13:45 Down Royal

Tuesday 23 January 2024

All12:4013:1013:4514:2014:5515:3016:00

Coors Mares Handicap Hurdle (80-109)

Off time: 13:45 | Winning time: 4m 43.3s

Betty Dutton¹⁵⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: M M McDonagh⁽³⁾| T: E J O'Grady| OR: 104| BF

17/2

Bit below form seventh of 12 in handicap hurdle (3/1) at Tramore (16f, heavy) 158 days ago but had been in good form prior to that. Much depends on whether she's primed after a break.

Form: 933337

Kalanisi Dubh⁴⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: K C Sexton| T: S Fahey| OR: 100| CD

10/3

C&D winner. Career best when winning 15-runner handicap hurdle at Clonmel (16.2f, heavy, 6/1) 47 days ago, travelling strongly. Has good chance on form.

Form: 40-6641

Skinnider²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: Sean Flanagan| T: M Hassett| OR: 99

9/2

Respectable eighth of 21 in handicap hurdle (28/1) at Leopardstown (20f, heavy) 26 days ago. This looks a bit less competitive.

Form: 701-368

Caoimhes Pet²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Gary Noonan⁽⁵⁾| T: E McCarthy| OR: 96| D

6/1

Winner in hurdle at Killarney in October. Bit below form ninth of 19 in handicap hurdle at this course (17f, soft, 14/1) 28 days ago. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 68-1369

Franno³²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: Ricky Doyle| T: G Keane| OR: 95

33/1

Lightly-raced maiden over hurdles. Fair winner at 14f on flat. 66/1, ninth of 14 in handicap at Dundalk (16f) 32 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Respectable on last hurdle run.

Form: 90-574

Bayou Belle¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Peter Smithers⁽⁷⁾| T: J P Fahey| OR: 92

9/1

25/1, respectable fifth of 21 in handicap hurdle at Naas (16f, soft) 11 days ago. Others more persuasive.

Form: 6-42885

Stockdale²⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: S Fitzgerald| T: Patrick Turley| OR: 92

4/1

Twelve runs since last win in 2021. 25/1, eighth of 19 in handicap hurdle at this course (17f, soft) 28 days ago. First run for yard after leaving B. R. Hamilton. Difficult ask.

Form: 75565/8

Timeless Piece²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 104

4/1

Fair winner at 11f on flat. Thrice-raced maiden over hurdles. Fifth of 9 in juvenile at Limerick (16f, heavy, 10/1) 28 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut. May well do better for top yard.

Form: 745

Spyfall^p,t³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Simon Torrens| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 90

66/1

Thrice-raced maiden. Cheekpieces on for 1st time, last of 14 in handicap at Dundalk (10.7f, 80/1) 34 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Should improve.

Form: 040

Non-Runners

Ah Fuhgeddaboudit¹²

Weight: 11-10| Age: 6

T: D Hogan J: D King

Forecasts

Kalanisi Dubh (10/3), Timeless Piece (4/1), Stockdale (4/1), Skinnider (9/2), Caoimhes Pet (6/1), Ah Fuhgeddaboudit (6/1), Betty Dutton (17/2), Bayou Belle (9/1), Franno (33/1), Spyfall (66/1)

KALANISI DUBH had plenty in hand at Clonmel last month so an 8 lb rise doesn't look too severe. The chief threat may come from the handicap hurdle newcomers. Timeless Piece should have more to offer for Elliott yard and is second choice ahead of Ah Fuhgeddaboudit and Spyfall, who represents last year's winning stable.