15:40 Thurles

Thursday 24 November 2022

All12:3013:0013:3514:1014:4015:1015:40

Start Christmas Here December 18th (Q.R.) Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 15:40 | Winning time: 4m 17.01s

King Arthurs Sword^h1²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr H C Swan⁽⁷⁾| T: M O'Callaghan

20/1

Little impact on both starts over hurdles in early-2021. Off the mark at Leopardstown on penultimate start but not in same form when eighteenth of 26 in handicap (4/1) at the Curragh (10f, heavy) 29 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Hooded for 1st time.

Form: P0/

Draco Pulchrac^t⁴¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-5| J: Mr D O'Connor| T: A J Martin| BF

50/1

Fair handicapper on Flat (stays 1½m), won at Dundalk twice in September. Worthy of a market check on first start in this sphere.

Form:

Pachmena²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Mr J Dunne⁽⁷⁾| T: G P Cromwell

18/1

Fairly useful winner on Flat. 85/40 and tongue strap on for 1st time, went backwards from hurdling bow when fifth of 16 in maiden hurdle at this course (15.8f, good to soft) 3 weeks ago, unable to sustain effort. Worth another chance bearing in mind debut promise.

Form: 35

Chiefs Kingdom

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr B O'Neill| T: P Nolan

40/1

€64,000 3-y-o, Soldier of Fortune gelding. Half-brother to 3 winners, including smart hurdler/useful chaser Ballymoy and fairly useful hurdler Fete Champetre. Dam (h108), bumper/2½m hurdle winner (stayed 2¾m), half-sister to fairly useful hurdler/smart chaser (stayed 3m) Invictus.

Form:

Ideal De Ciergues²¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr J J Codd| T: G Elliott

5/1

Fair form in a brace of bumpers. Makes hurdles debut after 7 months off and worth a second look for top yard.

Form: 37-

Il Etait Temps^h1²⁰⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr P W Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 137

1/7

Useful hurdler who has dined at the top table on all 3 outings over hurdles so far, latest when 18 lengths fourth of 6 to Vauban in Champion Juvenile Hurdle (9/1) at Punchestown (16f, soft) 6 months ago. Hood on and he should take all the beating barring accidents.

Form: 5/2354-

Night Of Dreams¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr T P Harney⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Rothwell

200/1

Fairly useful maiden on the Flat. First run since leaving Richard Hannon when tailed off in maiden hurdle at Cork (16f, heavy, 100/1) on NH debut 18 days ago.

Form: 0

Slane Hill¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr F Maguire| T: B Connell

10/1

Twice-raced maiden. 66/1, shaped as if better for the run after 10 months off when tenth of 25 in maiden hurdle at Naas (16f, soft) 12 days ago.

Form: 8-0

Song For My Father²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr L P Shanahan⁽⁷⁾| T: R O'Sullivan

25/1

Fair form in bumpers. 7/1, first run since leaving Shane Donohoe when fifth of 9 in maiden hurdle at this course (23.3f, good to soft) on hurdles bow 3 weeks ago.

Form: 4-P6525

Wee Jerry¹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr D Higgins⁽⁷⁾| T: N McCluskey

200/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. 250/1, again showed nothing when fifteenth of 19 in maiden hurdle at Navan (20f, soft) 11 days ago.

Form: 0-F2F60

Will It Be You¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr R W Barron⁽⁷⁾| T: L P Cusack

200/1

Yet to show any ability in a trio of maiden hurdles.

Form: 080

Georgie's Gal⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-11| J: Mr A P Ryan⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Rothwell

125/1

40/1, seventh of 8 in bumper at Tramore (16f, good to soft) on debut 6 weeks ago. Makes hurdles debut.

Form: 7

Helisone³³³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: R A Berry⁽⁷⁾| T: H De Bromhead

33/1

5/1, offered something to work on when fifth of 10 in maiden hurdle at Down Royal (17f, heavy) on NH debut. Off 11 months. May well do better.

Form: 5-

Outdoor Mozzy^t1¹⁹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Miss P Elvin⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Rothwell

125/1

Morozov mare. Sister to fairly useful hurdler/useful chaser Town Parks and poor hurdler/fair chaser Silent Man. Dam unraced. Wears tongue strap.

Form: P-P

Rockonjade^t⁵³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-11| J: Mr T Power Roche⁽⁷⁾| T: Richard Morrissey

100/1

Twice-raced maiden. Tongue strap on for 1st time, tenth of 17 in bumper (66/1) at Tipperary (16f, good) 53 days ago. Makes hurdles debut. RESERVE.

Form: 0-0

Non-Runners

Nucky Johnson²⁶

Weight: 11-12| Age: 4

T: N Meade J: Mr Pat Taaffe

Hume Street⁵⁷⁶

Weight: 11-4| Age: 5

T: P J Rothwell J: Reserve 1

Too Easy Mate¹⁸

Weight: 11-4| Age: 4

T: D E Fitzgerald J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Il Etait Temps (1/7), Ideal De Ciergues (5/1), Nucky Johnson (5/1), Slane Hill (10/1), Pachmena (18/1), King Arthurs Sword (20/1), Song For My Father (25/1), Helisone (33/1), Chiefs Kingdom (40/1), Draco Pulchrac (50/1), Hume Street (66/1), Rockonjade (100/1), Too Easy Mate (100/1), Outdoor Mozzy (125/1), Georgie's Gal (125/1), Will It Be You (200/1), Wee Jerry (200/1), Night Of Dreams (200/1)

Having finished third to Vauban and Fil Dor in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown on debut for Willie Mullins back in February, IL ETAIT TEMPS is a confident selection to open his account sporting a first-time hood in much calmer waters than previously today. Ideal de Ciergues showed fair form in a brace of bumpers back in the spring so he's put forward as the main danger on hurdling debut, with Nucky Johnson and Helisone another couple to consider.