13:33 Thurles

Tuesday 13 February 2024

All13:3314:0314:3315:0815:4316:1516:48

Horse & Jockey Beginners Chase

Off time: 13:33 | Winning time: 4m 17.30s

Aspire Tower⁴⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| D

5/2

Useful hurdler. 11/1, fourth of 7 in minor event hurdle at Punchestown (19.1f, heavy) 44 days ago. Third to subsequent Grade 1 winner Il Etait Temps on chase debut here in November and he's open to improvement in this sphere.

Form: 248/334

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Ballywilliam Boy³⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: M Hourigan

100/1

9/1, seventh of 8 in handicap hurdle at Cork (20f, heavy) 38 days ago. Opposable on this chase debut.

Form: 306/007

Burru^h³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: J J Slevin| T: Bernard Crowley

200/1

Lightly-raced maiden under Rules. Sixth of 7 in novice chase at Fairyhouse (17.3f, soft, 125/1) on debut over fences 31 days ago. Big step forward needed.

Form: 333746

Feu Du Bresil⁴⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins

7/1

Useful chaser. Fifth of 8 in novice chase at Leopardstown (17f, heavy, 9/1) 48 days ago. Claims judged on chase debut second at Fairyhouse in November.

Form: P213-25

Figaroc¹⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Brian Hayes| T: W P Mullins

25/1

Fairly useful chaser. Sixth of 7 in novice chase (33/1) at Gowran (20f, heavy) 19 days ago, not knocked about. Paul Townend prefers Feu du Bresil but this fellow is worth a second look all the same.

Form: 814C-66

Mighty Tom⁸⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Danny Gilligan⁽⁵⁾| T: C Collins| CD

6/1

Smart hurdler. Latest win in hurdle at Killarney in May. 10½ lengths third of 4 to Homme Public in Grade 2 chase (9/4) at Cheltenham (15.9f, good to soft) 88 days ago. Live each-way chance.

Form: 3-16223

One Way Traffic¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Phillip Enright| T: O McKiernan

250/1

Poor hurdler. Sixth of 14 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (20.3f, heavy, 16/1) 17 days ago. Hard to fancy on chase debut.

Form: 0-0F066

Pinkerton^t⁸¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Sam Ewing| T: N Meade| C

7/2

Useful hurdler. 3/1, good third of 10 in novice chase at Fairyhouse (16.5f, heavy) 81 days ago, clear of rest. Remains open to improvement as a chaser and he's high on the shortlist.

Form: 3230-33

Zanahiyr^p,t⁴⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| D

7/4

Very smart hurdler. Second of 5 in novice chase at Leopardstown (21.3f, heavy, 5/1) on debut over fences 47 days ago. Didn't look a natural chaser and remains to be seen if he'll build on that but he has to be taken seriously given his raw ability.

Form: 35-1242

Forecasts

Zanahiyr (7/4), Aspire Tower (5/2), Pinkerton (7/2), Mighty Tom (6/1), Feu Du Bresil (7/1), Figaroc (25/1), Ballywilliam Boy (100/1), Burru (200/1), One Way Traffic (250/1)

It remains to be seen if ASPIRE TOWER will be able to scale similar heights to those which he reached over hurdles a few years back, but there were certainly positives to take from his chase debut third behind the smart Il Etait Temps here at the end of November. He shades preference ahead of Pinkerton, who was behind Feu du Bresil at Fairyhouse but he remains with potential and may well reverse those placings here. Zanahiyr has to enter calculations, too, along with Mighty Tom.