12:20 Leopardstown

Saturday 28 December 2024

All12:2012:5013:2014:0014:3515:0515:40

Savills Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 12:20 | Winning time: 4m 56.2s

Another Challenge¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Phillip Enright| T: O McKiernan

250/1

Twice-raced maiden. 125/1, fourteenth of 19 in novice hurdle at Cork (16.2f, soft) 15 days ago. Up in trip.

Form: 70

Butchers Bill²⁷²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Jordan Gainford| T: G Elliott

25/1

Once-raced maiden. Ninth of 14 in bumper (17/2) at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy) on NH debut. Off 9 months. Makes hurdles debut. Up in trip.

Form: 9-

Chanceawetmorning¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: J S McGarvey| T: N C Kelly

150/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. 50/1, first run since leaving John Joseph Hanlon when thirteenth of 18 in novice hurdle at Naas (19.5f, good to soft) 12 days ago.

Form: 36730

Colorado Charlie¹⁴⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Michael Kenneally⁽⁷⁾| T: J Halley

80/1

Once-raced maiden. Offered something to work on when fifth of 15 in maiden hurdle at Roscommon (20.2f, soft, 40/1) on NH debut 144 days ago.

Form: 5

Found A Diamond³⁵

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

50/1

Once-raced maiden. 50/1, sixth of 14 in maiden hurdle at Punchestown (19.4f, soft) on debut 35 days ago.

Form: 6

Kaid D'authie²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Mark Walsh| T: W P Mullins| BF

7/2

Promising sort. Fifth in a newcomers race in France at Auteuil in spring 2023. Backed as if defeat was out of the question (went off 1/3) but fell fifth in Navan maiden hurdle for new connections 20 months later. Evidently well regarded.

Form: 5/F

Kalix Delabarriere²¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins

10/3

4/5, won 10-runner bumper at Ballinrobe (16.6f, good) on debut in May. It'll be very interesting to see how he compares in the betting to stablemate Kaid d'Authie.

Form: 1

Koktail Divin²⁷¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead

7/2

Dual bumper winner in France for Alain Couetil. Switched to a top yard for hurdle debut. Betting informative.

Form: 1-

Krak

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: J J Slevin| T: S R B Crawford

25/1

€90,000 Muhtathir gelding. The betting should help guide to expectations with this one.

Form:

Sermandzarak³⁵

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

6/4

Won both bumpers earlier in the year, the latter a valuable event at the Punchestown Festival in April. Promising second on hurdle debut there (19.4f, soft) 35 days ago, rallying. Likely to improve and go well.

Form: 11-2

Van Demon¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Donagh Meyler| T: N Meade

40/1

Fairly useful winner at 12f on flat. Little better than modest form in 2 hurdles but should have more to offer at some stage.

Form: 6-4

Native Glory

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: L A McKenna⁽⁵⁾| T: Colm Murphy

200/1

€65,000 3-y-o, Getaway filly. Sister to fairly useful 2m hurdle winner Theatre Native, and half-sister to smart hurdler Theatre Glory and useful hurdler Ambitious Fellow. The betting should help guide to expectations.

Form:

Forecasts

Sermandzarak (6/4), Kalix Delabarriere (10/3), Kaid D'authie (7/2), Koktail Divin (7/2), Krak (25/1), Butchers Bill (25/1), Van Demon (40/1), Found A Diamond (50/1), Colorado Charlie (80/1), Chanceawetmorning (150/1), Native Glory (200/1), Another Challenge (250/1)

The strength behind KAID D'AUTHIE in the betting at Navan suggests he'd been giving the right signals at Closutton so he's taken to gain compensation, with confidence increased should the market speak in his favour again. Gordon Elliott's Sermandzarak made a promising start to his hurdle career at Punchestown and is second choice ahead of the other Willie Mullins runner Kalix Delabarriere.