13:50 Downpatrick

Friday 6 October 2023

All13:5014:2515:0015:3516:1016:4517:20

Northern Ireland On Course Bookmakers Association Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 13:50 | Winning time: 4m 16.30s

Charming Fortune^h1²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell

9/4

Third of 15 in bumper at Navan (15.6f, good to soft, 9/4) on NH debut 20 days ago, going with enthusiasm. Makes hurdles debut. Hooded for first time and this isn't a deep race.

Form: 2-3

Figurehead^p²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: H P Cleary⁽⁷⁾| T: Michael G Cleary| OR: 99

11/1

Fair hurdler. 12/1 and cheekpieces on for 1st time in this code, first run since leaving Sean Aherne when good fourth of 10 in novice hurdle at this C&D (soft) 21 days ago.

Form: 0/0-5504

Musta Lovea Lovea^b1,t⁴⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Phillip Enright| T: O McKiernan| OR: 111

13/2

Fair hurdler. 7/1, below form fifth of 14 in novice hurdle at Sligo (20.6f, good to soft) 44 days ago. Blinkers on 1st time, tongue strap back on. Sets a solid standard with that under his belt.

Form: 95552-5

Talk In The Park¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Danny Mullins| T: Ms M Mullins

9/2

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. Fell in novice hurdle at Listowel (20f, soft, 7/1) on hurdles bow 14 days ago.

Form: 220-F

Benzine¹⁵³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: A McCurtin| T: J Morrison

80/1

Ninth of 16 in juvenile hurdle at Cork (16.8f, good to soft, 250/1) on NH debut 153 days ago.

Form: 9

Pay The Tab

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: Jordan Gainford| T: G Elliott

17/2

Getaway gelding. Half-brother to fair hurdler Little Actress. Dam unraced half-sister to high-class hurdler (2m-19f winner) Iktitaf.

Form:

Yeats Star¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott

2/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. Good second of 12 in novice hurdle at Roscommon (15.9f, soft, 5/1) 11 days ago. Getting better with each run.

Form: 4-4432

Crystal's Heir^h⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Ben Kennedy⁽⁷⁾| T: P W Flynn

200/1

Twice-raced maiden under NH rules. 100/1 and hooded for 1st time, unseated rider in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) on hurdles bow 4 days ago.

Form: 8U

Nurse Garvey⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Shane Fitzgerald| T: D M Christie| OR: 90

40/1

Modest hurdler. Tenth of 14 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft, 14/1) 4 days ago.

Form: P-80340

Forecasts

Yeats Star (2/1), Charming Fortune (9/4), Talk In The Park (9/2), Musta Lovea Lovea (13/2), Pay The Tab (17/2), Figurehead (11/1), Nurse Garvey (40/1), Benzine (80/1), Crystal's Heir (200/1)

MUSTA LOVEA LOVEA should strip fitter with his reappearance under his belt and this looks a good opening for him on last season's form. Charming Fortune showed enough in a bumper to make him of interest now tackling obstacles, with Yeats Star another to consider.