14:50 Fairyhouse

Thursday 16 January 2025

All12:0012:3013:0513:4014:1514:5015:25

Jump Into January Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 14:50 | Winning time: 5m 15.60s

Grimaud⁴⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Sam Ewing| T: G Elliott

10/1

Fairly useful Flat winner. Twice-raced maiden. Third of 16 in novice hurdle (5/1) at Navan (16f, soft) 40 days ago. Up in trip and he's an each-way candidate. Yard also represented by Battleoftheboyne and Jersey Des Brosses.

Form: 33

Along The Way⁴⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Mark Walsh| T: E & P Harty

9/2

Twice-raced maiden. Fourth of 19 in novice hurdle (14/1) at Navan (16f, soft) 40 days ago. Up in trip and he is another with an each-way chance.

Form: 5-F4

Be Positive¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Cian Quirke⁽⁵⁾| T: S Neville

100/1

€20,000 3-y-o, Mount Nelson gelding. Half-brother to fairly useful hurdler Another Mattie and fair hurdler/chaser Menindee. Made the frame a couple of times between the flags but opposable on Rules debut.

Form: 4/P-F4

Ellis Mor^p1¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Phillip Enright| T: Miss Jennifer Anne Lynch

150/1

Once-raced maiden. 10/1, pulled up in novice hurdle at Limerick (19f, soft) on NH debut 18 days ago, beaten early final circuit. Cheekpieces on for 1st time.

Form: P

Fishery Lane³³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| BF

10/11

Lightly-raced maiden under Rules. Third of 14 in novice hurdle (evens) at this course (23.2f, good to soft) on hurdles bow 33 days ago. Open to improvement for top yard and he's one to consider.

Form: 250-3

Jersey Des Brosses^t1⁶⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Jake Coen⁽³⁾| T: G Elliott

16/1

Thrice-raced maiden under Rules. 7/2, ninth of 11 in novice hurdle at Naas (16f, good to soft) on hurdles bow 67 days ago. Up in trip and tongue strap on for 1st time.

Form: 2/3U-9

John The Spark¹⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: Keith Donoghue| T: Ian Donoghue| OR: 101

25/1

Modest hurdler. 14/1, eighteenth of 20 in handicap hurdle at this C&D (soft) 15 days ago. Opposable.

Form: P42500

Quantum Quest³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: J J Slevin| T: H De Bromhead

11/4

Promising type. 9/1, fifth of 18 in novice hurdle at Naas (19.5f, good to soft) on NH debut 31 days ago. Sets the bar pretty high.

Form: 3-5

Slieve Annilog¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: O R Brown⁽⁵⁾| T: R Dunne

25/1

Once-raced maiden. Sixth of 10 in novice hurdle (150/1) at Leopardstown (19.8f, good) on NH debut 18 days ago. Others make more appeal.

Form: 84-16

Non-Runners

Battleoftheboyne¹

Weight: 11-4| Age: 5

T: G Elliott J: Danny Gilligan

Forecasts

Fishery Lane (10/11), Quantum Quest (11/4), Along The Way (9/2), Grimaud (10/1), Battleoftheboyne (10/1), Jersey Des Brosses (16/1), John The Spark (25/1), Slieve Annilog (25/1), Be Positive (100/1), Ellis Mor (150/1)

QUANTUM QUEST shaped with plenty of promise in a big-field Naas maiden hurdle on his Rules debut last month and, with improvement on the cards, he looks the way to go. Fishery Lane also made an encouraging start in this sphere when third at this course and he is next on the list ahead of Along The Way and Grimaud.