15:05 Punchestown

Monday 3 February 2025

All13:0013:3014:0014:3015:0515:4016:1016:40

Ladbrokes Play '1-2-Free' On Football Novice Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:05 | Winning time: 5m 17.08s

Balko D'ange³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Niall Moore⁽⁷⁾| T: P Fenton| OR: 122

9/4

13/8, career best when winning 9-runner listed handicap at Limerick (16f, soft) 36 days ago by 1½ lengths from Bright Legend. Up in trip for this handicap hurdle debut and looks competitive on form.

Form: 240-221

The Story So Far^v¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Philip Byrnes| T: C Byrnes| OR: 120

7/1

Career best when winning 11-runner novice hurdle at Cork (24f, soft, 11/10) 17 days ago, always holding on. Should give another good account.

Form: F5-6721

Butcher Hollow^t³¹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Sean Flanagan| T: T Cooper| OR: 118| BF

15/2

Lightly-raced winner under Rules. Tongue strap on for 1st time, creditable third of 18 in novice hurdle (5/2) at Fairyhouse (19.6f, heavy). Off 10 months ahead of this handicap debut.

Form: 1/12233-

Jacovec Cavern^h³⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Danny Mullins| T: P Hennessy| OR: 117

11/1

6/1, respectable eighth of 19 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (16f, good) 38 days ago. Up in trip on this first run since rejoining yard after a stint with Emmet Mullins.

Form: 0686/88

Birmingham Alabama²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Jordan Gainford| T: E D Delany| OR: 113| C

5/1

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. Career best when winning 10-runner handicap hurdle at this course (19.6f, soft, 9/4) 21 days ago, always holding on. Shortlist material.

Form: 1-52131

Duke Silver³⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: R Deegan| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 106

11/2

Creditable fifth of 19 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (16f, good, 12/1) 39 days ago, finishing with running left. Back up in trip and likely to be in the thick of things.

Form: 502185

Duffys Hodey^p¹⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 10-7| J: Tiernan Power Roche⁽⁵⁾| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 103| D

7/2

Two wins from 4 runs this season. 5/2, career best when winning 15-runner handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (20f, soft) 18 days ago, driven out. This is more demanding.

Form: 55-2131

Non-Runners

Jacob's Ladder¹⁶

Weight: 11-12| Age: 6

T: G Elliott J: Sam Ewing

Dumb Love¹⁷

Weight: 10-10| Age: 5

T: Gerard O'Leary J: M J M O'Sullivan

Forecasts

Balko D'ange (9/4), Duffys Hodey (7/2), Jacob's Ladder (9/2), Birmingham Alabama (5/1), Duke Silver (11/2), The Story So Far (7/1), Butcher Hollow (15/2), Jacovec Cavern (11/1), Dumb Love (12/1)

Cases can be made for several of these, with BALKO D'ANGE the pick on the back of his breakthrough success at Limerick where he shaped as though stepping up to this trip would be no bad thing. The 5-y-o has been handed a fair-looking mark for this handicap debut and he is preferred to Duke Silver, who shaped well in a big-field Leopardstown handicap on Boxing Day. Birmingham Alabama and likely improver Jacob's Ladder are also accorded respect.