14:50 Punchestown

Friday 21 February 2025

All13:5014:2014:5015:2015:5016:2016:5017:20

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle

5YO plus | 2m 4f 23y | Soft | 14 Runners | Turf

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Sam Ewing| T: G Elliott| CD

Promising type. Four-time bumper winner last season and also successful on the Flat last summer. 9/4, third of 12 in maiden at this course (19.2f, heavy) on hurdles bow 25 days ago. Should improve and the one to beat.

Form: 51111-3

Any Chance

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: J Smith⁽⁵⁾| T: Cian Hughes

Arctic Cosmos gelding. Dam failed to complete in points. Likely best watched on debut.

Form:

Bitofajokelike²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: C P McNamara| T: E McNamara

Twice-raced maiden. 150/1, ninth of 14 in maiden hurdle at Limerick (16f, heavy) 24 days ago. Up in trip. Outsider.

Form: 09

Cappa Hill^t³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: Sean Allen

Reached frame on complete start in point. Tongue strap on, fourth of 11 in maiden hurdle at Cork (16.9f, soft, 16/1) on NH debut 35 days ago.

Form: P-444

Game On^t1²⁹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Donagh Meyler| T: N Meade

Runner-up completed start in points (Apr 2024). The betting should help guide to expectations now hurdling.

Form: U2-

Great Attitude

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Conor Stone-Walsh⁽⁵⁾| T: T Cleary

€26,000 Guiliani gelding. Half-brother to 4 winners, including fairly useful hurdler Group Stage, stayed 2½m. Dam 2-y-o 6f winner.

Form:

Leaky Cauldron⁵⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Danny Mullins| T: W P Mullins

Point winner but well beaten on Leopardstown bumper debut over Christmas. Will surely do better at some point but Paul Townend is on the yard's other runner.

Form: 1-8

Milanova²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Niall Moore⁽⁵⁾| T: D A McLoughlin

80/1, seventh of 20 in maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) on NH debut 27 days ago. Up in trip.

Form: 7

Our Soldier⁵⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: M M McDonagh| T: E J O'Grady

Thrice-raced maiden under NH rules. 8/1, third of 8 in maiden at Down Royal (17.2f, good to soft) on hurdles bow 57 days ago. Open to improvement.

Form: 57-3

Pookie Holler⁶⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr David Maxwell| T: H De Bromhead

Promising sort. Third in sole point. 20/1, eighth of 18 in good maiden hurdle at Naas (19.5f, good to soft) on NH debut 67 days ago. Open to progress.

Form: 38

Sir Carnegie¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Paddy Hanlon⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss T L Cogan

Thrice-raced maiden. Pulled up in maiden hurdle at this course (23.3f, soft, 250/1) 18 days ago. Booked for another struggle.

Form: 05P

The Mail Train⁵⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: R P Treacy| T: D H Kelly

Twice-raced maiden. 150/1, sixth of 11 in maiden hurdle at Limerick (21f, soft) 55 days ago.

Form: 35-396

Toad Hall⁶⁸⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| BF

Evens, second of 11 in bumper at Clonmel (16.6f, heavy) on debut in April 2023. Not seen since but top yard perseveres and Paul Townend seemingly prefers him to Leaky Cauldron.

Form: 2/

Westandtogether

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Danny Gilligan| T: Mrs D Foster

Westerner mare. Sister to fairly useful 21f hurdle winner Top Target. Dam unraced. Likely best watched on debut.

Form:

Forecasts

Familiar Dreams (5/4), Toad Hall (7/2), Game On (7/1), Leaky Cauldron (8/1), Cappa Hill (10/1), Pookie Holler (12/1), Our Soldier (16/1), Westandtogether (16/1), Great Attitude (25/1), Sir Carnegie (25/1), The Mail Train (25/1), Milanova (33/1), Any Chance (33/1), Bitofajokelike (100/1)

The classy FAMILIAR DREAMS made a decent start to her hurdle career here last month and should prove hard to beat unless the market vibes are strong surrounding Willie Mullins hurdle debutant Toad Hall, who has been absent for nearly 2 years since finishing a promising second in a Clonmel bumper. The other Mullins runner Leaky Cauldron and Henry de Bromhead's Pookie Holler may fight it out for third.