18:50 Tramore

Friday 2 June 2023

All17:2017:5018:2018:5019:2019:5020:20

Butlerstown Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 18:50 | Winning time: 3m 57.01s

Fascinating Shadow³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Brian Hayes| T: J J Hanlon| OR: 114

11/1

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. Fairly useful winner at 12f on flat. 33/1, below form sixteenth of 25 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (16.2f, good to soft) 36 days ago.

Form: 1750-

Set Point^p¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-13| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G Elliott| OR: 113

5/1

Promising type. 11/4, career best when winning 13-runner handicap hurdle at Downpatrick (18.8f, good to soft) 14 days ago, readily. Definitely more to come and a 9 lb rise doesn't look enough to stop him.

Form: 6604-1

Tom McGreevy^h,t²³⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-13| J: Cian Quirke⁽⁷⁾| T: Liz Doyle| OR: 113| D

11/1

Winner in hurdle at Ballinrobe in May 2022. 11/1, creditable 4½ lengths fourth of 12 to Doyenna in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, good). Off 7 months. Claims if ready to roll.

Form: 122FF4-

New Ross^p1⁹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 110

7/1

One win from 3 runs last season. Latest win in hurdle at Thurles in December. 25/1, respectable ninth of 26 in handicap hurdle at Navan (20f, good to soft) 90 days ago. Cheekpieces on 1st time.

Form: 40P/149-

Starman^h²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Simon Torrens| T: D Queally| OR: 108

8/1

Good second of 14 in novice hurdle (6/1) at Kilbeggan (16f, good to soft) 21 days ago, running on. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Open to improvement.

Form: 5/875U-2

Doyenna^t⁴³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Kieren Buckley⁽³⁾| T: L Fowler| OR: 107| BF| C

3/1

Course winner. Latest win in hurdle at Fairyhouse in October. Creditable fifth of 14 in handicap hurdle at Kilbeggan (15f, good to soft, 4/1) 43 days ago. Has to be taken seriously.

Form: 312185-

Laser Focus^t²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Mike O'Connor⁽⁵⁾| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 106

15/2

4/1, creditable fifth of 14 in handicap hurdle at Kilbeggan (16f, good to soft) 21 days ago. Stable in good form.

Form: 74272-5

Frontline Worker²⁵⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: C P McNamara| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 105| D

12/1

28/1, bit below form eighth of 18 in handicap hurdle at Listowel (20f, good). Off 8 months. Yard in good form.

Form: 88/14U8-

Craic Eile^t²²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: Shane Fitzgerald⁽³⁾| T: D Budds| OR: 99| CD

10/1

C&D winner. Eleven runs since last win in 2021. Eleventh of 16 in handicap hurdle (66/1) at Clonmel (19.1f, soft) 22 days ago.

Form: 85006-0

Take My Hand³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: Sean Flanagan| T: M Mulvany| OR: 95

14/1

Below form seventh of 14 in handicap hurdle at Ballinrobe (16.6f, good to soft, 13/2) 31 days ago, going off too hard. Others more persuasive.

Form: 87382-7

Breezy Bell^t⁸⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-6| J: Shane O'Callaghan⁽⁷⁾| T: E Cawley| OR: 92

14/1

Thirteenth of 15 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (20f, good, 40/1) 89 days ago.

Form: 97/7000-

Forecasts

Doyenna (3/1), Set Point (5/1), New Ross (7/1), Laser Focus (15/2), Starman (8/1), Craic Eile (10/1), Fascinating Shadow (11/1), Tom McGreevy (11/1), Frontline Worker (12/1), Breezy Bell (14/1), Take My Hand (14/1)

Gordon Elliott's SET POINT has got better with each start over hurdles and will be a tough nut to crack if that trend continues. Doyenna made a sound return from a break at Kilbeggan 6 weeks ago and is feared most ahead of Starman, who appeals as a likely improver now moving into handicap company for the first time.