15:55 Gowran Park

Thursday 26 January 2023

All13:0513:4014:1514:5015:2515:5516:25

Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle (80-123)

Off time: 15:56 | Winning time: 5m 49.01s

Noble Birth²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: C McGivern⁽⁴⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 118| D

33/1

Below form tenth of 27 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (24f, soft, 80/1) 29 days ago. Something to prove at the moment.

Form: 131590

Brazos^p⁴⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: K Callaghan⁽⁴⁾| T: J J Murphy| OR: 116| D

16/1

Creditable second of 8 in handicap hurdle (6/1) at Cheltenham (24f, good) 48 days ago, running on. Not discounted.

Form: 32P0-92

Jukebox Jive^e/s1,t²⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Cian Quirke⁽⁴⁾| T: S Nolan| OR: 116| D

66/1

Fifteenth of 19 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (19.6f, heavy, 80/1) 26 days ago. Eyeshields on for 1st time. Hard to make a case for.

Form: 00PP/00

Optional Mix³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Mike O'Connor⁽²⁾| T: E Doyle| OR: 116| D

5/1

2 wins from 5 runs this season. 3/1, career best when winning 10-runner handicap hurdle at Limerick (20f, heavy) 30 days ago. One to be interested in.

Form: 4-22121

Country Queen¹⁰⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: Sarah Kavanagh⁽⁴⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 115

40/1

Latest win in hurdle at Kilbeggan in September. Creditable sixth of 10 in handicap hurdle (4/1) at Punchestown (16f, good) 106 days ago. Back up in trip. Plenty to find on form.

Form: 21F136

Lady Rita²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: Richard Condon⁽²⁾| T: Louise G Lyons| OR: 115

5/1

12/1, below form eighth of 19 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (19.6f, heavy) 26 days ago. Others make more appeal.

Form: U142-78

Slane Hill³⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: M J M O'Sullivan⁽²⁾| T: B Connell| OR: 114

4/1

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. 4/1, career best when winning 19-runner novice hurdle at Naas (18.8f, soft) 37 days ago, pushed out. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Can make presence felt.

Form: 8-061

Justicialism¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: B W Harvey⁽²⁾| T: B R Hamilton| OR: 112

25/1

16/1, creditable second of 11 in handicap hurdle at Naas (18.8f, heavy) 18 days ago. Not certain to back that up.

Form: 70-8602

Garcon Doux²⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: Niall Moore⁽⁴⁾| T: P Fenton| OR: 107

33/1

Below form ninth of 19 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (20f, soft, 100/1) 29 days ago, running on. Not firing of late.

Form: 1-F2709

Lord Gillygooley^t⁴³⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-3| J: N T Prendergast⁽⁴⁾| T: D Queally| OR: 107

28/1

Pulled up in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (23.9f, good to soft, 11/1), weakening when badly hampered 4 out. Off 14 months. First run for yard after leaving Matthew J. Smith. Worth a market check.

Form: 03212P-

Simply Shabra^p¹¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: Aidan Kelly⁽⁴⁾| T: A McCann| OR: 106

33/1

Pulled up in novice chase (10/1) at Punchestown (22.7f, heavy) on debut over fences 11 days ago, tailing off. Switches from chase to hurdles. Others more persuasive.

Form: 72-P03P

Emancipator⁷⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: P J O'Hanlon⁽²⁾| T: T O'Brien| OR: 104| D

7/1

1 win from 3 runs this season. Career best when winning 15-runner handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (20f, heavy, 7/4) 79 days ago, impressively. Worth chancing for the follow-up.

Form: 321-541

Bluebell Diva^h²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: Gavin Brouder⁽²⁾| T: M F Morris| OR: 98| BF

7/2

Winner in hurdle at Clonmel in December. Good third of 17 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (19f, heavy, 9/4) 28 days ago, staying on well. Merits consideration.

Form: 0-67213

Iridescent⁵⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 10-8| J: C G O'Dwyer⁽⁴⁾| T: J Fogarty| OR: 98

10/1

14/1, good fourth of 22 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (21.7f, good to soft) 58 days ago. Not discounted.

Form: 32-1694

Lough Na Fooey^t⁶⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: D King⁽²⁾| T: L Young| OR: 90

25/1

Tongue strap on for 1st time, creditable fourth of 14 in novice hurdle (4/1) at Limerick (19f, heavy) 65 days ago. Needs to find some improvement.

Form: 561244

Forecasts

Bluebell Diva (7/2), Slane Hill (4/1), Optional Mix (5/1), Lady Rita (5/1), Emancipator (7/1), Iridescent (10/1), Brazos (16/1), Justicialism (25/1), Lough Na Fooey (25/1), Lord Gillygooley (28/1), Noble Birth (33/1), Garcon Doux (33/1), Simply Shabra (33/1), Country Queen (40/1), Jukebox Jive (66/1)

EMANCIPATOR capitalised on a lenient hurdles mark when bolting up at Fairyhouse 79 days ago and, while he's now a fair bit higher, he's worth chancing to go in again at the possible expense of Bluebell Diva, who ran well at Limerick a month ago. Optional Mix is another one to consider.