14:35 Punchestown

Tuesday 23 November 2021

All12:0012:3013:0013:3514:0514:3515:0515:35

Connolly's RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 14:35 | Winning time: 5m 39.50s

Sam's Choice³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott

5/1

Promising sort. Bumper winner. 9/2, fourth of 7 in maiden at Galway (16.4f, heavy) on hurdles bow 31 days ago. Significantly up in trip. Open to progress.

Form: 24-14

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Daring Rocco¹⁸⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mark Walsh| T: M Brassil

50/1

€26,000 3-y-o, Shirocco gelding. Half-brother to fairly useful hurdler Mr Puck and modest chase winner Suzy's Music, stayed 3¼m. Fifth in a point in May.

Form: 5

Freedom To Dream⁶⁹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Kevin Sexton| T: Peter Fahey

12/1

Placed in 2 bumpers in the second half of 2019 but has long absence to overcome now hurdling.

Form: 32/

Brulure Noire¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: M J Molloy⁽⁷⁾| T: J J Hanlon

300/1

10/1, sixth of 7 in bumper at Thurles (16f, good to soft) on NH debut 19 days ago. Makes hurdles debut. Significantly up in trip.

Form: FF6

Hunters Yarn²⁴⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: Danny Mullins| T: W P Mullins

5/6

Ready winner of a Thurles bumper in March and has joined Willie Mullins ahead of his hurdle debut. Makes obvious appeal.

Form: 31-

Life In The Park²²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead

9/4

Half-brother to 3 winners, including useful hurdler/smart chaser Lifetime Ambition. In command when fell last on sole point start in April. Interesting hurdle newcomer for top stable.

Form: F-

Emperor Dani³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: E Walsh⁽⁵⁾| T: L P Cusack

300/1

Twice-raced maiden under NH rules. 250/1, sixth of 7 in novice hurdle at Galway (16.4f, heavy) on hurdles bow 31 days ago. Significantly up in trip.

Form: 76

Inspiteofourselves¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: D F O'Regan| T: Peter Fahey

300/1

Twice-raced maiden under NH rules. 125/1, twentieth of 22 in novice hurdle at Naas (16f, good to soft) on hurdles bow 17 days ago. Significantly up in trip.

Form: 00

Johngus^t²⁰⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: S Aherne| OR: 112

18/1

Fair hurdler. Remains a maiden after 8 hurdle runs. 66/1, well beaten when brought down last at this course (20.6f, good to soft) in April. Likely vulnerable on return.

Form: 442F6B-

Forecasts

Hunters Yarn (5/6), Life In The Park (9/4), Sam's Choice (5/1), Freedom To Dream (12/1), Johngus (18/1), Daring Rocco (50/1), Brulure Noire (300/1), Emperor Dani (300/1), Inspiteofourselves (300/1)

A very interesting race of its type. HUNTERS YARN has switched to Willie Mullins since his easy Thurles bumper success in March and is the one to beat, but Life In The Park was nicely clear of a subsequent bumper winner when coming down at the last in his sole point and would rate a threat if the betting speaks for him. Sam's Choice is best of the rest.