14:35 Punchestown

Monday 24 February 2025

All13:3014:0014:3515:0515:3516:1016:4317:18

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 14:40 | Winning time: 5m 26.02s

Familiar Dreams²⁸

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

6/4

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 28 days ago. Should improve and the one to beat.

Form: 51111-3

Bitofajokelike²⁷

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

300/1

Twice-raced maiden. 150/1, ninth of 14 in maiden hurdle at Limerick (16f, heavy) 27 days ago. Up in trip. Outsider.

Form: 09

Game On^t1³⁰²

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

13/2

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

Form: U2-

Leaky Cauldron⁵⁹

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

10/3

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

Milanova³⁰

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

50/1

80/1, seventh of 20 in maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) on NH debut 30 days ago. Up in trip.

Form: 7

Our Soldier⁶⁰

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

20/1

Thrice-raced maiden under NH rules. 8/1, third of 8 in maiden at Down Royal (17.2f, good to soft) on hurdles bow 60 days ago. Open to improvement.

Form: 57-3

Sir Carnegie²¹

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

250/1

Thrice-raced maiden. Pulled up in maiden hurdle at this course (23.3f, soft, 250/1) 21 days ago. Booked for another struggle.

Form: 05P

The Mail Train⁵⁸

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

150/1

Twice-raced maiden. 150/1, sixth of 11 in maiden hurdle at Limerick (21f, soft) 58 days ago.

Form: 35-396

Toad Hall⁶⁹⁰

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

9/5

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

150/1

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

Form:

Non-Runners

Pookie Holler⁷⁰

Weight: 11-4| Age: 5

T: H De Bromhead J: Mr David Maxwell

Forecasts

Familiar Dreams (6/4), Toad Hall (9/5), Leaky Cauldron (10/3), Game On (13/2), Pookie Holler (12/1), Our Soldier (20/1), Milanova (50/1), Westandtogether (150/1), The Mail Train (150/1), Sir Carnegie (250/1), Bitofajokelike (300/1)

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.