16:50 Downpatrick

Wednesday 13 July 2022

All15:1015:4516:2016:5017:2217:5218:22

North Down Marquees Handicap Hurdle (80-95)

Off time: 16:50 | Winning time: 4m 34.6s

Ask The Leader^t⁴⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: J B Foley⁽³⁾| T: D M Christie| OR: 94| CD

6/1

C&D winner. Eleventh of 16 in handicap hurdle at Ballinrobe (18.5f, good to soft, 15/2) 44 days ago. Tongue strap back on. Weighted to go well if shrugging off latest effort.

Form: 910-730

Init Together¹⁵¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: Peter Smithers⁽⁷⁾| T: P Roche| OR: 95

7/1

Lightly-raced maiden. 16/1, pulled up in handicap hurdle at Naas (15.6f, soft) 151 days ago, pulled up before last. Needs to bounce back.

Form: 5000P-

Good Man Turk^t⁵⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-9| J: Keith Donoghue| T: M J Smith| OR: 89| BF

9/2

3/1, respectable seventh of 19 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (16.5f, good to soft) 50 days ago. Can make presence felt.

Form: 00624-7

Itsabeautifulnoise^h1,t1⁵⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: T Gibney| OR: 88

14/1

Thrice-raced maiden. Seventeenth of 20 in novice hurdle at Punchestown (16.5f, good to soft, 18/1) 50 days ago. Hood/tongue strap on 1st time. Makes handicap hurdle debut but others look better treated.

Form: 0-00

Darkest Hour^t³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Phillip Enright| T: M M McNiff| OR: 87

8/1

40/1, very good third of 12 in handicap hurdle at this course (17.3f, good to soft) 31 days ago. Well worth considering.

Form: 7000-73

Maggie Barrett¹²³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Shane Fitzgerald⁽³⁾| T: B R Hamilton| OR: 87

12/1

150/1, eighth of 12 in novice hurdle at Navan (16f, heavy) 123 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut with work to do.

Form: 240008-

I Can't Remember²⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Sean Flanagan| T: C A McBratney| OR: 86

33/1

Fourteenth of 15 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (19.5f, good to soft, 66/1). Off 8 months. First run for yard after leaving Gavin Patrick Cromwell with lots more required.

Form: 070090-

Menindee¹⁷⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: Jordan Gainford| T: D M Christie| OR: 86

18/1

Lightly-raced maiden. 100/1, fifteenth of 22 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (24.2f, heavy) 177 days ago. Down in trip and others appeal more.

Form: P/508P0-

Yarraman^t²²³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-3| J: E Walsh⁽⁵⁾| T: P Cluskey| OR: 83

80/1

66/1, fourteenth of 16 in handicap hurdle at Clonmel (16.2f, soft). Off 7 months and lots more is needed.

Form: 9260/00-

Kemstar^t⁴⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: M M McDonagh⁽⁵⁾| T: P Griffin| OR: 82

50/1

18/1, running below par when fell 4 out in handicap chase at Limerick (17.7f, good) 47 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles and needs to bounce back.

Form: 8PF40-F

Montel Glory³²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Niall Moore⁽⁷⁾| T: P Fenton| OR: 80

6/1

16/1, excellent fourth of 14 in handicap hurdle at this course (21.3f, good to soft) 32 days ago, finishing well under a patient ride. Player off an unchanged mark with more to offer.

Form: 7P0-564

No Way Pedro^b,t¹¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: Richard Condon⁽⁷⁾| T: M Butler| OR: 80

8/1

Tongue strap on for 1st time, creditable fourth of 12 in handicap hurdle (13/2) at Bellewstown (20f, good) 11 days ago. Merits consideration.

Form: 729-764

Our Brian³¹

Age: 12| Weight: 11-0| J: J P O'Sullivan⁽⁵⁾| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 80| C

16/1

Course winner. Twelve runs since last win in 2019. 18/1, below form fourth of 12 in handicap hurdle at this course (17.3f, good to soft) 31 days ago. Needs to get back on track.

Form: 0P307-4

Zagnzig³²

Age: 11| Weight: 11-0| J: D F O'Regan| T: H Smyth| OR: 80| D

33/1

One win from 44 NH runs. Twenty seven runs since last win in 2018. 13/2, fifth of 6 in handicap chase at this course (19.2f, good to soft) 32 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles with a big step forward required. RESERVE

Form: 876-4F5

Top Basanta⁴⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: C D Maxwell| T: D A McLoughlin| OR: 88| BF

13/2

16/5, seventh of 11 in handicap hurdle at Wexford (24f, good to soft) 49 days ago. Back down in trip and others appeal more. RESERVE

Form: 04065-7

Non-Runners

Bergentown¹²⁹

Weight: 11-8| Age: 5

T: P Fenton J: J P Shinnick

Ballykilmurray²³²

Weight: 11-5| Age: 7

T: A Donoghue J: J J Slevin

Hillary John³¹

Weight: 11-10| Age: 11

T: B R Hamilton J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Good Man Turk (9/2), Montel Glory (6/1), Ask The Leader (6/1), Top Basanta (13/2), Init Together (7/1), Darkest Hour (8/1), No Way Pedro (8/1), Maggie Barrett (12/1), Ballykilmurray (12/1), Itsabeautifulnoise (14/1), Our Brian (16/1), Menindee (18/1), Hillary John (20/1), Bergentown (25/1), Zagnzig (33/1), I Can't Remember (33/1), Kemstar (50/1), Yarraman (80/1)

MONTEL GLORY caught the eye under a patient ride when fourth here last month and is fancied to open his account now off the same mark. No Way Pedro is another weighted to have a say in his bid for a breakthrough success with top-weight Ask The Leader also in the mix if back on song after a modest showing at Ballinrobe.