13:45 Punchestown

Tuesday 11 October 2022

All13:4514:2014:5515:3016:0516:4017:10

Paddy Power 'Don't Mind The Flat, The Jumps Are Back' 3-Y-O Hurdle

Off time: 13:45 | Winning time: 3m 55.07s

Surac^h1²³

Age: 3| Weight: 11-0| J: D A Jacob| T: R O'Brien

7/1

Fair maiden on the Flat. Thrice-raced winner over hurdles. 17/2, third of 13 in juvenile hurdle at Listowel (16f, good) 23 days ago, inadequate test. Hood on 1st time.

Form: 133

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

Bridgehead¹³

Age: 3| Weight: 10-8| J: B J Cooper| T: N Meade

5/2

Fair maiden on Flat. maiden. Promising start over hurdles when second at Ballinrobe last month. Respectable effort on the Flat since. Major player

Form: 2

Brown Eagle¹⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 10-8| J: Sean Flanagan| T: M C Grassick

40/1

Fair Flat winner. Eighth of 16 in juvenile hurdle at Gowran (16f, soft, 33/1) on NH debut 10 days ago. Needs to step up a good deal on that.

Form: 8

Common Practice²³

Age: 3| Weight: 10-8| J: Mark Walsh| T: J P O'Brien

4/1

Fairly useful Flat winner. 2/1, needed experience when sixth (Surac third) of 13 in juvenile at Listowel (16f, good) on NH debut 23 days ago. Sure to improve, possibly considerably so.

Form: 6

Shetland Tony¹⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 10-8| J: Sam Ewing| T: G Elliott

11/1

Thrice-raced maiden. Third of 16 in juvenile hurdle (11/2) at Gowran (16f, soft) 10 days ago.

Form: U43

Tell Her Nothing¹²³

Age: 3| Weight: 10-8| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: B W Duke

150/1

125/1, last of 10 in maiden at Fairyhouse (12f, good to soft) on Flat debut in June. Can't make a case for on hurdle debut.

Form:

Vintage Release^t1¹⁰³

Age: 3| Weight: 10-8| J: Simon Torrens| T: E Sheehy

150/1

Modest maiden on the Flat. 66/1, seventh of 12 in juvenile at Tipperary (16f, good to soft) on NH debut 103 days ago. Tongue strap on for 1st time.

Form: 7

War Correspondent^t¹⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-8| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: R P Cody

7/2

Fairly useful maiden on the Flat. Interesting on hurdle debut for last year's winning stable, even more so if the betting speaks in his favour.

Form:

Bestaline¹²⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 10-1| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| D

16/5

Bought for €100,000 after winning sole Flat start in France. Likely to have a big say on hurdle debut for top connections, particularly if the betting vibes are strong.

Form:

Circus Act¹⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 10-1| J: Gavin Brouder⁽⁵⁾| T: J Nash

125/1

Modest maiden on the Flat and well beaten on completed start over hurdles.

Form: U0

Starlight Rose^t⁴³

Age: 3| Weight: 10-1| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: Thomas Dowling

80/1

Modest winner at 13f on Flat. Remote seventh on hurdle debut. Likely outsider.

Form: 7

Forecasts

Bridgehead (5/2), Bestaline (16/5), War Correspondent (7/2), Common Practice (4/1), Surac (7/1), Shetland Tony (11/1), Brown Eagle (40/1), Starlight Rose (80/1), Circus Act (125/1), Tell Her Nothing (150/1), Vintage Release (150/1)

The level of COMMON PRACTICE's Flat form means he could easily leave the form of his opening hurdle run behind so he gets the nod, although a strong market move for Gordon Elliott's French Flat recruit Bestaline would put a slightly different slant on things. Bridgehead was a promising second on his hurdle debut and looks best of the rest.