14:30 Fairyhouse

Saturday 7 October 2023

All13:5514:3015:0515:4016:1516:5017:25

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase

Off time: 14:30 | Winning time: 5m 41.30s

Carrig Rock³⁰⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: J J Slevin| T: P Croke

25/1

Fairly useful hurdler. Winner in hurdle at Sligo in October. Respectable sixth of 10 in minor event hurdle (9/2) at this course (20.2f, soft). Off 10 months ahead of this chase debut.

Form: 4/73146-

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Digby³⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: C D Maxwell| T: D A McLoughlin| C| D

7/1

Fairly useful hurdler. Cheekpieces on for 1st time, creditable third of 6 in minor event hurdle at Down Royal (24f, good to soft, 11/2) 36 days ago. Makes chase debut.

Form: 1/3F-373

Flanking Maneuver²⁰⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: M J M O'Sullivan| T: N Meade| C

5/4

Smart chaser. 11/2, below form 28 lengths third of 7 to Journey With Me in Gr 3 chase at Naas (20f, soft) when last seen in March. Very much the one to beat with his sights lowered here.

Form: 1214/33-

Genois¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Mark Walsh| T: E Bolger| OR: 128| BF

4/1

Useful chaser. Creditable second of 9 in novice chase (11/4) at Listowel (22f, soft) 17 days ago. Should make his presence felt.

Form: 4/2365-2

So Des Flos^p¹⁹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| D

13/2

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles, successful in first-time cheekpieces (retained) in a 21f Limerick maiden when last seen in March. Intriguing candidate on chase debut.

Form: 4231-

Verdant Place¹⁶³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Simon Torrens| T: P T Foley| D

10/1

Fairly useful hurdler. Latest win in hurdle at Punchestown in February. Bit below form tenth of 25 in handicap hurdle (8/1) at Punchestown (23.6f, good to soft) 163 days ago. Makes chase debut. Mark Walsh prefers Genois.

Form: 931120-

La Malmason¹⁶⁴

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

13/2

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. Fairly useful winner at 20f over hurdles. Nineteenth of 25 in handicap hurdle (5/1) at Punchestown (19.8f, good to soft) 164 days ago. Makes chase debut.

Form: 1520-

Merrion Gate¹⁸⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Mr L J Carberry⁽⁷⁾| T: P A Fahy

200/1

Ocovango mare. Dam unraced half-sister to fairly useful hurdler/useful chaser (stayed 2½m) Germany Calling. Pulled up all 3 starts between the flags.

Form: PPP-

Forecasts

Flanking Maneuver (5/4), Genois (4/1), So Des Flos (13/2), La Malmason (13/2), Digby (7/1), Verdant Place (10/1), Carrig Rock (25/1), Merrion Gate (200/1)

FLANKING MANEUVER's jumping went to pieces in the second half of the race when a well-held third at Naas on his final start of last season. However, he previously shaped very well indeed on his chase debut following a lengthy absence in a Navan Grade 2 and will be very hard to beat if reproducing form akin to that here. So des Flos, successful over hurdles at Limerick in March, gets the nod for forecast purposes ahead of Genois.