13:23 Down Royal

Sunday 26 December 2021

All12:1312:4813:2313:5814:3315:0315:35

Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle (80-102)

Off time: 13:24 | Winning time: 4m 39.7s

Magic Sea⁴³

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: T Ryan⁽²⁾| T: Mrs S Dawson| OR: 102| CD

14/1

C&D winner. 66/1 and blinkered for 1st time, eighteenth of 21 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (24.2f, good to soft) 43 days ago. Down in trip but recent efforts haven't been all that inspiring.

Form: P-09670

Mutadaawel¹¹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Kevin A Murphy⁽⁴⁾| T: N Slevin| OR: 100

18/1

Thrice-raced maiden over hurdles. Fair winner at 1m on flat. 25/1, thirteenth of 15 in handicap at Galway (8.6f, good). Switches from Flat to hurdles. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Likely to improve.

Form: 0-84

Hillary John⁴¹⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 11-11| J: C Brassil⁽²⁾| T: B R Hamilton| OR: 99

20/1

Sole success came during first stint for this yard back in 2018. More miss than hit for Warren Greatrex/Sean Curran thereafter and hopes pinned on return to this yard perking him up.

Form: 86/3004-

Tenth Amendment^t¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: Shane O'Callaghan⁽⁴⁾| T: K H Clarke| OR: 99

16/1

18/1, sixth of 12 in handicap at Dundalk (16f) 11 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Poor on last hurdle outing.

Form: 524/0-70

Ben Thomson^t²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: N J Ryan⁽⁴⁾| T: N Meade| OR: 96

5/1

10/1, eleventh of 17 in handicap hurdle at Cork (20f, soft) 21 days ago, finding less than looked likely. Still, remains low-mileage from a handicapping perspective and not one to write off.

Form: 058440

Emma Prada³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: J P O'Sullivan⁽²⁾| T: S Doyle| OR: 96

6/1

Below form ninth of 16 in handicap hurdle at Gowran (20f, good to soft, 11/2) 36 days ago, weakening when awkward 2 out. Previous exploits leave him with claims in an open race, however.

Form: 264239

Colwinston^t¹²¹³

Age: 11| Weight: 11-7| J: Cian Cullinan⁽⁴⁾| T: Miss S Barkley| OR: 95

25/1

Remains a maiden after 18 NH runs. 7/1, creditable second of 11 in novice hurdle at this course (20f, good to firm), sticking to task. Off over 3 years.

Form: 459342/

Beat Of The Sea²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Ben Kennedy⁽⁴⁾| T: S Fahey| OR: 94

7/1

Fifteen runs since last win in 2020. Sixth of 16 in handicap hurdle (33/1) at Punchestown (19.4f, good to soft) 21 days ago, dropping away gradually. Mark has eased a little more.

Form: F00706

Uncle Gerhard²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: C G O'Dwyer⁽⁴⁾| T: C O'Dwyer| OR: 94

7/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. 18/1, very good seventh of 16 in novice hurdle at Clonmel (16.2f, soft) 24 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Should progress.

Form: 0097

Justice Ears^h,t⁵⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: Liam McKenna⁽⁴⁾| T: D P Dunne| OR: 92

14/1

Well-beaten last of 5 to Zanahiyr in Grade 2 WKD Hurdle when last seen in October. Out of depth then but previous exploits this year hardly inspire confidence.

Form: 50/P-0P5

Autumn Crusade^p,t¹⁹³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: J B Kane⁽²⁾| T: D A McLoughlin| OR: 90

12/1

Lightly-raced maiden. 12/1, bit below form eighth of 16 in handicap hurdle at Navan (20f, good) in JUne, never dangerous.

Form: P697-F8

Tuckmill⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Mike O'Connor⁽²⁾| T: F J Flood| OR: 90

6/1

Creditable ninth of 19 in handicap hurdle at Navan (20f, good to soft, 66/1) 8 days ago, ridden from 2 out and fading. Drop back in trip may help on that evidence.

Form: 060-P79

Fainche¹⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Shane Fenelon⁽⁴⁾| T: E Sheehy| OR: 88

33/1

28/1, twelfth of 14 in handicap hurdle at Downpatrick (18.8f, good) 140 days ago, weakening between last 2. May prove best back at this shorter trip.

Form: 874400

Herculaneum⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Sam Ewing| T: N C Kelly| OR: 88

15/2

Lightly-raced maiden. 25/1, very good fifth of 13 in novice hurdle at Limerick (19f, good to soft) 40 days ago, running on. Makes handicap hurdle debut and he may do better.

Form: U465

That's Me Finished²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: P J Cawley⁽⁴⁾| T: N C Kelly| OR: 87

66/1

Thrice-raced maiden. 250/1, last of 12 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, good) 29 days ago. Only market support would make him of interest now handicapping.

Form: 000

Non-Runners

Command Chain¹⁶⁶

Weight: 10-13| Age: 6

T: J C McConnell J: Reserve 1

Mater Matuta³¹

Weight: 10-12| Age: 5

T: E D Delany J: Reserve 2

Monoxide²¹

Weight: 10-9| Age: 6

T: N McCluskey J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Ben Thomson (5/1), Tuckmill (6/1), Emma Prada (6/1), Beat Of The Sea (7/1), Uncle Gerhard (7/1), Herculaneum (15/2), Mater Matuta (15/2), Autumn Crusade (12/1), Magic Sea (14/1), Justice Ears (14/1), Tenth Amendment (16/1), Command Chain (16/1), Monoxide (16/1), Mutadaawel (18/1), Hillary John (20/1), Colwinston (25/1), Fainche (33/1), That's Me Finished (66/1)

BEN THOMSON needs to shrug off a lesser effort at Cork on his latest start but he had previously been shaping up okay and could well be worth another chance dropped in trip from a career-low mark. Emma Prada, Herculaneum and Uncle Gerhard are others fancied to figure in a trappy contest.