15:00 Leopardstown

Thursday 28 December 2023

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

Pertemps Handicap Hurdle (Qualifier)

Off time: 15:00 | Winning time: 6m 25.7s

Farouk D'Alene²⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Carl Millar⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 145| D

18/1

24½ lengths fifth of 6 to Classic Getaway in listed chase at Thurles (22f, good to soft, 7/1) 28 days ago. Very smart at his best over the larger obstacles and reduced hurdles mark looks justified.

Form: 221F/F5

Maxxum¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 138| C

6/1

Course winner. 1 win from 3 runs this season. 18/1, respectable fifth of 16 in handicap hurdle at Navan (25.2f, heavy) 19 days ago. Needs to build on that.

Form: 100-145

Franciscan Rock^p⁴⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Ricky Doyle| T: M F Morris| OR: 135

25/1

Tongue strap on for 1st time, below form fourth of 9 in novice chase (14/1) at Naas (20f, soft) 46 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles. Cheekpieces back on and he has a bit to prove at present.

Form: 2133-F4

M C Muldoon⁷⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-10| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 129

10/1

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. 66/1, thirtieth of 31 in handicap at Newmarket (18f, good to soft) 75 days ago. Useful in that sphere and opening hurdles mark may underestimate him.

Form: 41231/

Lucky Zebo⁹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 126

7/1

3 wins from 4 runs this season. 8/13, career best when winning 7-runner handicap hurdle at Gowran (20.3f, heavy) 90 days ago, pushed out. Leading contender for leading yard.

Form: 61-1131

Aldo The Apache¹⁹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-6| J: Brian Hayes| T: Colm Murphy| OR: 125

100/1

17/2, pulled up in handicap chase at Wexford (25.3f, good to soft), tailing off soon after 3 out. Off 6 months. Switches from chase to hurdles.

Form: 4FU4-PP

Nine Graces^t²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-6| J: M J M O'Sullivan| T: B Connell| OR: 125

5/1

Good third of 20 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (19.8f, soft, 17/2) 26 days ago. Not taken lightly given upwardly-mobile profile.

Form: 6311-53

Foxy Jacks⁴¹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-4| J: Gavin Brouder⁽⁵⁾| T: M F Morris| OR: 123

4/1

2 wins from 5 runs this season. Career best when winning 13-runner handicap chase (9/1) at Cheltenham (29.2f, good to soft) 41 days ago, responding well. Switches from chase to hurdles and has a much lower mark to exploit down in trip.

Form: U-21P31

Gaoth Chuil⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-4| J: Shane O'Callaghan⁽⁵⁾| T: T M Walsh| OR: 123| C

5/1

Course winner. Good second of 19 in handicap hurdle at Naas (19.9f, soft, 11/2) 46 days ago. Enters calculations given she's returned an improved performer.

Form: 391P-22

Champagne Platinum^p³²

Age: 9| Weight: 10-2| J: Miss A B O'Connor⁽³⁾| T: E Bolger| OR: 121

25/1

Eleven runs since last win in 2022. Sixth of 8 in minor event chase at Punchestown (24f, soft, 9/2) 32 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles.

Form: 004P-76

West Is Awake^h²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: E Cawley| OR: 118

5/1

Latest win in hurdle at Fairyhouse in October. Good second of 20 in handicap hurdle (9/2) at Fairyhouse (19.8f, soft) 26 days ago. Looks worth another go at this trip.

Form: 80-1062

Non-Runners

Absolute Notions⁵¹

Weight: 11-9| Age: 5

T: G Elliott J: Danny Gilligan

Ambitious Fellow⁵⁴

Weight: 11-6| Age: 7

T: Peter Fahey J: Non Runner

Ballybawn Belter⁴⁶

Weight: 10-11| Age: 5

T: Liz Doyle J: Mark Walsh

Broomfield Bijou³²

Weight: 10-6| Age: 5

T: J P Dempsey J: Donagh Meyler

Max Flamingo²⁶

Weight: 10-4| Age: 8

T: Francis Casey J: Sean Flanagan

Forecasts

Foxy Jacks (4/1), Gaoth Chuil (5/1), Nine Graces (5/1), West Is Awake (5/1), Absolute Notions (5/1), Maxxum (6/1), Lucky Zebo (7/1), M C Muldoon (10/1), Ballybawn Belter (14/1), Broomfield Bijou (16/1), Ambitious Fellow (16/1), Farouk D'Alene (18/1), Champagne Platinum (25/1), Franciscan Rock (25/1), Max Flamingo (33/1), Aldo The Apache (100/1)

M C MULDOON comes with risks attached given he's suffered a brace of heavy defeats on the level of late but he couldn't be in better hands and his mark is potentially lenient in this sphere. Absolute Notions, Nine Graces and Lucky Zebo are just a trio of potential threats.