16:15 Thurles

Saturday 16 March 2024

All13:5514:3015:0515:4016:1516:5017:25

End Of The Season Hurdle

Off time: 16:15 | Winning time: 6m 20.30s

Shannon Royale^b⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 132

9/4

Useful hurdler. Latest win at Punchestown in November. Blinkered for 1st time, good second of 8 in handicap hurdle back there (19.9f, soft, 9/2) 40 days ago, having run of race.

Form: 1-23182

Summerville Boy⁵¹

Age: 12| Weight: 11-5| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 141| CD

8/13

Smart hurdler. C&D winner. 7/1, 5½ lengths second of 4 to Monkfish in John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran (24f, heavy) 51 days ago, very much having run of race. Expected to be bang there.

Form: 216-022

Andy Dufresne^p¹⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 11-0| J: Danny Gilligan⁽⁵⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 136

10/1

Seventeen runs since last win in 2020. 28¾ lengths last of 5 to Ash Tree Meadow in Webster Cup Chase at Navan (20.4f, heavy, 16/1) 14 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles.

Form: 535605

Junior Rattler^t²⁰¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-0| J: Phillip Enright| T: O McKiernan| OR: 109| BF

28/1

Fairly useful hurdler. Eleven runs since last win in 2021. Creditable second of 9 in novice chase (5/2) at Ballinrobe (23f, good to soft). Off 6 months. Switches from chase to hurdles.

Form: 04-9222

West Cork Wildway³⁴²

Age: 10| Weight: 11-0| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: P O'Flynn| OR: 129| C

14/1

Useful chaser. Course winner. Lame when pulled up in handicap hurdle at Cork (19f, good to soft, 17/2), pulled up. Off 11 months. Up in trip.

Form: 4/5954P-

Non-Runners

Longhouse Poet⁵¹

Weight: 11-5| Age: 10

T: M Brassil J: J J Slevin

Western Walk³⁴³

Weight: 11-5| Age: 7

T: Jonathan Sweeney J: M J M O'Sullivan

Practice Run²⁴

Weight: 11-0| Age: 5

T: M F Morris J: Ricky Doyle

The Very Man⁴²

Weight: 11-0| Age: 10

T: Mrs J Harrington J: Conor Smithers

Ballybawn Belter⁴²

Weight: 10-7| Age: 6

T: Liz Doyle J: Simon Torrens

Forecasts

Summerville Boy (8/13), Shannon Royale (9/4), Longhouse Poet (4/1), The Very Man (6/1), Andy Dufresne (10/1), Western Walk (10/1), Ballybawn Belter (10/1), West Cork Wildway (14/1), Practice Run (25/1), Junior Rattler (28/1)

SUMMERVILLE BOY was a decisive all-the-way winner of this race on his sole previous visit here 12 months ago and, having lost little caste in defeat in a Grade 2 contest at Gowran last time, he is taken to repeat the dose. The Very Man should come on for his reappearance spin in a big-field Leopardstown handicap and is second choice ahead of Western Walk, who is returning from an 11-month absence but remains with potential.