16:50 Cork

Friday 9 July 2021

All16:1516:5017:2017:5018:2018:5019:20

CorkRacecourse.ie Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 16:50 | Winning time: 3m 53.9s

Approach The City^h,t⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Donagh Meyler| T: J McAuley

40/1

Fair Flat winner. 14/1, eighth of 18 in minor event at Bellewstown (7.8f, good) 7 days ago. Hood/tongue strap on for 1st time in this code. No forlorn hope on debut in this sphere.

Form:

Black Pearl Johnny^h³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: M M McDonagh⁽⁷⁾| T: Aengus King

200/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. Hooded for 1st time, unseated rider first in novice chase (200/1) at Roscommon (16.4f, good) on debut over fences 31 days ago. Switches to hurdles with lots to do.

Form: 50P-U

Gloire D'Athon^t1³⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Paul Townend| T: H De Bromhead

8/13

Fair hurdler. Good third of 18 in novice hurdle at Punchestown (20.4f, good to soft, 10/3) 39 days ago. Back down in trip and much respected in first-time tongue strap.

Form: 1/347-3

Kasperenko¹⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: D F O'Regan| T: D Cullen

14/1

Useful Flat winner. Twice-raced maiden over hurdles and well below that level. Has work to do here.

Form: 66/

Naomh Moling⁴³

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: W J Gleeson⁽⁷⁾| T: J O Clifford

150/1

Thrice-raced maiden. Eleventh of 18 in bumper (200/1) at Limerick (16f, heavy) 43 days ago. Makes hurdles debut with lots more needed.

Form: P/0-0

Offaly Star⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: K J Brouder| T: S Curling

40/1

Twice-raced maiden. 33/1, ninth of 15 in novice hurdle at Tramore (21.6f, good) 5 days ago. Back down in trip with plenty to find.

Form: 59

One Hot Poet⁴⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: P J Carberry| T: M J Smith

18/1

Once-raced maiden. 4/1, pulled up in novice hurdle at Tipperary (24f, heavy) on NH debut 45 days ago. Needs significantly more now.

Form: P

Risk Factor^t²²

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| D

15/8

Fairly useful hurdler. 2/1 and tongue strap on, fair fifth in Flat maiden at Leopardstown (15f, good to firm) 22 days ago. The one to beat back in this sphere.

Form: 2/U36F-3

Seamus Darby^h,t³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Dillon Maxwell⁽⁷⁾| T: M J Smith

50/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. 22/1 and tongue strap on for 1st time in this code, last of 13 in novice hurdle at Tramore (16.8f, good to soft) 34 days ago. Hard to make a case for.

Form: 0644-0

Secret Secret^t⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Philip Donovan⁽⁷⁾| T: D H Kelly| OR: 100

22/1

Lightly-raced maiden. Modest ninth of 13 in novice hurdle at Tipperary (20f, good to soft, 10/1) 8 days ago. Needs to bounce back.

Form: 7-329

Shamiyan^t⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: L P Dempsey| T: M Halford

11/1

Twice-raced maiden over hurdles. Fair winner at 12f on flat. 9/1, seventh of 11 in handicap at Naas (10f, good) 6 days ago. One for the shortlist back in this sphere.

Form: 39-

Stronghold⁶⁷⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: P E Corbett| T: S Slevin

100/1

Fair Flat winner but only modest maiden over hurdles. Off since 2019 and has his first run since leaving Joseph Patrick O'Brien with lots to prove.

Form: B85/

Ann's Burg

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Ricky Doyle| T: J O Clifford

200/1

Sageburg mare. Dam unraced out of fairly useful hurdler/chaser (2m-2½m winner) Zayta, also winner on Flat in France. Other newcomers appeal more.

Form:

Carroll's Pride

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: I J McCarthy| T: N Brett

125/1

Mahler mare. Dam point winner. Looks to face no easy task on her first outing.

Form:

Eye Of The Dragon⁷⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: H McOwan⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs D Foster

80/1

Poor on Flat, only seventeenth of 20 in handicap at Naas (8f, good, 66/1) 74 days ago. First run for yard after leaving M. Halford with fair bit to prove now going hurdling.

Form:

Georgina Burgess^t²³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: A McCurtin⁽⁵⁾| T: S Aherne

80/1

Modest hurdler. 66/1, sixth of 12 in novice hurdle at Navan (15.9f, good) 23 days ago. Needs to step forward if she's to open her account here.

Form: 65/89-06

Hanoras Dream³²³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: J P O'Sullivan⁽⁵⁾| T: M P Fitzgerald

250/1

Once-raced maiden. Last of 8 in bumper (66/1) at Killarney (17f, heavy) on NH debut. Off 10 months. Makes hurdles debut but others appeal more.

Form: 8-

Rags Kitten^h²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: J B Foley⁽⁷⁾| T: G Kelleher| OR: 85

50/1

Lightly-raced maiden. Twelfth of 14 in novice hurdle (16/1) at Kilbeggan (16f, good) 25 days ago. Hard to warm to.

Form: 5P-PU40

Non-Runners

Lizlucky¹⁹⁰

Weight: 11-7| Age: 7

T: P T Foley J: Reserve 1

Victura

Weight: 12-0| Age: 6

T: Mrs Y Dunleavy J: Reserve 2

Ranger P²²

Weight: 11-7| Age: 8

T: Miss S J Harty J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Gloire D'Athon (8/13), Risk Factor (15/8), Shamiyan (11/1), Kasperenko (14/1), One Hot Poet (18/1), Secret Secret (22/1), Offaly Star (40/1), Approach The City (40/1), Rags Kitten (50/1), Seamus Darby (50/1), Lizlucky (66/1), Victura (66/1), Ranger P (66/1), Georgina Burgess (80/1), Eye Of The Dragon (80/1), Stronghold (100/1), Carroll's Pride (125/1), Naomh Moling (150/1), Black Pearl Johnny (200/1), Ann's Burg (200/1), Hanoras Dream (250/1)

Not so competitive as the numbers suggest, and RISK FACTOR, a useful bumper winner, looks the one to beat given the fairly useful level of form he's shown thus far over hurdles too. Gloire d'Athon is feared most on the back of his good Punchestown third, with Shamiyan appealing as the pick of the remainder and a solid place prospect.