12:40 Leopardstown

Thursday 28 December 2023

All12:0512:4013:1513:5014:2515:0015:35

Irish Daily Star Handicap Hurdle (80-116)

Off time: 12:40 | Winning time: 5m 30.1s

A Great View^p³²

Age: 12| Weight: 12-0| J: Mark Walsh| T: D Cullen| OR: 116

22/1

Creditable sixth of 12 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (24.4f, soft, 22/1) 32 days ago. Well worth monitoring in the betting.

Form: 891P86

Heliko Conti³³

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: P Nolan| OR: 116

15/2

First run since leaving W. J. Burke when good second of 10 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (16.7f, soft, 11/2) 33 days ago, barely adequate test. Makes plenty of appeal up in trip.

Form: 179-472

Hidden Land^h²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr B Lawless⁽⁷⁾| T: A Kinirons| OR: 116

66/1

11/2 and tongue strap on for 1st time in this code, creditable fifth of 13 in handicap at Dundalk (16f) 29 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Up in trip. Enters calculations.

Form: 420F7-5

Hollow Sound¹⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: Ricky Doyle| T: L Comer| OR: 116

16/1

Thirteen runs since last win in 2019. Respectable seventh of 17 in handicap hurdle (20/1) at Punchestown (19.2f, heavy) 16 days ago. Not completely dismissed.

Form: 6P/52P-7

Music Of Tara^t⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-13| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 115

7/2

Creditable third of 20 in handicap hurdle at Navan (16f, heavy, 7/1) 40 days ago. Back up in trip. Not taken lightly.

Form: 49322-3

Ossifer Hops^p²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-13| J: Sam Ewing| T: G Elliott| OR: 115

50/1

20/1, fifteenth of 20 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (19.8f, soft) 26 days ago. Has a bit to prove at present.

Form: 2-123P0

Almuhit⁹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-12| J: Donagh Meyler| T: E Mullins| OR: 114

9/2

Lightly-raced maiden over hurdles. Switches from Flat to hurdles. First run for yard after leaving Adrian Brendan Joyce. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Well worth a market check.

Form: 62660-

Doctor Parnassus¹⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-11| J: T P Harney⁽⁷⁾| T: R O'Brien| OR: 113

20/1

Creditable sixth of 16 in handicap (5/1) at Galway (14.1f, good to soft), never nearer. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Poor on last hurdle run.

Form: 8/599P0-

Ludus¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-10| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 112

16/1

16/1, bit below form tenth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (19.2f, heavy) 16 days ago. Needs to bounce back.

Form: 51204-0

West Away^t¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Alex Harvey⁽⁷⁾| T: J C McConnell| OR: 112| D

5/1

Career best when winning 20-runner handicap hurdle at Cork (20f, heavy, 10/1) 18 days ago, pushed out. Sure to go well again.

Form: 0678-01

Stormy Judge²⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-9| J: Richard Condon⁽⁵⁾| T: P A Fahy| OR: 111| D

10/1

Creditable fourth of 11 in novice hurdle (100/1) at Fairyhouse (19.8f, soft) 26 days ago, not knocked about. May do better.

Form: 105P/74

Brideswell Lad⁹⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: J J Slevin| T: S Neville| OR: 109| D

20/1

Latest win in hurdle at Wexford in September. 10/1, fell in handicap chase at Listowel (22f, soft) 96 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles.

Form: 11-861F

Imperial Ruler^p1,t⁷⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: M J Molloy⁽⁷⁾| T: D A McLoughlin| OR: 109

66/1

33/1 and tongue strap on for 1st time, thirteenth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (20f, good to soft) 78 days ago. Cheekpieces on 1st time. Others more persuasive.

Form: 54-U000

Poets Cottage³³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: N J Ryan⁽⁷⁾| T: N Meade| OR: 109

50/1

9/1, below form sixth of 10 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (16.7f, soft) 33 days ago, finding less than looked likely. Must improve on recent efforts.

Form: 0346-36

Power Hour⁴⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: Jake Coen⁽⁵⁾| T: M A Gunn| OR: 109

18/1

16/1, bit below form fourth of 17 in novice hurdle at Clonmel (19.4f, heavy) 49 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Others have achieved more.

Form: 5452-34

Doyenna¹¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: M J M O'Sullivan| T: L Fowler| OR: 107

50/1

Respectable sixth of 14 in handicap hurdle (4/1) at Down Royal (16.9f, good to soft) 118 days ago. Looks competitive on form.

Form: 2185-P6

Mary's Pride⁵³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: J S McGarvey| T: E Cawley| OR: 106

50/1

7/1, pulled up in handicap hurdle at Cork (16f, soft) 53 days ago, dropping away before next. Back up in trip. Others preferred.

Form: 8015-0P

Clonbury Bridge^b,t³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Ben Kennedy⁽⁷⁾| T: J P Dempsey| OR: 102

20/1

Good 5¾ lengths third of 15 to Ragin Cajun in handicap hurdle at Thurles (20.6f, soft, 25/1) 35 days ago.

Form: P-0P453

Politicise^p,t1³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Carl Millar⁽⁷⁾| T: N Slevin| OR: 102| D

66/1

Twenty one runs since last win in 2020. Bit below form seventh of 14 in handicap chase (10/1) at Thurles (18.4f, soft) 35 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles. Tongue strap on for 1st time.

Form: 6-26P57

Skinnider¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Sean Flanagan| T: M Hassett| OR: 100

28/1

17/2, respectable sixth of 10 in handicap hurdle at Cork (16.8f, heavy) 18 days ago. RESERVE.

Form: 0701-36

Rockbrook⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 97

9/1

1 win from 3 runs this season. Winner in hurdle at Limerick in October. Respectable sixth of 17 in handicap hurdle (15/2) at Navan (20f, heavy) 40 days ago. RESERVE.

Form: 0/00-2D6

Non-Runners

Top Moon⁴⁰

Weight: 12-0| Age: 8

T: A A Howard J: Aidan Kelly

Clever Currency¹¹

Weight: 11-9| Age: 6

T: P W Flynn J: Gavin Brouder

Ahead Of The Posse⁴⁰

Weight: 11-8| Age: 6

T: G P Cromwell J: Conor Stone-Walsh

Penny Jar³⁵

Weight: 11-7| Age: 7

T: P Downey J: Patrick M O'Brien

Ragin Cajun¹²

Weight: 11-7| Age: 10

T: M J Smith J: J Smith

Simpletwistoffaith³⁷

Weight: 11-7| Age: 6

T: Patrick J Hassett J: Darragh O'Keeffe

Wild Hunt¹

Weight: 11-5| Age: 6

T: D Hogan J: J M Sheridan

Hunting Brook²⁶

Weight: 11-2| Age: 6

T: G Elliott J: Danny Gilligan

Yulong Voice⁴⁸²

Weight: 10-13| Age: 6

T: S Nolan J: Brian Hayes

Blenheim Belle⁴²

Weight: 10-10| Age: 4

T: M M McNiff J: Reserve 2

Forecasts

Music Of Tara (7/2), Almuhit (9/2), West Away (5/1), Heliko Conti (15/2), Rockbrook (9/1), Stormy Judge (10/1), Ahead Of The Posse (12/1), Hunting Brook (14/1), Blenheim Belle (14/1), Ludus (16/1), Hollow Sound (16/1), Penny Jar (16/1), Power Hour (18/1), Clonbury Bridge (20/1), Doctor Parnassus (20/1), Brideswell Lad (20/1), Top Moon (20/1), Simpletwistoffaith (20/1), Ragin Cajun (20/1), Clever Currency (20/1), A Great View (22/1), Yulong Voice (25/1), Skinnider (28/1), Wild Hunt (33/1), Doyenna (50/1), Ossifer Hops (50/1), Poets Cottage (50/1), Mary's Pride (50/1), Politicise (66/1), Hidden Land (66/1), Imperial Ruler (66/1)

HELIKO CONTI made a positive start for his new stable when second at Punchestown a month ago and looks sure to be suited by the step up in trip, so he takes preference over West Away, who arrives on the back of success at Cork (with something to spare). Music of Tara is also respected.