Allman Contracts Novice Hurdle

Off time: 13:40 | Winning time: 4m 57.9s

Quirt Evans^t¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: J B Foley⁽⁷⁾| T: D M O'Brien| OR: 132| D

10/3

Useful hurdler. 2 wins from 6 runs this season. 18/1, very good second of 7 in minor event hurdle at Galway (21.4f, good) 19 days ago. No surprise to see him thereabouts again.

Form: 721132

Ballywilliam Boy¹⁴⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: M M McDonagh⁽⁷⁾| T: M Hourigan| OR: 127

6/1

Fairly useful hurdler, off the mark at Naas (19f) in March. Bit below form eighth of 25 in handicap hurdle (25/1) at Punchestown (24f, good to soft) 149 days ago.

Form: 336138-

Benbulben Boy⁶⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Jordan Gainford⁽⁵⁾| T: G Elliott

7/2

Fair in bumpers and good start over hurdles, landing big-field Limerick maiden (19f) prior to a good second up in grade at that venue (20f) in July. Possible he can do better again.

Form: 44-12

Rambranlt'jac⁵⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: W P Mullins| OR: 125

7/2

Fairly useful hurdles winner. 14/1, third of 10 in novice hurdle at Galway (20.7f, good) 58 days ago. That was his first start for amost 4 months and he may well be sharper here.

Form: 53/15-3

Botani⁵⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Brian Hayes| T: Colm Murphy| OR: 127

9/2

Fairly useful hurdler. Latest win in hurdle at Cork in April. 28/1, fifteenth of 19 in handicap hurdle at Galway (22.8f, good) 57 days ago. Rates a player on these terms if bouncing back.

Form: 6513-30

Impervious⁵⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Mike O'Connor⁽⁵⁾| T: Colm Murphy

17/2

Well-related sort who created a very good impression when landing a Cork maiden (18.8f) on hurdles bow last month, forging clear. Runner-up boosted that form next time and she's interesting.

Form: 1

Non-Runners

Tohellortoconnacht¹

Weight: 11-2| Age: 6

T: E McCarthy J: R Deegan

Forecasts

Quirt Evans (10/3), Rambranlt'jac (7/2), Benbulben Boy (7/2), Botani (9/2), Ballywilliam Boy (6/1), Impervious (17/2), Tohellortoconnacht (33/1)

This looks wide open but it was hard not to be impressed with the manner of IMPERVIOUS' debut success at Cork in August, defeating a next-time-out winner by 6.5 lengths. She's worth her place at this higher level and earns the vote. Quirt Evans and the selection's stablemate Botani head up the dangers.