15:25 Punchestown

Sunday 12 January 2025

All12:2512:5513:2513:5514:2514:5515:25

Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Qualifier Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:27 | Winning time: 5m 36.4s

Slanagaibhgoleir³⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Peter Smithers⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 122| C

11/1

Course winner with hit and miss profile, pulled up in a handicap hurdle at Navan (25.2f, soft, 14/1) 36 days ago.

Form: 514P-4P

Bright Legend¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-11| J: Mr J H Williamson⁽⁷⁾| T: D Hogan| OR: 119

5/1

Left behind below form ninth of 15 in handicap hurdle (28/1) at Cheltenham (16.4f, good to soft) when good 1½ lengths second of 9 to Balko D'ange in listed handicap at Limerick (16f, soft) 14 days ago. Up in trip today and looks an interesting contender.

Form: 20-9392

Ask Anything^h,t⁵⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 116| D

7/1

14/1, pulled up in the Troytown at Navan after nearly coming down at the first. Can be forgiven effort only 6 days later, the run probably coming too soon. Freshened up now (50-day break) and could exploit his lower hurdles mark here.

Form: 422-FP9

On The Steel³³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: C G O'Dwyer⁽⁵⁾| T: C O'Dwyer| OR: 114

50/1

Winner over hurdles at Ballinrobe in April. Latest fifth of 8 in a minor event hurdle at this course (16.6f, soft) 33 days ago. Back up in trip for handicap hurdle debut but needs to improve to feature here.

Form: 341-P05

Paradise Lost⁸³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Gavin Brouder⁽³⁾| T: C O'Brien| OR: 112

14/1

Fourth past the post (disqualified) in handicap hurdle at Killarney on latest hurdles run (17f, 14/1). In good form on the Flat since and has each-way claims now back over timber.

Form: 42/255-D

Mic Drop¹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Sean Flanagan| T: D M O'Brien| OR: 110

20/1

Bumper winner at Clonmel in November. Creditable third of 10 in a novice hurdle (15/2) at Tramore (21.6f, heavy) 11 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut and although he has a bit to find, there aren't many miles on the clock.

Form: 341943

Union Park^t¹⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 11-1| J: Simon Torrens| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 109| D

25/1

Won 4 times in 2023, over hurdles on the final occasion. Back on track over fences when creditable fourth of 14 in handicap chase at Limerick (19.4f, soft) 15 days ago. Remains to be seen if he can follow up his most recent effort now back over the smaller obstacles.

Form: 13B-804

Colonel Nelson²²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: Danny Mullins| T: Ms M Mullins| OR: 107

25/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. Creditable fifth of 18 in novice hurdle (6/1) at Thurles (16.1f, good) 22 days ago. Back up in distance for handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 29-4485

Sammy Smart³³

Age: 9| Weight: 10-13| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: T Gibney| OR: 107| C

12/1

8/1, career best when winning 17-runner handicap hurdle at this course (23.8f, soft) 33 days ago, always holding on. Not guaranteed to follow it up over today's shorter trip.

Form: 200381

Beggars Rock^b¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: K C Sexton| T: D Queally| OR: 105| D

4/1

Excelled in first-time blinkers when easily landing 8-runner handicap hurdle at Limerick (21f, soft) 15 days ago, travelled strongly. Good chance he can make it back-to-back wins.

Form: 74U331

Cozone^t¹⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-10| J: Danny Gilligan| T: M J Smith| OR: 104| D

25/1

Step in the right direction when respectable tenth of 23 in handicap hurdle (25/1) at Leopardstown (19.8f, good) 15 days ago and interesting to see if he can build on that.

Form: 327000

Voice Of Reason¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: F Brickley⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 104

50/1

Could never land a blow when eleventh of 23 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (19.8f, good, 80/1) 15 days ago and may be best to look elsewhere for win purposes.

Form: 053000

Londonofficecallin^t⁵⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 10-8| J: D King| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 102| BF| CD

7/1

Clearly not himself when twenty second of 23 in handicap hurdle at Navan (22.4f, good to soft) 56 days ago. Had been in good heart on the Flat prior to that disappointment and he's capable of better today.

Form: P/6116-0

Mercury Mission^p³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: Tiernan Power Roche⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 102

13/2

20/1 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, good third of 18 in handicap hurdle at Cork (20f, soft) 35 days ago, running on late. In form and so is his yard.

Form: 4805F3

The Diddler^t⁵⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 10-8| J: Ricky Doyle| T: P M Quinlan| OR: 102

7/1

7/2, creditable third of 7 in novice hurdle at this course (20.2f, good to soft) 58 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut with bit to find.

Form: 00-3233

Chosen Diamond^p²⁸⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-4| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: E Cawley| OR: 98| D

25/1

Respectable fifth of 16 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (20f, heavy, 14/1) when last seen and returns from 9 months off.

Form: U4F2P5-

Non-Runners

Little Mixup¹⁶

Weight: 12-0| Age: 8

T: D Hogan J: M M McDonagh

Carrig Sam¹

Weight: 11-12| Age: 9

T: P Croke J: Jordan Gainford

Forecasts

Beggars Rock (4/1), Bright Legend (5/1), Mercury Mission (13/2), Londonofficecallin (7/1), Ask Anything (7/1), The Diddler (7/1), Slanagaibhgoleir (11/1), Sammy Smart (12/1), Paradise Lost (14/1), Mic Drop (20/1), Colonel Nelson (25/1), Union Park (25/1), Cozone (25/1), Chosen Diamond (25/1), Little Mixup (33/1), Carrig Sam (33/1), Voice Of Reason (50/1), On The Steel (50/1)

BEGGARS ROCK won with authority at Limerick and a 10 lb rise may not be enough to stop him from following up. Bright Legend rates the main danger up in trip following a solid second in a listed handicap hurdle two weeks ago. Ask Anything could take advantage of a lower hurdles mark and has each-way prospects, as does Mercury Mission.