11:40 Down Royal

Thursday 26 December 2024

All11:4012:1312:4813:2313:5814:3315:08

I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 11:41 | Winning time: 5m 9.10s

Ballybow²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Carl Millar⁽⁵⁾| T: G Elliott

10/3

Highly promising type. Useful winner at 18f in bumpers. 12/1, badly hampered 3 out when fifteenth of 25 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, good) on hurdles bow 26 days ago (reportedly finished lame). Remains open to significant improvement.

Form: 22-10

Air Of Entitlement²³⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Sean Flanagan| T: H De Bromhead

5/2

Fairly useful bumper winner at Cork in April. Off 7 months ahead of her hurdles debut. Up in trip. Yard having good spell. Very much one to consider.

Form: 3117-

Fisherman's Friend

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Caragh Monaghan⁽⁷⁾| T: Ian Donoghue

50/1

Leading Light gelding. Dam little form over hurdles. Market can guide.

Form:

He's Gorgeous¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: H E Sexton⁽⁷⁾| T: P A Fahy

11/1

Promising type. Third of 18 in novice hurdle at Cork (16.2f, soft, 80/1) on hurdles bow 13 days ago. Up in trip. May well do better.

Form: 89-063

Instinct D'ainay^h1,t1⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Liam Quinlan⁽³⁾| T: S R B Crawford

33/1

€140,000 3-y-o, Authorized gelding. Half-brother to 3 winners, including fairly useful hurdler/smart chaser Eclair d'Ainay and useful hurdler Arrivederci. Wears tongue strap. Betting can prove a good indicator.

Form: 6

Ivybrook²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Patrick M O'Brien⁽⁷⁾| T: D A McLoughlin

3/1

Thrice-raced maiden under NH rules. 25/1, very good sixth of 25 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, good) 26 days ago. Up in trip. In the mix.

Form: 5-26

Retreat Archie¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: L A McKenna⁽⁵⁾| T: Jamie Sloan

250/1

Once-raced maiden. 28/1 and tongue strap on, eighth of 10 in bumper at Newcastle (16.9f, good to soft) on NH debut 12 days ago. Makes hurdles debut.

Form: U-8

Savant Du Mesnil^t²⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: Alex Harvey⁽⁵⁾| T: S R B Crawford

80/1

Once-raced maiden. Tongue strap on, twentieth of 25 in bumper at Punchestown (16.7f, good to soft, 50/1) on NH debut. Off 8 months. Makes hurdles debut. Up in trip.

Form: 0-

Smooth Scotch^t²³⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: P J O'Hanlon| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 116

12/1

Lightly-raced maiden. 80/1, close up when fell in 2 out handicap hurdle at Punchestown (19.3f, good to soft). Off 7 months and not dismissed.

Form: 8332/F-

Strangford^t1

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr S Connor⁽⁷⁾| T: S R B Crawford

25/1

Getaway gelding. Brother to modest hurdler/chaser Henry Box Brown, and half-brother to fairly useful hurdler Island Mahee. Wears tongue strap. Respected newcomer.

Form:

Syracus Du Houx^p¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Phillip Enright| T: O McKiernan| OR: 109

7/1

Fairly useful hurdler. 28/1, unseated rider 1st in novice hurdle at Punchestown (19.1f, soft) 16 days ago. Worth another chance.

Form: 77-245U

Victor Tango²¹⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Paddy Hanlon⁽⁷⁾| T: N C Kelly

50/1

Once-raced maiden. 11/1, fifth of 12 in hunter chase at this course (23.2f, good to soft) on NH debut. Off 7 months. Makes hurdles debut.

Form: 12F-54

Nastya³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Richard Condon⁽⁵⁾| T: H De Bromhead

12/1

Promising sort. 3/1, fourth of 13 in novice hurdle at Tramore (21f, heavy) on NH debut 30 days ago. Trainer going well. Should progress.

Form: 21-4

Saga Des Aigles¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-11| J: Philip Donovan⁽⁵⁾| T: C W J Farrell

200/1

Fair maiden on the Flat, ninth of 11 in handicap (33/1) at Dundalk (10.7f) 15 days ago. Possibilities on her hurdling debut.

Form:

Telnobody¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-11| J: T P Harney⁽⁷⁾| T: R O'Sullivan

150/1

Twice-raced maiden. 80/1, tenth of 19 in novice hurdle at Navan (16f, soft) 19 days ago. Up in trip with more needed.

Form: 7-00

Forecasts

Air Of Entitlement (5/2), Ivybrook (3/1), Ballybow (10/3), Syracus Du Houx (7/1), He's Gorgeous (11/1), Nastya (12/1), Smooth Scotch (12/1), Strangford (25/1), Instinct D'ainay (33/1), Victor Tango (50/1), Fisherman's Friend (50/1), Savant Du Mesnil (80/1), Telnobody (150/1), Saga Des Aigles (200/1), Retreat Archie (250/1)

BALLYBOW didn't enjoy the rub of the green when down the field on his hurdling debut at Fairyhouse and this useful bumper scorer remains one to be interested in. Henry de Bromhead's hurdling newcomer Air of Entitlement could prove the biggest danger to Gordon Elliott's 5-y-o ahead of form picks Syracus du Houx and Ivybrook.