12:45 Leopardstown

Sunday 29 December 2024

All12:1012:4513:2013:5514:3015:0515:40

SIS Supporting Irish Racing Irish EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle (80-130)

Off time: 12:45 | Winning time: 4m 52.0s

Patter Merchant²²

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Carl Millar⁽⁵⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 130| C

20/1

Winning hurdles debut at Galway in October. Fifth of 6 to The Yellow Clay in Navan Novices' Hurdle at Navan (20f, soft) 22 days ago, unsuited by emphasis on speed

Form: 117-135

All For Rachel^t,h⁴²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-13| J: Phillip Enright| T: O McKiernan| OR: 129| D

50/1

2 wins from 3 runs this season. Latest win in hurdle at Listowel in June. 25/1, well-beaten sixth of 8 to The Yellow Clay in Monksfield Novices' Hurdle at Navan (20f, good to soft) 42 days ago.

Form: 925-116

Big Chou²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Conor Stone-Walsh⁽⁵⁾| T: N Meade| OR: 124| D

9/1

Career best when winning 12-runner novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (20.2f, good, 6/1) 29 days ago, keeping on well. Enters calculations.

Form: 45-1641

Churchroad Prince²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: M J M O'Sullivan| T: Jonathan Sweeney| OR: 123

33/1

24 lengths fifth of 6 to Pray Tell in Gr 3 hurdle at Cork (24.4f, soft, 11/1) 21 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut and can progress, for all mark demands it.

Form: 7235-15

Taponthego³⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 123| D

11/8

Promising type. Evens, won 20-runner novice hurdle at Tipperary (20.4f, soft) 37 days ago, suited by increase in trip. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Sure to go well with improvement on the cards.

Form: F2-21

Fenway Park⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 122

7/1

Winner in hurdle at Punchestown in May. 12/1, good fifth of 23 in handicap hurdle at Navan (22.4f, good to soft) 42 days ago, unable to sustain effort. Slight drop back in trip will help.

Form: 2P4-135

Ol Man Dingle^t⁶²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Ricky Doyle| T: E Griffin| OR: 122| D

20/1

6/1, career best when winning 8-runner novice hurdle at Wexford (16.4f, heavy) 62 days ago. Back up in trip. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 040311

Sonny May^t³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: D Hickey| OR: 122

20/1

2 wins from 3 runs this season. Career best when winning 8-runner handicap hurdle at Punchestown (16.8f, good to soft, 4/1) 35 days ago, comfortably. Progressing nicely.

Form: 3/00-411

Savante⁵⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Brian Hayes| T: Colm Murphy| OR: 120| BF| D

11/1

11/4, 6¾ lengths fifth of 8 to Sansrisk in Gr 3 hurdle at Down Royal (16.9f, good to soft) 58 days ago, unsuited by drop in trip. Makes handicap hurdle debut back up in distance.

Form: 1015

Artic Lane³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: L A McKenna⁽⁵⁾| T: D Queally| OR: 116

10/1

9/4, career best when winning 10-runner novice hurdle at Thurles (15.9f, good to soft) 30 days ago. Back up in trip. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Others more persuasive.

Form: 422U31

Ballybrittas⁷⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: Tiernan Power Roche⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 109

16/1

Won 11-runner novice hurdle (5/2) at Limerick (16.3f, good to soft) 70 days ago, always holding on. Makes handicap hurdle debut and will need to improve again.

Form: 5/411-51

Young Lucy^t²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-2| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: A J Martin| OR: 104| BF

5/1

Shaped as though still in good order when fifth of 18 in handicap hurdle (9/4) at Cork (20f, soft) 21 days ago. Tongue strap back on. Looks competitive on form.

Form: 1607-25

Non-Runners

Thisistheway⁶²

Weight: 10-2| Age: 5

T: Yvonne Latta J: Cian Quirke

Forecasts

Taponthego (11/8), Young Lucy (5/1), Fenway Park (7/1), Big Chou (9/1), Artic Lane (10/1), Savante (11/1), Ballybrittas (16/1), Ol Man Dingle (20/1), Patter Merchant (20/1), Sonny May (20/1), Thisistheway (25/1), Churchroad Prince (33/1), All For Rachel (50/1)

It's hard to get away from TAPONTHEGO, who slammed 19 rivals in novice company at Tipperary a month ago and his opening mark looks lenient. Big Chou also arrives on the up so he needs respecting, along with Fenway Park down in trip.