12:00 Fairyhouse

Saturday 16 December 2023

All12:0012:3013:0513:4014:1514:5015:25

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase

Off time: 12:01 | Winning time: 4m 28.40s

Battle It Out^h1³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: C G O'Dwyer⁽⁵⁾| T: C O'Dwyer

50/1

Promising sort. 11/2, fell in novice chase at Punchestown (15.6f, soft) 30 days ago. Hooded for 1st time. Should have more to offer.

Form: 7331-9F

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Hunters Yarn²⁵¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| BF| CD

1/3

Useful hurdler. Creditable 1¾ lengths second of 6 to Hercule Du Seuil in Hardy Eustace Novices' Hurdle (6/5) at this course (16f, good to soft). Off 8 months ahead of this chase debut. Big player.

Form: 1/31102-

Jump The Shark¹⁴

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

150/1

Fair hurdler. Tenth of 13 in novice chase (150/1) at this course (21.5f, soft) 14 days ago, not knocked about. Back down in trip.

Form: 324-900

One Of Us Is Lying^t²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: J G Gilligan⁽⁷⁾| T: N McCluskey

200/1

Modest hurdler. 80/1, pulled up in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (24.4f, soft) 20 days ago, behind when pulled up before last. Switches from hurdles to chase. Significantly back down in trip.

Form: 05780P

Polo Lounge^t³⁷⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: W P Mullins| D

12/1

Fairly useful hurdler. Latest win in hurdle at Limerick in October 2022. Off 12 months and while he should make a chaser, Hunters Yarn is clealry the stable first-string here.

Form: 2/4211P-

Rumoroso²²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: A P Heskin| T: C A McBratney

200/1

Fair hurdler. Ninth of 10 in novice chase at this C&D (heavy, 150/1) 22 days ago. Others preferred.

Form: 2931/F9

Run For Harry²⁵¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Donagh Meyler| T: Mrs G Callaghan

125/1

Lightly-raced maiden under Rules. Below form twelfth of 21 in novice hurdle (25/1) at this course (16f, good to soft). Off 8 months. Makes chase debut.

Form: 3470-

Sa Fureur²⁸

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

5/2

Useful hurdler. 22/1, fell in novice chase at Navan (17f, heavy) on debut over fences 28 days ago. Strong candidate.

Form: 2111P-F

Byker²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-6| J: Phillip Enright| T: C Byrnes| D

20/1

Useful hurdler. 22/1, fourteenth of 20 in handicap hurdle at Navan (16f, heavy) 28 days ago. Each-way chance if he takes to fences at the first attempt.

Form: 132-550

Lily's Choice²²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Ricky Doyle| T: D H Kelly

200/1

Poor hurdler. 250/1, eighth of 10 in novice chase at this C&D (heavy) on debut over fences 22 days ago.

Form: 47P008

Menhir^h1⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: P J O'Hanlon⁽³⁾| T: M Rice

250/1

€3,000 3-y-o, Doyen mare. Half-sister to fairly useful hurdler/chaser Glory And Honour, stays 21f. Pulled up on 3 of her 4 starts between the flags (well beaten on the sole occasion that she completed). Wears hood.

Form: 5P-PP

Tophill Low²⁵¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: J J Slevin| T: L Fowler| D

18/1

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. 11/2, fell in handicap hurdle at this course (20.4f, good to soft). Off 8 months. Makes chase debut.

Form: 7361F-

Forecasts

Hunters Yarn (1/3), Sa Fureur (5/2), Polo Lounge (12/1), Tophill Low (18/1), Byker (20/1), Battle It Out (50/1), Run For Harry (125/1), Jump The Shark (150/1), Lily's Choice (200/1), One Of Us Is Lying (200/1), Rumoroso (200/1), Menhir (250/1)

HUNTERS YARN's connections are responsible for the winners of the last two runnings of this maiden chase, namely Blue Lord and El Fabiolo, and the 6-y-o is taken to follow in the footsteps of his classy stable companions. He chased home fellow Mullins inmate Hercule Du Seuil in a Grade 2 novice hurdle here when last seen in April, and the winner has since scored five times over fences. Sa Fureur is the clear main danger, while Byker is a tempting each-way option.