Sweeney| OR: 115| D

28/1

Latest win in hurdle at Limerick in July. 33/1, fifth of 6 in minor event hurdle at Listowel (20f, good) 133 days ago. Back down in trip. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 9-01375

The Broghie Man^b,t¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: Aidan Kelly⁽⁷⁾| T: P Roche| OR: 112

33/1

22/1 and blinkers on for 1st time in this code, below form tenth of 16 in handicap hurdle at this course (19f, heavy) 18 days ago. Drop back in trip rates a likely plus.

Form: 935660

Conright Boy^b1,t³³

Age: 12| Weight: 10-12| J: A W Short| T: Mrs C O'Leary| OR: 111| CD

25/1

C&D winner. 66/1, bit below form eighth of 14 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (19f, heavy) 33 days ago, doing too much too soon. Blinkers on 1st time.

Form: 2-02178

Shakeytry³⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 10-11| J: Phillip Enright| T: E J O'Grady| OR: 110| D

17/2

1 win from 2 runs this season. Career best when winning 11-runner handicap hurdle (7/2) at Tramore (16f, heavy) 30 days ago, driven out. Possibilities with a repeat.

Form: 2231-81

Bulldoze^t³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-10| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 109

25/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. Below form seventh of 15 in novice hurdle (14/1) at Limerick (16f, heavy) 34 days ago. Needs to step up again now switched to handicaps.

Form: 04-397

Master Artist¹²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-10| J: I J Power| T: J E Kiely| OR: 109

25/1

Ninth of 13 in handicap hurdle (15/2) at Gowran (20f, good to soft) 121 days ago, jumping sketchily. Had proven consistent in maiden contests previously so not one to write off.

Form: 9-22239

Bold Emperor⁴⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 10-9| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: T Gibney| OR: 108| D

13/2

Fourteen runs since last win in 2017. Possibly found race coming too soon when seventh of 13 in handicap hurdle at Navan (20f, heavy, 15/2) 44 days ago. Return to shorter will hold no fears.

Form: 8-24347

Stamina Chope⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-9| J: J M Moore| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 110

16/1

12/1, good third of 13 in handicap hurdle at Thurles (16f, heavy) 42 days ago. Remains a maiden but he holds each-way claims judged on recent exploits.

Form: 255453

Aircraft Carrier³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: Danny Mullins| T: L Comer| OR: 106

14/1

Pulled up in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (20f, soft, 16/1) 34 days ago, weakening before 3 out. Down in trip. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 0697P-P

Bigz Belief⁷²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-13| J: P J Carberry| T: M J Smith| OR: 114

13/2

Lightly-raced maiden. 7/2, creditable second of 9 in juvenile hurdle at Gowran (16f, heavy) 72 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Shortlist material.

Form: 73322

Non-Runners

Melly And Me⁷⁰

Weight: 10-10| Age: 8

T: N Meade J: Sean Flanagan

Youngnedofthehill⁸⁴

Weight: 10-2| Age: 13

T: S Nolan J: Reserve 1

Mc Alpine²⁸

Weight: 9-12| Age: 7

T: P J Rothwell J: Reserve 2

Forecasts

Capilano Bridge (9/2), Baltimore Bucko (5/1), Bigz Belief (13/2), Bold Emperor (13/2), Youngnedofthehill (13/2), Shakeytry (17/2), Aarons Day (9/1), Aircraft Carrier (14/1), Stamina Chope (16/1), Yaha Fizz (16/1), Melly And Me (16/1), Star Max (20/1), Mc Alpine (20/1), Conright Boy (25/1), Master Artist (25/1), Bulldoze (25/1), Thermistocles (28/1), Majurca (28/1), Sean Says (28/1), The Broghie Man (33/1)

A typically wide-open, big-field handicap in which BIGZ BELIEF gets the nod to come out on top. A modest maiden on the Flat, there has been much more to like about his exploits in juvenile hurdles and he can make use of his handy 4-y-o allowance now his sights are set on handicaps. Tramore-winner Shakeytry and the returning Aarons Day are also considered, along with Baltimore Bucko.