17:35 Ballinrobe

Friday 8 April 2022

All16:3017:0017:3518:1018:4019:1019:40

McGrath Limestone Works Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 17:35 | Winning time: 4m 26.70s

Zoffanien¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-13| J: D G Hogan| T: D Hogan| OR: 131| CD

9/1

C&D winner. Eleven runs since last win in 2021. Fifth of 6 in minor event hurdle at Cork (16f, good to soft, 14/1) 15 days ago. Others arrive with more pressing claims.

Form: 5P0095

Wouldn't You Agree³³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Donagh Meyler| T: E Griffin| OR: 128

9/1

Latest win in hurdle at Killarney in August. Fourth of 6 in minor event hurdle at Leopardstown (18.3f, good to soft, 10/1) 33 days ago. Possible he will have come on from that run and not discounted back in a handicap.

Form: 2513P4

Aarons Day^t⁴⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: B Browne| T: O McKiernan| OR: 123

7/1

Quirky sort. 12/1, below form ninth of 21 in handicap hurdle at Naas (15.5f, soft) 40 days ago, dropping away before the last. Mark has eased a little more at least.

Form: 867-499

Longclaw^t¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Liam McKenna⁽⁷⁾| T: M J Smith| OR: 120

50/1

125/1, last of 9 in minor event hurdle at Downpatrick (18.8f, good) 19 days ago, struggling from halfway. Needs to step up to figure.

Form: 140-009

Mythical Hero²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: T N Brett⁽⁷⁾| T: Ms M Mullins| OR: 118

20/1

Winner in hurdle at Cork (2m) in November. Respectable fifth of 11 in handicap hurdle (33/1) at Naas (19f, heavy) 26 days ago. May need to ease a little more in the weights before becoming of serious interest.

Form: 30-15P5

Ujumpthelastuwin³³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: Sean Flanagan| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 118

20/1

22/1, fell in novice chase at Leopardstown (17f, good to soft) 33 days ago, untidy first and falling 3 out. Switch back to hurdling may help now.

Form: 8F0-F6F

Andratx^t⁴⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 10-12| J: Phillip Enright| T: M M McNiff| OR: 116| C

28/1

C&D winner. Eleven runs since last win in 2017. Fifteenth of 21 in handicap hurdle (80/1) at Naas (15.5f, soft) 40 days ago, racing off the pace and never involved.

Form: F29700

The Dara Man¹²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: Liam Quinlan⁽⁵⁾| T: J P Ryan| OR: 116| C| D

3/1

Firmly back on track following a break when running out a convincing winner of a Limerick novices' handicap chase (17.5f) 12 days ago. No surprise to see him out pretty quickly and respected back over hurdles.

Form: 354981

Varna Gold⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: J G Gilligan⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Gilligan| OR: 116

5/1

Eleven runs since last win in 2020. 4/1, eleventh of 13 in handicap at Cork (10.2f, good to soft) 5 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Not disgraced on last hurdle run.

Form: 32B576

Harvey's Quay¹⁰⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: J S McGarvey| T: E J O'Grady| OR: 115| BF

11/1

Winner in hurdle at Clonmel in December. 2/1, ninth of 11 in minor event hurdle at Limerick (16f, heavy) 100 days ago. STill low mileage and he may well bounce back.

Form: 40-7319

Mattie's Mountain²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 10-7| J: R Deegan⁽³⁾| T: E McCarthy| OR: 111

10/1

Seventh of 10 in handicap hurdle at Navan (16f, heavy, 15/2) 27 days ago. Needs to step up again to feature.

Form: 13-54P7

Magnor Glory^h⁵⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-0| J: C D Maxwell| T: T O'Brien| OR: 104

5/1

11/1, creditable fifth of 16 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (19.8f, soft) 58 days ago, no extra from the last. Each-way possibilities back down in trip.

Form: 6-15535

Non-Runners

Noble Birth¹

Weight: 10-5| Age: 5

T: G Elliott J: Jordan Gainford

Forecasts

The Dara Man (3/1), Noble Birth (4/1), Magnor Glory (5/1), Varna Gold (5/1), Aarons Day (7/1), Wouldn't You Agree (9/1), Zoffanien (9/1), Mattie's Mountain (10/1), Harvey's Quay (11/1), Mythical Hero (20/1), Ujumpthelastuwin (20/1), Andratx (28/1), Longclaw (50/1)

A former C&D hurdles winner, THE DARA MAN arrives having posted a career-best display when successful over fences at Navan 4 weeks ago and he gets the nod to confirm the improvement shown then back over smaler obstacles. Noble Birth ran just a fair race on Thursday, but may still do better and is feared most, ahead of Harvey's Quay.