Bottlegreen Hurdle (Grade 3)

Off time: 14:05 | Winning time: 4m 1.05s

Daddy Long Legs²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 150| D

7/4

Smart hurdler. Career best when winning 5-runner Horse & Jockey Hotel Hurdle at Tipperary (16.2f, good to soft, evens) 26 days ago by 16 lengths from Smooth Tom. The one to beat.

Form: 611-501

Brighterdaysahead²⁰²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Sam Ewing| T: G Elliott| OR: 145| CD

4/5

Useful hurdler. C&D winner. 6/5, didn't need to improve to win 8-runner Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree (20f, good to soft) by 7½ lengths from Staffordshire Knot, plenty in hand. Remains with potential.

Form: 1/11121-

Smooth Tom^p¹⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Cian Quirke| T: A Slattery| OR: 130

33/1

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. Successful on the Flat in first-time cheekpieces (retained here) 10 days ago but he was beaten 16 lengths by Daddy Long Legs on latest start in this sphere at Tipperary and he's just 3 lb better off with that rival now.

Form: 1150-2

King Of Kingsfield¹⁸⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Danny Gilligan| T: G Elliott| OR: 144| CD

13/2

Useful hurdler. Creditable 11½ lengths fourth of 9 to Mystical Power in Champion Novices' Hurdle at Punchestown (16.7f, good to soft, 28/1), unable to sustain effort. Brighterdaysahead appears to be the stable No 1 but he feared nonetheless.

Form: 221304-

Breagagh^p⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: Mr N Gault| T: S Millar| OR: 93

250/1

Modest hurdler. Creditable seventh of 19 in handicap at Navan (14f, good to soft, 20/1) 9 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Creditable on last hurdle outing. Uphill task.

Form: P3-5224

Miss Fourie⁷¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-8| J: Jake Coen| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 123| D

66/1

Unreliable type. Career best when winning 10-runner handicap hurdle (17/2) at Killarney (17f, soft) 71 days ago, doing better under change of tactics. Much more on her plate here.

Form: 574261

Forecasts

Brighterdaysahead (4/5), Daddy Long Legs (7/4), King Of Kingsfield (13/2), Smooth Tom (33/1), Miss Fourie (66/1), Breagagh (250/1)

BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD is taken to enhance Gordon Elliott's fine recent record in this Grade 3 contest, a race he has saddled the winner of three times in the last four years. The 5-y-o has tasted defeat just once from seven career starts and she looked very good indeed when landing a Grade 1 at the Aintree Grand National meeting. Daddy Long Legs thumped Smooth Tom and three others in a Tipperary Grade 3 last month and he is the main danger ahead of the selection's stablemate King of Kingsfield.