14:20 Naas

Sunday 13 March 2022

All13:4514:2014:5515:3016:0516:4017:15

Bar One Racing Kingsfurze Novice Hurdle (Grade 3)

Off time: 14:22 | Winning time: 4m 0.10s

Slip Of The Tongue²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Mark Walsh| T: P Roche| OR: 138

7/4

Promising individual. Career best when winning 6-runner listed hurdle (5/2) at Punchestown (16f, heavy) 28 days ago by ¾ length from Deploy The Getaway, keeping on well. Merits consideration.

Form: 1231

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Deploy The Getaway²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: W P Mullins| OR: 136

2/1

Promising type. 3/1, good ¾-length second of 6 to Slip of The Tongue in listed hurdle at Punchestown (2m, heavy) 28 days ago, conditions appearing to find him out. 4 lb better off with that rival now.

Form: 1/2-2312

Gatsby Grey^t¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: B Browne| T: O McKiernan

20/1

Lightly-raced winner under NH rules. 8/1 and hooded for 1st time, 8½ lengths fourth of 6 to The Goffer in Michael Purcell Memorial Novices' Hurdle at Thurles (20.7f, soft) 17 days ago. Down in trip.

Form: 1-174

Highland Charge¹⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade| CD

10/1

Fairly useful hurdler. Evens, career best when winning 17-runner novice hurdle at this course (15.5f, soft) 14 days ago, battling well. That may not prove his limit.

Form: 14-6221

In From The Cold¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: R Deegan| T: M Mulvany| OR: 131| C

28/1

Winner in hurdle at Wexford (16.5f) in October. Fifth of 7 in minor event on Flat at Dundalk (10.7f, 11/1) 16 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles and others appeal more.

Form: 1340

Vina Ardanza¹⁰⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott

8/1

Landed sole start in bumpers for Stuart Crawford and maintained 100% record when scoring on yard/hurdles bow at Thurles (15.8f) in November, edging ahead late on. Type to progress further.

Form: 1-1

Walnut Beach¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: P J Flynn

50/1

Thrice-raced winner over hurdles. Won 16-runner novice hurdle at Punchestown (16f, heavy, 9/4) 18 days ago, comfortably. May well do better again in this sphere but this undoubtedly tougher.

Form: 421

Gypsy Island³¹¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-8| J: Simon Torrens| T: Peter Fahey| C

7/1

Jeremy mare who enhanced fine strike rate on back of 25 months off when landing a mares' maiden at Tipperary (2m) last May. Absent again since but she remains the type to do better again.

Form: 12111/1

Forecasts

Slip Of The Tongue (7/4), Deploy The Getaway (2/1), Gypsy Island (7/1), Vina Ardanza (8/1), Highland Charge (10/1), Gatsby Grey (20/1), In From The Cold (28/1), Walnut Beach (50/1)

SLIP OF THE TONGUE coped well with the emphasis on stamina and survived a final flight blunder to boot when reeling in Deploy The Getaway at Punchestown 4 weeks ago and he gets the nod to confirm those placings. The latter is an obvious threat however, whilst Gypsy Island who boasts an excellent strike rate is also worth a second look.