16:05 Downpatrick

Sunday 18 June 2023

All13:4514:2014:5515:3016:0516:4017:15

Dunlop Homes Rated Novice Hurdle

Off time: 16:05 | Winning time: 4m 14.20s

Starman^h¹⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: Shane Fitzgerald| T: D Queally| OR: 107

16/1

Fair hurdler. 8/1, seventh of 11 in handicap hurdle at Tramore (16.6f, good) 16 days ago so needs to bounce back.

Form: 875U-27

Hans Gruber^t³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: E Walsh⁽³⁾| T: Ian Donoghue| OR: 106

16/1

Fair hurdler. 18/1, below form sixth of 13 in novice hurdle at this course (18.8f, good to soft) 30 days ago. Remains a maiden after 7 hurdle runs.

Form: 2R/13-06

Sequoiaspirit²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Daniel King⁽⁵⁾| T: R Hackett| OR: 106| BF

5/4

Fair hurdler who arrives in great from from the Flat, readily landing 15-runner handicap at Roscommon (12f) 27 days ago, soon clear. Switches to hurdles and expected to be bang there again.

Form: 062/422-

Charlie Luciano³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-8| J: L A McKenna⁽⁵⁾| T: N Meade| OR: 109

5/2

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. Creditable seventh of 14 in handicap (9/2) at Leopardstown (15f, good) 3 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles and needs considering.

Form: U2261-

Carslake⁶⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Cian Cullinan⁽⁷⁾| T: Aengus King| OR: 108

66/1

Lightly-raced maiden. 150/1, tailed-off last of 6 to Enjoy The Dream in Percy Maynard Juvenile Hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) 69 days ago. Others more persuasive.

Form: 0636-

Zettabyte^p1²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: C McGivern⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 102

11/1

Progressive sort who posted a good third of 15 in novice hurdle (16/1) at Ballinrobe (22.4f, good) 20 days ago. Down in trip. Booking of Gilligan a plus. Cheekpieces on 1st time. Open to further improvement.

Form: 2280-3

Prioritise^t⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Thomas Reilly⁽⁷⁾| T: J C McConnell| OR: 101

9/2

Promising type who posted a career best (in a refitted tongue strap) when winning 15-runner handicap hurdle at Roscommon (16.2f, good to soft, 12/1) 6 days ago. Has more to offer. Player.

Form: 0000-91

Val The Man^b1¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Aidan Kelly⁽⁷⁾| T: C Collins| OR: 101

25/1

Modest hurdler. 14/1, ninth of 13 in handicap hurdle at Down Royal (20.4f, good) 16 days ago. Blinkers on 1st time. Faces an uphill task at these weights.

Form: 2P60-59

Monoxide^t¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: N J Ryan⁽⁷⁾| T: N McCluskey| OR: 80

28/1

Poor hurdler/chaser. Eighth of 14 in handicap hurdle (25/1) at Wexford (17.4f, good to soft) 18 days ago. Remains a maiden after 16 hurdle runs. Engaged Downpatrick 3.30 Saturday.

Form: 605-582

Forecasts

Sequoiaspirit (5/4), Charlie Luciano (5/2), Prioritise (9/2), Zettabyte (11/1), Hans Gruber (16/1), Starman (16/1), Val The Man (25/1), Monoxide (28/1), Carslake (66/1)

SEQUOIASPIRIT looked better than ever when comfortably scoring on the Flat at Roscommon last time so is taken to translate fhat form back to this sphere and open his hurdling account. Prioritise also comes here on the back of a win on the level at the same track and merits serious consideration too. Zettabyte and Charlie Luciano also need factoring into an intriguing contest.