15:40 Thurles

Saturday 18 March 2023

All13:5514:3015:0515:4016:1516:5017:20

Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 15:40 | Winning time: 4m 9.50s

After The Drama²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Cian Cullinan⁽⁴⁾| T: Aengus King

300/1

Has shown nothing both starts to date (bumper/maiden hurdle).

Form: 00

Anyway⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Shane Fitzgerald| T: D Budds

150/1

Well held both starts in maiden hurdles.

Form: 80

Arthor^t³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Mike O'Connor| T: J J Mangan| OR: 104

4/1

Fair hurdler who ran creditably when fifth of 9 in maiden at Naas (19f, good to soft, 10/1) 35 days ago. Should be competitive again.

Form: 00-9535

Battle Of Ridgeway^t1¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Aidan Kelly⁽⁴⁾| T: M Hassett

50/1

€10,000 3-y-o, Califet gelding. Half-brother to fairly useful hurdler/chaser Another Frontier, stays 3¼m, and fair hurdler Willyouwalkwithme, stays 2¾m. Dam unraced. Finished fourth both starts in points (latest Mar 5). Wears a tongue strap.

Form: 44

Black Smoke²⁸⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Niall Moore⁽⁴⁾| T: L Roche

250/1

Well held in a Listowel maiden on his sole outing on the Flat 9 months ago. Makes little appeal on hurdles debut.

Form:

Free Flowing⁴⁸⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: R P Geoghegan⁽⁴⁾| T: N Lee

50/1

€13,000 3-y-o, Sans Frontieres gelding. Dam unraced half-sister to fairly useful hurdler/useful chaser (stayed 27f) Speed Master. Last of 5 finishers sole outing in points (November 2021).

Form: 5-

Goldwyn^t³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: B W Harvey⁽²⁾| T: J Fogarty

4/1

Fairly useful in bumpers but ran below that level sent hurdling in a tongue strap when seventh of 16 in maiden at Navan (16f, good to soft) 34 days ago. Should improve.

Form: 835-7

Hutchie³²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: D Moloney⁽⁴⁾| T: Ms Debbie Hartnett

66/1

Valirann gelding. Half-brother to very smart chaser Blackbow and bumper winner Banntown Girl. Dam unraced. Failed to complete all 4 starts in points (latest May 2022).

Form: P/PP-F

Mount Gable¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: E Dwan⁽⁴⁾| T: Mrs J Cashin

200/1

Well held in a trio of maiden hurdles. 1

Form: 000

Quirke's Gate¹²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: M J M O'Sullivan| T: B Connell| OR: 113

1/1

Matched previous form when fifth of 13 in maiden hurdle at Leopardstown (16f, good to soft, 5/1) 12 days ago, not knocked about. Leading contender.

Form: 66-245

Sir Dan Dan⁶²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Derek McGrath⁽⁴⁾| T: D A Kiely

100/1

Imperial Monarch gelding. Dam, unraced, half-sister to useful hurdler/fairly useful chaser (2¼m-21f winner) Original Option. Fell both starts in points (latest Jan 15).

Form: FF

Georgiabell

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Adam Ellis⁽⁴⁾| T: L P Cusack

150/1

Doyen mare. Half-sister to fair hurdler Doctor P's Getaway. Dam (c71/h98) 2¼m hurdle winner, also 1¼m winner who stayed 13f on Flat.

Form:

Miss Madeline

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Philip Donovan⁽²⁾| T: A Slattery

50/1

Malinas mare. Dam unraced half-sister to smart hurdler (stayed 25f) Roksana.

Form:

Tiernaboul¹⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: Liam Quinlan⁽²⁾| T: B O'Keeffe

300/1

Failed to complete in points and came home last of 18 in maiden hurdle at Clonmel (18.7f, soft) on Rules debut 16 days ago.

Form: PPF/0

Tophill Low⁴⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Kieren Buckley| T: L Fowler| OR: 105

3/1

Failed to repeat last effort when sixth of 22 in maiden hurdle at Punchestown (16f, heavy) 47 days ago, racing too freely. Remains with potential, though.

Form: 736

Workforadime¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Philip Byrnes⁽²⁾| T: C Byrnes

50/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. Tenth of 14 in maiden hurdle (11/1) at Wexford (16f, good to soft) 13 days ago. Handicap presumably up after this.

Form: 2300

Non-Runners

Striking³⁴

Weight: 11-12| Age: 5

T: Mrs J Harrington J: Conor Smithers

Forecasts

Quirke's Gate (1/1), Tophill Low (3/1), Goldwyn (4/1), Arthor (4/1), Striking (7/1), Free Flowing (50/1), Battle Of Ridgeway (50/1), Miss Madeline (50/1), Workforadime (50/1), Hutchie (66/1), Sir Dan Dan (100/1), Anyway (150/1), Georgiabell (150/1), Mount Gable (200/1), Black Smoke (250/1), After The Drama (300/1), Tiernaboul (300/1)

QUIRKE'S GATE has shown enough on all 3 hurdle starts to date to suggest he's capable of winning a race of this nature, so he receives the vote. Goldwyn, Arthor and Tophill Low look the other key players.