15:02 Fairyhouse

Saturday 3 December 2022

All11:3512:0712:4213:1713:5214:2715:0215:35

Kevin Sheedy Bowel Cancer Raceday 17th December Handicap Hurdle (80-130)

Off time: 15:04 | Winning time: 5m 9.50s

Boothen Boy³⁹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Jordan Gainford| T: G Elliott| OR: 129

20/1

Lightly-raced winner under NH rules. Fell in Grade 3 novice hurdle at Navan (16f, good to soft, 14/1) 13 months ago (looking booked for second). Absent since but he well have more to offer now handicapping on return.

Form: 25/1F-

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Minella Escape^p³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-13| J: Derek McGrath⁽⁷⁾| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 128

25/1

28/1 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, fourteenth of 16 in handicap hurdle at Galway (22f, heavy) 35 days ago, finding nothing. Not the easiest to assess at present.

Form: 9474F-0

Bigz Belief^b,t²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-9| J: Keith Donoghue| T: M J Smith| OR: 124

40/1

50/1 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, nineteenth of 23 in handicap hurdle at Navan (16f, soft) 20 days ago. Back up in trip. Blinkers back on.

Form: 310-780

Flying Scotsman^b²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 122

15/2

20/1, bit below form twelfth of 20 in handicap at Naas (16.1f, heavy) 27 days ago. Needs to keep the errors at bay returned to timber and no forlorn hope if doing so.

Form: 1910-59

Doctor Churchill¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-5| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 120

14/1

17/2, creditable fifth of 12 in handicap hurdle at Clonmel (16.3f, heavy) 16 days ago, not knocked about. Up in trip now and he's one to keep an eye on.

Form: 120-905

Whatsavailable^t1¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: M F Morris| OR: 120| CD

11/4

C&D winner. Creditable ninth of 15 in handicap hurdle (14/1) at Punchestown (23.9f, good to soft) 13 days ago. Tongue strap on 1st time.

Form: 19-FU49

Zanjabeel^t⁵²⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 11-1| J: Liam McKenna⁽⁷⁾| T: M J Browne| OR: 116| BF| D

125/1

Fairly useful hurdles winner for Gordon Elliott who tasted success in Grade 1 company in America back in 2018. Very lightly raced since, absent since finishing sixth of 9 in minor event chase at Percy Warner (3m) in June 2021. Market should guide on yard debut.

Form: 1114P/6-

Gaius³⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Simon Torrens| T: N C Kelly| OR: 115| BF

20/1

Latest win in hurdle at Sligo in October. 13/8, creditable third of 15 in handicap hurdle at Clonmel (19.4f, heavy) 37 days ago. Should give another good account.

Form: 9P3113

Papal Lodge³⁸⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: D F O'Regan| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 115

20/1

15/2, seventh of 9 in handicap hurdle at Clonmel (19.9f, heavy). Off 12 months. First run for yard after leaving Gordon Elliott.

Form: 11P/587-

Viceregent⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: Philip Byrnes⁽⁵⁾| T: C Byrnes| OR: 114

6/1

7/4, creditable third of 16 in novice hurdle at Limerick (16f, soft) 41 days ago. Up in trip. Yard in good form and longer trip could unlock some improvement now handicapping.

Form: 7-02923

Charlie Stout^t¹⁸⁶

Age: 11| Weight: 10-11| J: Donagh Meyler| T: S Nolan| OR: 112| C| D

22/1

Eleven runs since last win in 2020. Below form seventh of 15 in handicap chase (18/1) at Ballinrobe (23f, good to soft). Off 6 months. Switches from chase to hurdles.

Form: 5006-47

Explosive Boy^t²²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-10| J: P J Carberry| T: A J Martin| OR: 111

13/8

20/1, very good second of 19 in handicap hurdle at Cheltenham (16.4f, good) 22 days ago. Steps back up in trip now and worth siding with to prove his mark lenient.

Form: 6055-62

Forecasts

Explosive Boy (13/8), Whatsavailable (11/4), Viceregent (6/1), Flying Scotsman (15/2), Doctor Churchill (14/1), Papal Lodge (20/1), Gaius (20/1), Boothen Boy (20/1), Charlie Stout (22/1), Minella Escape (25/1), Bigz Belief (40/1), Zanjabeel (125/1)

EXPLOSIVE BOY is lightly raced for his age and took his form up a notch when runner-up at Cheltenham 3 weeks ago, rallying and just failing to get up. Back up in trip now, he gets the nod to confirm his mark a lenient one. The returning Boothen Boy is also of interest on handicap debut, along with Viceregent and Gaius.