15:05 Thurles

Thursday 23 November 2023

All12:1012:4513:2013:5514:3015:0515:40

Holycross Handicap Hurdle (80-102)

Off time: 15:05 | Winning time: 4m 11.00s

Battle Of Ridgeway^t²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-13| J: Brian Hayes| T: M Hassett| OR: 101| C

6/4

Fairly useful winner at 18f in chases. 13/2, career best when winning 14-runner novice chase at this course (18.3f, soft) on debut over fences 21 days ago, readily, Excellent claims of landing the hat-trick back over the smaller obstacles.

Form: 4606-11

Duke Otto²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-13| J: Gary Noonan⁽⁵⁾| T: P J Flynn| OR: 101| CD

11/1

2 wins from 3 runs this season. 9/1, career best when winning 15-runner handicap hurdle at this course (16.1f, soft) 21 days ago by neck from Herculaneum.

Form: 2P5-011

Duncarrig^p⁶⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-13| J: Danny Mullins| T: A Mullins| OR: 101| D

17/2

1 win from 3 runs this season. 12/1, career best when winning 15-runner handicap hurdle at Navan (15.6f, good to soft) 68 days ago. Cheekpieces back on. Considered.

Form: P6P-F61

Ricky Bobby²³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr D Doyle⁽⁷⁾| T: T Doyle| OR: 98| D

11/2

18/1, good fourth of 20 in handicap at the Curragh (14f, heavy) 23 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Potentially well treated back in this sphere.

Form: 0/0P74F-

Arthor^t³⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: Mike O'Connor⁽³⁾| T: J J Mangan| OR: 97

11/1

Tenth of 14 in novice hurdle at Cork (20.4f, good to soft, 25/1) 39 days ago. Back down in trip. Others preferred.

Form: 53557-0

Glenmalure Flyer^t²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-9| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 97

25/1

Thrice-raced maiden. Tongue strap on for 1st time, sixth of 10 in novice hurdle at Clonmel (16.6f, heavy, 25/1) 28 days ago. Trainer going well. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Likely to improve.

Form: 40-6

Must Go Now²⁹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: Phillip Enright| T: E Cawley| OR: 97

20/1

Thrice-raced maiden. Tenth of 25 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft, 200/1). Off 9 months. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Should have more to offer.

Form: 600-

Tippin And Tappin¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: E Bolger| OR: 97

22/1

Thrice-raced maiden. 28/1, ninth of 18 in novice hurdle at Cork (16f, soft) 18 days ago, not knocked about. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Should progress.

Form: P-859

He Picked Us^p¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-8| J: Kieren Buckley⁽³⁾| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 96

66/1

Cheekpieces on for 1st time, bit below form eighth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Cork (20f, soft, 80/1) 18 days ago. Others preferred.

Form: 0P0-808

Forever Frankie²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: S Aherne| OR: 94

25/1

25/1, 9¼ lengths tenth of 15 to Duke Otto in handicap hurdle at this course (16.1f, soft) 21 days ago. Needs to do more.

Form: 9-60590

Herculaneum^b²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: Mr O McGill⁽⁷⁾| T: N C Kelly| OR: 94| D

13/2

Good neck second of 15 to Duke Otto in handicap hurdle at this course (16.1f, soft, 9/2) 21 days ago. Merits consideration.

Form: 1-07532

Iron Allen²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: E Walsh⁽³⁾| T: Ciaran Murphy| OR: 93

80/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. 40/1, last of 7 in novice hurdle at Galway (21.4f, heavy) 25 days ago. Down in trip. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 5FP4-07

Jouster^t1¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: Sean Flanagan| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 92

50/1

Thrice-raced maiden. Tenth of 18 in novice hurdle at Cork (16f, soft, 200/1) 18 days ago. Stable having good spell. Tongue strap on for 1st time. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Worth a market check.

Form: 447-060

Knock On Steel⁸⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-4| J: K Callaghan⁽⁵⁾| T: R Donohoe| OR: 92

25/1

Nineteen runs since last win in 2020. Pulled up in claiming hurdle (20/1) at Bellewstown (20.4f, good) 85 days ago. Back down in trip. First run for yard after leaving Brian Jordan.

Form: 4/9P84P

Sayitfirst²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Jack Gilligan⁽⁷⁾| T: D Collins| OR: 90| D

16/1

Winner in hurdle at Fairyhouse in October. Good second of 15 in handicap hurdle (9/1) at Sligo (17.5f, soft) 27 days ago, making effort earlier than ideal. Enters calculations if he gets in.

Form: 034142

Non-Runners

Derry Lad¹²

Weight: 11-11| Age: 5

T: Kevin Coleman J: Phillip Enright

Alphonse Le Grande¹⁶³

Weight: 11-5| Age: 4

T: A J Martin J: P J Carberry

Dontdooddson²⁸

Weight: 11-3| Age: 10

T: D Collins J: Reserve 1

Temptation Time¹³³

Weight: 11-2| Age: 5

T: M M McNiff J: Reserve 2

Forecasts

Battle Of Ridgeway (6/4), Ricky Bobby (11/2), Herculaneum (13/2), Alphonse Le Grande (13/2), Duncarrig (17/2), Duke Otto (11/1), Arthor (11/1), Sayitfirst (16/1), Dontdooddson (16/1), Derry Lad (16/1), Must Go Now (20/1), Tippin And Tappin (22/1), Glenmalure Flyer (25/1), Forever Frankie (25/1), Knock On Steel (25/1), Temptation Time (25/1), Jouster (50/1), He Picked Us (66/1), Iron Allen (80/1)

BATTLE OF RIDGEWAY opened his account in this sphere before following up with an impressive chasing debut here 3 weeks ago, so this progressive 5yo is well worth a chance to complete the hat-trick off an appealing mark. Duke Otto and Herculaneum, who filled the first two positions in a handicap hurdle at the same meeting, should also give a good account once more.