15:15 Punchestown

Sunday 31 December 2023

All12:4513:1513:4514:1514:4515:1515:45

Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle (80-95)

Off time: 15:18 | Winning time: 4m 34.1s

Boola Boola^t¹⁷²

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Conor Smithers⁽²⁾| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 95

28/1

Ninth of 13 in handicap at Dundalk (12f, 17/2). Switches from Flat to hurdles. Tongue strap back on. Poor on last hurdle outing.

Form: 5/7979-0

Another Red Cat^t³⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: M J Molloy⁽²⁾| T: D A McLoughlin| OR: 93

33/1

200/1, respectable seventh of 15 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (20.2f, heavy) 37 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut. May well do better.

Form: 9P9677

Dontdooddson³⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-10| J: J G Gilligan| T: D Collins| OR: 91| D

9/1

Fourteen runs since last win in 2021. Creditable third of 14 in handicap hurdle (15/2) at Cork (16f, heavy) 35 days ago. Has good chance on form.

Form: 352453

Eikonix¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Shane Fenelon| T: J J Hanlon| OR: 91

20/1

Unreliable sort. Eleventh of 17 in handicap hurdle at Naas (16f, soft, 22/1) 17 days ago. Difficult ask.

Form: 000-5R0

The Big Cloud²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-9| J: Peter Smithers| T: S Crawley| OR: 90| BF

6/4

Promising sort. 13/8, excellent second of 14 in handicap hurdle at Clonmel (19.1f, heavy) 24 days ago, clear of rest. Up 4 lb but she has more to offer and rates a big player.

Form: 9090-82

Billy Lee Swagger¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-8| J: C Owens⁽²⁾| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 89

15/2

Lightly-raced maiden. 17/2, thirteenth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Naas (16f, soft) 17 days ago, finishing well. Open to progress.

Form: 4F-8400

Keeptellinemnuttin¹¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-8| J: Thomas Reilly| T: M Mulvany| OR: 89

50/1

Modest maiden on the Flat. Thrice-raced maiden. Tenth of 12 in maiden at Gowran (14f, good, 150/1). Switches from Flat to hurdles with more to do.

Form: 600

County Graduate³¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: T P Harney| T: W J Austin| OR: 88

22/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. Ninth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Thurles (16.5f, good to soft, 40/1) 31 days ago.

Form: 0-0809

In A Nice Way^t1⁷³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: B P Kennedy⁽²⁾| T: S Ryan| OR: 88

14/1

Eleventh of 14 in handicap hurdle at Thurles (23f, soft, 25/1) 73 days ago, going off too hard. Down in trip. Tongue strap on 1st time.

Form: 0-08U30

Verbal Sparring⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Carl Millar| T: D McDonogh| OR: 88

18/1

12/1, tenth of 14 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (16f, heavy) 40 days ago. Can give a good account if shrugging off latest effort.

Form: U-83650

Danesfort Mayfly²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: Sarah Kavanagh| T: W J Lanigan| OR: 87

33/1

Respectable fifth of 12 in handicap hurdle at Downpatrick (17.4f, good to soft, 4/1). Off 8 months but still merits consideration.

Form: 92-5328

Perfect Pupil²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Daire James McConville| T: S McConville| OR: 87

28/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. Solid fifth of 14 in handicap hurdle at Clonmel (19.1f, heavy, 66/1) 24 days ago. Needs to build on it.

Form: 30-0005

Shana Cloon²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-6| J: Patrick M O'Brien| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 87

7/1

Good third of 15 in handicap hurdle (25/1) at Clonmel (16.2f, heavy) 24 days ago. Stable in good form. Another bold show likely.

Form: 0-74003

Future Proof^p⁵⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: T Joseph Kelly| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 86

25/1

Thirty runs since last win in 2020. Fourteenth of 15 in handicap hurdle at Thurles (16.1f, soft, 12/1) 59 days ago. Cheekpieces back on. Enters calculations if on song.

Form: 875040

Is That So^p,t³⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Eoin G Kelly⁽²⁾| T: A Murray| OR: 86

80/1

Blinkered for 1st time, twelfth of 14 in handicap (40/1) at Dundalk (12f) 37 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Pulled up on last hurdle run.

Form: 0/0-059P

True Companion²⁴³

Age: 10| Weight: 11-5| J: A M King⁽²⁾| T: John Cullen| OR: 86

125/1

Thrice-raced maiden over hurdles. 200/1, ninth of 15 in novice hurdle at Ballinrobe (21.1f, good to soft). Off 8 months. Down in trip. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Others more persuasive.

Form: 9P/9

Sunwalk^t¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Cian Cullinan| T: S Neville| OR: 85

28/1

First fornm over hurdles when fifth of 15 in handicap hurdle (125/1) at Naas (16f, soft) 17 days ago, despite refusing to settle. Needs to step forward.

Form: U00-PP5

Always Enchanting²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Niall Moore| T: E J O'Grady| OR: 84

12/1

Fair fourth of 14 in handicap hurdle at Clonmel (19.1f, heavy, 8/1) 24 days ago. Not taken lightly.

Form: 070-774

Shean Glory⁴⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: D Moloney| T: S Aherne| OR: 83

9/1

Twelve runs since last win in 2023. 8/1, respectable fifth of 14 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (16f, heavy) 40 days ago.

Form: F53935

Essential Part¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: E M O'Sullivan⁽²⁾| T: A Sexton| OR: 80

100/1

125/1, fourteenth of 15 in handicap hurdle at Naas (16f, soft) 17 days ago.

Form: 0-77600

Max Time^t1¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: E A Fitzgerald⁽²⁾| T: I Madden| OR: 80

50/1

Remains a maiden after 16 NH runs. Fifteenth of 17 in handicap hurdle (16/1) at Naas (16f, soft) 17 days ago. Tongue strap on 1st time. Others more persuasive.

Form: 799750

Tincurra Lad¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: Conor Clarke| T: W J Martin| OR: 80

50/1

Twelve runs since last win in 2022. In touch when fell 5 out in handicap chase (28/1) at Naas (16f, soft) 17 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles so no forlorn hope.

Form: F04F0F

Non-Runners

Joeswayornoway²⁴

Weight: 11-10| Age: 7

T: E Sheehy J: Reserve 1

Without Exception²²

Weight: 11-6| Age: 4

T: P J Rothwell J: Reserve 2

Juke Box Rock²²

Weight: 11-12| Age: 4

T: G P Cromwell J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

The Big Cloud (6/4), Shana Cloon (7/1), Billy Lee Swagger (15/2), Shean Glory (9/1), Dontdooddson (9/1), Always Enchanting (12/1), In A Nice Way (14/1), Verbal Sparring (18/1), Eikonix (20/1), County Graduate (22/1), Future Proof (25/1), Perfect Pupil (28/1), Sunwalk (28/1), Boola Boola (28/1), Another Red Cat (33/1), Danesfort Mayfly (33/1), Tincurra Lad (50/1), Keeptellinemnuttin (50/1), Max Time (50/1), Is That So (80/1), Essential Part (100/1), True Companion (125/1)

THE BIG CLOUD signalled she is ready to go in when an excellent clear second at Clonmel and a 4 lb rise in the weights doesn't look sufficient to prevent her from going one better. Shana Cloon heads the list of dangers on the back of her good third at the same track last time, although Dontdooddson, Always Enchanting and Another Red Cat all merit respect too.