12:00 Navan

Saturday 7 December 2024

All11:3012:0012:3213:0713:4214:1714:5215:27

Mervyn Gray Construction Maiden Hurdle (Div 2)

Off time: 12:00 | Winning time: 4m 12.5s

Autoportrait⁴³¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Gavin Brouder⁽⁵⁾| T: M F Morris

10/3

Ran to a fairly useful level second time up over hurdles when third of 12 in juvenile at Auteuil (17.4f, soft, 28/1) when last seen 14 months ago. Has subsequently left D. Sourdeau de Beauregard €230,000 and would surely have a serious chance with a repeat effort.

Form: 53-

Dont Tell Jack³⁰⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: R Deegan| T: J P O'Brien

4/1

€85,000 3-y-o, Affinisea gelding. Half-brother to 3 winners, including smart hurdler Hillcrest and fairly useful hurdler Disco Dancer. Dam (c132/h139) 2m-19f hurdle/chase winner, also 2m winner on Flat. Runner-up sole start in points (Feb 2024).

Form: 2-

Driveonwill²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Donagh Meyler| T: R O'Sullivan

40/1

Third sole start in points. 20/1, offered something to work when sixth of 11 in maiden hurdle at this course (20.2f, good to soft) on NH debut 3 weeks ago. Down in trip.

Form: 36

Goraibhmaithagat²⁹³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Simon Torrens| T: Colm Murphy| D

16/1

Flemensfirth gelding. Brother to useful hurdler Cadatharla, stays 21f, and half-brother to fair 2½m hurdle winner Lovely Hurling. Dam (h116) 2m hurdle winner. Won sole start in points (Feb 2024).

Form: 1-

Grimaud³⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Sam Ewing| T: G Elliott

5/1

Shaped with encouragement sent hurdling after a year off on first run since leaving Francois Rohaut €55,000 when third of 15 in maiden hurdle at Cork (16.3f, good to soft, 15/2) on NH debut 34 days ago. One to take seriously with improvement on the cards.

Form: 3

Kir²⁹³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Brian Hayes| T: H De Bromhead

9/1

Muhtathir gelding. Half-brother to fairly useful hurdler/useful chaser Heltenham and French hurdler/chaser Ici Avrilly. Dam maiden over hurdles/fences in France. Every chance when fell last sole start in points (Feb 2024).

Form: F-

Le Bugiste^t⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell

40/1

Fairly useful Flat winner in France but little impact in 2 maiden hurdles for this yard. Looks one for handicaps after this.

Form: 00

Pleasureofpressure³⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: J P O'Sullivan| T: P J Rothwell

250/1

Made no impression when well-beaten twelfth of 15 in maiden hurdle at Cork (16.3f, good to soft, 33/1) on debut 34 days ago.

Form: 0

Putapoundinthejar²²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: D King| T: A J Martin

14/1

16/1, went backwards from debut when eighth of 17 in bumper at Punchestown (16.7f, good to soft) 7 months ago. Makes hurdles debut.

Form: 28-

Quinn The Eskimo

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: P Nolan

66/1

Protectionist gelding. Half-brother to 3 winners, including fairly useful hurdler/useful chaser Quamino. Dam maiden on Flat in Germany. Betting can prove a good indicator.

Form:

Rio Doce^t⁹²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Richard Condon⁽⁵⁾| T: J A Kinsella

200/1

Last of 9 in handicap (100/1) at Down Royal (18.6f, good to firm). Was tailed off on his only previous start hurdling in August 2023 so can only be watched.

Form: 0-

Scalpnagoon

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Danny Gilligan| T: G Elliott

25/1

€10,500 3-y-o, Policy Maker gelding. Dam unraced half-sister to useful hurdler/chaser (stayed 25f) Los Amigos. Worth keeping an eye on.

Form:

Deadclassy

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Ricky Doyle| T: D Cullen

250/1

Marcel filly. Dam unraced. Likely outsider on debut.

Form:

Echoing Silence²⁷⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Mike O'Connor| T: H De Bromhead

9/4

€28,000 3-y-o, £410,000 4-y-o, Doyen filly. Half-sister to a point winner and useful 2½m/2¾m hurdle winner Deafening Silence. Dam, bumper winner, half-sister to fairly useful hurdler/chaser (stayed 25f) Crash. Won sole start in points (Mar 2024).

Form: 1-

Lucy Wang²⁰⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Phillip Enright| T: J Halley

14/1

10/3, took a step back in the right direction when fifth of 16 in maiden hurdle at Tipperary (16f, good to soft) 6 months ago. Not out of things if ready to roll.

Form: 7P2S0-5

Tubberfinn Lady

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Jack Kearney⁽⁵⁾| T: M Mulvany

250/1

My Dream Boat filly. Dam fairly useful 2m hurdle winner, half-sister to fairly useful hurdler/chaser (2½m winner) Pedros Brief.

Form:

Non-Runners

Kentucky Beach²⁵¹

Weight: 11-7| Age: 4

T: P J Rothwell J: Tiernan Power Roche

Party President²²

Weight: 11-7| Age: 4

T: A Mullins J: Non Runner

Kirsca De Thaix³⁹⁰

Weight: 11-0| Age: 4

T: W P Mullins J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Echoing Silence (9/4), Kirsca De Thaix (5/2), Autoportrait (10/3), Dont Tell Jack (4/1), Grimaud (5/1), Kir (9/1), Putapoundinthejar (14/1), Lucy Wang (14/1), Goraibhmaithagat (16/1), Scalpnagoon (25/1), Driveonwill (40/1), Le Bugiste (40/1), Quinn The Eskimo (66/1), Kentucky Beach (66/1), Party President (100/1), Rio Doce (200/1), Deadclassy (250/1), Pleasureofpressure (250/1), Tubberfinn Lady (250/1)

Cases can be made for a few of these, but KIRSCA DE THAIX changed hands for €200,000 after winning a Le Mans bumper last year and having joined Willie Mullins, she can make a successful switch to hurdling at the expense of another French import in Autoportrait, who ran to a fairly useful level second time up at Auteuil and has since moved yards for a significant sum. Grimaud, Lucy Wang and Echoing Silence are a handful of others to consider, too.