12:27 Cork

Saturday 7 January 2023

All12:2713:0213:3714:1214:4715:2215:57

Happy New Year From All At Cork Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 12:28 | Winning time: 4m 9.9s

Alastor⁴⁵⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins

1/4

Useful on Flat, stays 11f. Left Gianluca Bietolini €150,000 in November 2021, then gelded. Of obvious interest having joined Willie Mullins.

Form:

Albaquirky¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: E Bolger

80/1

Mid-field at best in maiden hurdles, off 9 months prior to latest.

Form: 07-0

Away To Milan²⁹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: P J O'Hanlon⁽⁵⁾| T: P J Rothwell

100/1

Tenth of 11 in bumper at Thurles (15.5f, good to soft, 22/1) on NH debut. Off 9 months. Makes hurdles debut.

Form: 0-

Iurkash³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: J G Gilligan⁽⁷⁾| T: S Doyle

22/1

100/1, seventh of 18 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) on hurdles bow 35 days ago. Will be of more interest when tackling longer trips/handicaps.

Form: P637

Spanish John⁴⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: D E Mullins| T: P A Fahy

80/1

Down the field in bumpers and fared no better switched to hurdling at Punchestown (19.4f, good to soft) 49 days ago.

Form: 690

Star Official^h¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: M J M O'Sullivan⁽⁵⁾| T: R Donohoe

33/1

Fair handicapper on Flat and offered something to work on switch to hurdles when sixth of 24 at Naas (18.8f, soft) 18 days ago, plugging on. Should improve.

Form: 6

Valhalla's Dream⁸⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Dillon Maxwell⁽⁷⁾| T: R P Burns

80/1

Fair maiden at best on Flat, well held in handicap sole start for Barry Fitzgerald last time.

Form:

In The Balance^t⁴⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: J J Slevin| T: W M Roper

150/1

Well held in bumpers/maiden hurdle.

Form: 6000

Kalahari Diamond⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Philip Byrnes⁽⁵⁾| T: C Byrnes

40/1

Modest in bumpers and well held completed start over hurdles.

Form: B48P9

Roccabaker¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Cian Quirke⁽⁷⁾| T: A Slattery

50/1

Well held in bumper/maiden hurdles.

Form: 7-07

Special Protector³⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: A McCurtin⁽³⁾| T: T Doyle

125/1

Poor maiden on the Flat who went with little promise sent hurdling at Thurles (15.9f, good to soft, 150/1) 37 days ago.

Form: 0

Walk Out³²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: D F O'Regan| T: J E Kiely

40/1

Hinted at ability when sixth of 11 in bumper at Tramore (16.2f, soft, 11/4) on NH debut 32 days ago. Makes hurdles debut.

Form: 6

Whatcouldhavebeen¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Aidan Kelly⁽⁷⁾| T: J P Fahey

7/1

Fair Flat winner who offered a bit to work on sent hurdling when sixth of 18 in maiden at Limerick (16f, heavy) 12 days ago.

Form: 6

Action Motion²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: D King⁽⁵⁾| T: D Hogan

20/1

Fair on the Flat and offered something to work on first run since leaving Andrew Oliver when seventh of 20 in juvenile hurdle (80/1) at this course (16.8f, soft) on NH debut 27 days ago. Should have more to offer.

Form: 7

Gordons Aura¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott

12/1

Fair maiden on the Flat who showed more than first-time up over hurdles when eighth in 18-runner juvenile at Leopardstown (16f, soft) 11 days ago.

Form: 08

Got Grey¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: L P Dempsey| T: G P Cromwell

50/1

Fairly useful Flat winner who was considerably handled twelfth of 18 in juvenile hurdle (80/1) at Leopardstown (16f, soft) on NH debut 11 days ago. Should do better.

Form: 0

Kanzino¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: Donagh Meyler| T: D Hogan

66/1

Fair Flat winner but was too free switched to hurdling at Limerick 12 days ago.

Form: 0

Tell Her Nothing⁷⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: K C Sexton| T: B W Duke

50/1

Looks of little account.

Form: 80

Dubai Clover³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-6| J: C P McNamara| T: J C McConnell

14/1

Fair maiden on the Flat who showed plenty to work on under tender handling when fourth on her Punchestown hurdling debut in November. Failed to progress upped in grade at Aintree next time but it remains early days.

Form: 48

Forecasts

Alastor (1/4), Whatcouldhavebeen (7/1), Gordons Aura (12/1), Dubai Clover (14/1), Action Motion (20/1), Iurkash (22/1), Star Official (33/1), Walk Out (40/1), Kalahari Diamond (40/1), Tell Her Nothing (50/1), Got Grey (50/1), Roccabaker (50/1), Kanzino (66/1), Albaquirky (80/1), Valhalla's Dream (80/1), Spanish John (80/1), Away To Milan (100/1), Special Protector (125/1), In The Balance (150/1)

ALASTOR, a useful performer on the Flat in 2021, makes obvious appeal having joined Willie Mullins, so he's taken to strike at the first time of asking over hurdles in what looks a very winnable contest. Action Motion and Dubai Clover are fancied to give him most to think about.