14:32 Punchestown

Saturday 31 December 2022

All12:1512:4713:2213:5714:3215:0715:42

Tote.ie Never Beaten By SP Tara Handicap Hurdle (Grade B)

Off time: 14:34 | Winning time: 5m 8.3s

Gatsby Grey^t⁴⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Phillip Enright| T: O McKiernan| OR: 140

22/1

Pulled up in Lismullen Hurdle at Navan (20f, soft, 40/1) 48 days ago won by Home By The Lee, weakening entering straight. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Must improve.

Form: 74712-P

Captain Conby⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: K C Sexton| T: E Sheehy| OR: 133| CD

4/1

C&D winner. 4/1, good third of 15 in handicap hurdle at this course (23.9f, good to soft) 41 days ago. Respected.

Form: F13F-23

Clifton Warrior⁴⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 133

16/1

Career best when winning 12-runner handicap hurdle (4/1) at Clonmel (16.3f, heavy) 44 days ago by 5 lengths from Blanketontheground, driven out. Up in trip. Should remain very competitive after an 8 lb rise.

Form: 022B-P1

Off Your Rocco^p²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Jordan Gainford| T: G Elliott| OR: 133

16/1

18/1, below form eighth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy) 27 days ago. Up in trip.

Form: 17114-8

Zoffanien¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: D King⁽⁵⁾| T: D Hogan| OR: 132

16/1

Latest win in hurdle at Killarney in July. Creditable sixth of 13 in handicap hurdle (5/1) at Thurles (15.5f, good to soft) 13 days ago. Back up in trip.

Form: 710556

Au Fleuron^p1⁶¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Kieren Buckley⁽⁵⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 131

33/1

Twelfth of 14 in maiden at Wexford (16f, heavy, 17/2) on debut over fences 61 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles. Back up in trip. Cheekpieces on 1st time. One of 3 runners from his leading yard.

Form: 12378-0

Sit Down Lucy²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-13| J: Sam Ewing| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 127

40/1

Latest win in chase at Galway in September. Sixteenth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy, 25/1) 27 days ago, finishing tired. Up in trip. Something to find on form.

Form: 731140

Riaan⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 125| D

8/1

Promising type. Career best when making a winning handicap debut at Cork (20f, soft, 7/2) 41 days ago by 2¾ lengths from San Salvador, readily. 9 lb rise may not stop him with further progress highly likely.

Form: 42251

San Salvador⁴¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-10| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 124| D

11/1

9/2, good 2¾ lengths second of 12 to Riaan in handicap hurdle at Cork (20f, soft) 41 days ago, keeping on well. Yard having good spell. One to consider.

Form: 11F6-02

Blanketontheground¹³

Age: 9| Weight: 10-8| J: Gary Noonan⁽⁷⁾| T: E McCarthy| OR: 122| BF

33/1

Creditable fifth of 13 in handicap hurdle at Thurles (15.5f, good to soft, 9/2) 13 days ago. Back up in trip.

Form: 333225

Hgranca De Thaix⁸⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-8| J: M J M O'Sullivan⁽⁵⁾| T: B Connell| OR: 122

9/4

Promising sort. 1 win from 1 run this season. 11/8, career best when winning 9-runner handicap hurdle at Galway (19.1f, soft) 88 days ago, impressively. Handicapper hasn't missed him with a 15 lb rise but he's still much respected.

Form: 57243-1

Bread And Butter⁴⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-7| J: Conor Smithers⁽⁷⁾| T: Ms H P Markham| OR: 121| D

20/1

Twenty one runs since last win in 2020. Respectable fifth of 18 in handicap hurdle at Naas (20f, soft, 22/1) 49 days ago.

Form: 03-0035

Jukebox Jive^t³⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 10-7| J: Cian Quirke⁽⁷⁾| T: S Nolan| OR: 121| D

80/1

66/1, twelfth of 23 in handicap hurdle at Navan (22f, heavy) 34 days ago.

Form: 100PP/0

Pike County^p³²

Age: 9| Weight: 10-4| J: C G O'Dwyer⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs D Foster| OR: 118| C

22/1

Improved to win 18-runner handicap hurdle at this course (16.3f, good to soft, 14/1) 32 days ago. Up in trip. More needed up another 5 lb.

Form: 67P3-P1

Cotteemcavennigoal^t²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 10-3| J: D F O'Regan| T: S Crawley| OR: 117

16/1

28/1, bit below form seventh of 17 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy) 27 days ago. Up in trip.

Form: 12/26-97

Legacy Thor^t⁴⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-3| J: Danny Mullins| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 117| D

33/1

Unreliable individual. Below form eleventh of 18 in handicap hurdle at Naas (20f, soft, 50/1) 49 days ago.

Form: 23R18/0

Lady Rita³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-2| J: R Deegan| T: Louise G Lyons| OR: 116

12/1

Respectable seventh of 23 in handicap hurdle at Navan (22f, heavy, 8/1) 34 days ago, left poorly placed. Enters calculations.

Form: 3U142-7

Wat Ua Doin²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-2| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: M J Smith| OR: 116| D

11/1

1 win from 2 runs this season. 9/1, career best when winning 12-runner handicap hurdle at Tramore (21f, soft) 25 days ago, driven out.

Form: 49/12-01

Delante¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-1| J: K Callaghan⁽⁷⁾| T: T Cooper| OR: 115

66/1

22/1, creditable seventh of 13 in handicap hurdle at Thurles (15.5f, good to soft) 13 days ago. Back up in trip. Others preferred.

Form: 1P-4P7

Forecasts

Hgranca De Thaix (9/4), Captain Conby (4/1), Riaan (8/1), San Salvador (11/1), Wat Ua Doin (11/1), Lady Rita (12/1), Cotteemcavennigoal (16/1), Zoffanien (16/1), Off Your Rocco (16/1), Clifton Warrior (16/1), Bread And Butter (20/1), Gatsby Grey (22/1), Pike County (22/1), Au Fleuron (33/1), Legacy Thor (33/1), Blanketontheground (33/1), Sit Down Lucy (40/1), Delante (66/1), Jukebox Jive (80/1)

Gordon Elliott's RIAAN had plenty in hand when accounting for the reopposing San Salvador (who should also go well again) at Cork last month and can make light of a 9 lb rise as he surely has more to offer for his in-form top stable. Hgranca de Thaix impressed when a wide-margin winner of a Galway handicap on his reappearance and is also on the shortlist along with former C&D scorer Captain Conby.