15:08 Punchestown

Saturday 25 November 2023

All11:4012:1312:4813:2313:5814:3515:0815:43

Colm Quinn BMW Novice Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:08 | Winning time: 4m 21.3s

Yeats Star⁵⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-12| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 122

5/2

Career best when winning 9-runner maiden hurdle (2/1) at Downpatrick (17.8f, soft) 50 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Likely to have a big say for in-form top stable.

Form: 4-44321

El Champo²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: P J O'Hanlon⁽³⁾| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 120| D

6/1

Career best when winning 15-runner handicap hurdle at Galway (16f, heavy, 8/1) 27 days ago, always holding on. Raised another 8 lb but this thriving front-runner still merits respect.

Form: 251611

Walhaan^t,v¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: E Walsh⁽³⁾| T: Ciaran Murphy| OR: 119| D

10/1

Visor on for 1st time in this code tongue strap on for 1st time in this code, improved to win 14-runner handicap at Dundalk (10.7f, 11/2) 15 days ago, driven out. Switches from Flat to hurdles.

Form: 190-443

Striking¹⁵⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Conor Smithers⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 118| CD

11/1

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. 1 win from 2 runs this season. 9/2, last of 12 in handicap at Down Royal (12.8f, good). Switches from Flat to hurdles. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 952-21

Top Speed^t¹⁶⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: Mike O'Connor⁽³⁾| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 116| BF| D

7/1

8/13, fifth of 7 in novice chase at Clonmel (16.3f, good) on debut over fences 169 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles. Trainer going well. Tongue strap back on. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 3/864-15

Ages Of Man^p²¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: J P O'Sullivan⁽³⁾| T: A McCann| OR: 112| BF

16/1

6/5, below form sixth of 13 in novice hurdle at Kilbeggan (15f, good to soft). Off 7 months. Enters calculations.

Form: F64026-

Heliko Conti⁵³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: P Nolan| OR: 112| D

11/2

20¾ lengths seventh of 8 to El Champo in handicap hurdle (6/1) at Galway (19.1f, heavy) 53 days ago. First run for yard after leaving W. J. Burke. Nicely trested on his best form. Check the betting.

Form: 8179-47

Sonny May^t²⁵⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: J J Slevin| T: D Hickey| OR: 112

13/2

28/1, creditable third of 14 in novice hurdle at Naas (19f, soft). Off 8 months. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 90/0563-

Poets Cottage²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: Sam Ewing| T: N Meade| OR: 109

9/1

25/1, good third of 12 in handicap hurdle at Cork (16f, soft) on reappearance. 20 days ago. One to consider with that run behind him

Form: 50346-3

Catch The Beast¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: Phillip Enright| T: E Cawley| OR: 106

20/1

Lightly-raced maiden. Thirteenth of 22 in novice hurdle at Naas (16f, soft, 200/1) 13 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Should progress.

Form: 05-70

Non-Runners

Derry Lad¹⁴

Weight: 10-3| Age: 5

T: Kevin Coleman J: M J M O'Sullivan

Forecasts

Yeats Star (5/2), Heliko Conti (11/2), El Champo (6/1), Sonny May (13/2), Top Speed (7/1), Poets Cottage (9/1), Walhaan (10/1), Striking (11/1), Derry Lad (12/1), Ages Of Man (16/1), Catch The Beast (20/1)

There's been no stopping Gordon Elliott in November and his YEATS STAR gets the nod to make a winning start to his handicap career. The thriving El Champo and Noel Meade's Poets Cottage head the dangers.