13:50 Fairyhouse

Sunday 9 January 2022

All12:5013:2013:5014:2014:5015:2015:50

Fairyhouse Easter Early Bird Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 13:50 | Winning time: 6m 27.9s

Espanito Bello^p1¹²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-13| J: Sean Flanagan| T: B Connell| OR: 131

20/1

Hurdles/chase winner who has been well below best in 2 starts this term, pulled up in handicap chase at Limerick (19.7f) 12 days ago, shaping as if amiss. Tough to assess at present.

Form: 4120-0P

Ravenhill³⁶

Age: 12| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr B Mulligan⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 130| D

40/1

Six wins from 21 NH runs. Pulled up in handicap chase (40/1) at Aintree (25.8f, heavy) 36 days ago, jumping none too fluently and never on terms. Can only be watched back over hurdles.

Form: U683-5P

Silver Sheen^p¹²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Danny Mullins| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 128| D

10/1

50/1 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, bit below form twelfth of 27 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (24f, soft) 12 days ago. May need further respite from the assessor.

Form: 11/0-500

Mr Josiey Wales^p1¹⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr N McParlan| T: D A McLoughlin| OR: 122| D

14/1

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. 22/1, fifth of 8 in minor event hurdle at Limerick (20f, heavy) 14 days ago. Cheekpieces on 1st time. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 1/21-345

Glenquin Castle^p,t³⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-13| J: Mark Walsh| T: M Brassil| OR: 117| D

10/3

Rapidly progressive over hurdles/fences last year, completing remarkable 7-timer in big-field handicap chase at Punchestown (25.7f) last month. Feasible to think he can do better again.

Form: 111111

Ciao Bella^p³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: R Deegan⁽³⁾| T: Miss E Doyle| OR: 115| C

11/2

40/1, bit below form fifteenth of 23 in handicap hurdle at Navan (24.3f, good to soft) 36 days ago, left poorly placed but doing best of those held up. Not ruled out from easing mark.

Form: 145-270

Young Dev^p¹²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-10| J: D G Hogan| T: D Hogan| OR: 114| D

12/1

13/2, creditable third of 18 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (24f, heavy) 12 days ago. Needs to build on that to figure here.

Form: 102P-03

Alohamora^b⁴²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-9| J: J B Foley⁽⁵⁾| T: J Nash| OR: 113| CD

7/2

Fairly useful winner at 23f in chases. 3/1, career best when winning 5-runner handicap chase at this course (19.8f, good) 42 days ago, well on top finish. Switches from chase to hurdles.

Form: 6U3071

Freewheelin Dylan^p,t⁵⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 10-9| J: Ricky Doyle| T: D A McLoughlin| OR: 113| C| D

15/2

Smart handicap chaser who landed the Irish National back in April. Remained in form since, going well enough when unseating in Cross Country event at Cheltenham in November. Reverts to timber now.

Form: 9814-6U

Wall Of Fame^p²⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-9| J: Jordan Gainford⁽³⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 113

6/1

Lightly-raced winner under NH rules. Cheekpieces on for 1st time, creditable fifth of 15 in novice hurdle (5/1) at this course (23.5f, soft) 29 days ago. Improvement expected now handicapping.

Form: 2331-75

Fiveaftermidnight^p⁴²

Age: 9| Weight: 10-0| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 104

20/1

Seventh of 11 in handicap chase (66/1) at this course (29f, good) 42 days ago. Had previously shaped well over hurdles at Navan (22f) in November but this looks tougher again.

Form: 17-0637

Non-Runners

Ardhill²²

Weight: 10-7| Age: 7

T: G Elliott J: Jack Kennedy

That's Lifebuoy¹

Weight: 10-2| Age: 7

T: J P Ryan J: Liam Quinlan

Forecasts

Ardhill (5/2), Glenquin Castle (10/3), Alohamora (7/2), Ciao Bella (11/2), Wall Of Fame (6/1), Freewheelin Dylan (15/2), Silver Sheen (10/1), Young Dev (12/1), Mr Josiey Wales (14/1), That's Lifebuoy (14/1), Espanito Bello (20/1), Fiveaftermidnight (20/1), Ravenhill (40/1)

ARDHILL justified strong market support when bolting up over this sort of trip in first-time blinkers at Ascot 22 days ago and it's hard to envisage a 7 lb rise in the weights preventing a bold follow-up bid here. Glenquin Castle arrives in search of a remarkable eighth consecutive success over fences/hurdles and is next best, ahead of Wall of Fame.