16:43 Punchestown

Monday 24 February 2025

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

Festival 2025 Group Tickets From 27 Euros Handicap Hurdle (0-100) (Div 2)

Off time: 16:46 | Winning time: 5m 35.4s

Butchers Bill^p³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Sam Ewing| T: G Elliott| OR: 100

5/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. Cheekpieces on for 1st time, creditable fourth of 13 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (20.4f, soft, 4/1) 30 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Should progress.

Form: 9-764

Our Uncle Jack^h,t⁵⁰¹

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr D M Fitzgerald⁽⁷⁾| T: M P Fitzgerald| OR: 100

22/1

17/2 and tongue strap on for 1st time, improved to win 9-runner novice hurdle at Tramore (16f, heavy), driven out. Off 16 months. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 446/741-

One And Only^p,t⁷³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: Phillip Enright| T: O McKiernan| OR: 97| BF| D

9/2

Winner in hurdle at Cork in December. Very good second of 19 in handicap hurdle at Cork (20f, soft, 11/4) 73 days ago. Not taken lightly.

Form: 7-24F12

Ilbdare¹⁴⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Philip Donovan⁽⁵⁾| T: M M McNiff| OR: 92

18/1

Below form eighth of 16 in handicap hurdle (10/1) at Listowel (18f, soft) 149 days ago, unsuited by drop in trip.

Form: 6-00358

True Destiny^p¹²²

Age: 10| Weight: 11-6| J: J S McGarvey| T: N C Kelly| OR: 92| D

22/1

9/2, good second of 16 in handicap hurdle at Sligo (20.3f, soft) 122 days ago. Shortlist material.

Form: 798822

Tom Kelly^b1⁶⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: J Smith⁽⁵⁾| T: K Smith| OR: 91

40/1

33/1, pulled up in handicap chase at Down Royal (20.6f, good to soft) on debut over fences 60 days ago, beaten when mistake 3 out. Switches from chase to hurdles. Blinkers on 1st time.

Form: 47P-P9P

King In Love^h1¹⁵⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: S Aherne| OR: 90

12/1

12/1, eleventh of 13 in handicap hurdle at Downpatrick (17.8f, good to soft) 157 days ago. Hooded for 1st time.

Form: 87-8880

Smackwater Jack³⁰⁵

Age: 11| Weight: 11-4| J: Ricky Doyle| T: Mrs D Foster| OR: 90

28/1

Sixteen runs since last win in 2019. 14/1, seventh of 8 in handicap hurdle at Wexford (24f, good to soft). Off 10 months.

Form: R6/P867-

Mighty Soldier^t²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: K C Sexton| T: J Fahey| OR: 89

2/1

Lightly-raced maiden. Very good third of 17 in handicap hurdle (12/1) at this course (19.2f, heavy) 28 days ago, faring best of those held up. Needs considering.

Form: P-07973

Esticky End¹²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: D Robinson| T: Tom McGuinness| OR: 86

20/1

Unreliable individual. 7/1, refused to race in handicap at Dundalk (12f) 12 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Back up in trip. Poor on last hurdle run. Others more persuasive.

Form: P8090

Kir Royal Blou²⁶¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: Donagh Meyler| T: W J Burke| OR: 85

80/1

Thrice-raced maiden. 250/1, last of 22 in novice hurdle at this course (19.4f, good). Off 8 months. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 0-00

Another Question^t⁵⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 10-9| J: D King| T: Miss J M Lee| OR: 81

50/1

Pulled up in handicap hurdle at Tramore (21.6f, heavy, 33/1) 54 days ago, losing place quickly circuit out.

Form: 09005P

Johnny Cakes^p⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-6| J: Tiernan Power Roche⁽⁵⁾| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 78| BF

10/3

Proving expensive to follow this season, respectable sixth of 11 in handicap hurdle at Clonmel (20f, soft, 9/4) 40 days ago.

Form: P7-4406

Calypso Bluebird⁵⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-1| J: Gary Noonan⁽⁵⁾| T: E McCarthy| OR: 73

50/1

Thrice-raced maiden. 200/1, fifteenth of 17 in novice hurdle at Limerick (16f, soft) 58 days ago. Up in trip. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 0-00

Non-Runners

Annamaymurt²

Weight: 11-13| Age: 8

T: P J Gilligan J: J G Gilligan

Huscari²⁸

Weight: 10-13| Age: 6

T: E McNamara J: C P McNamara

Forecasts

Mighty Soldier (2/1), Johnny Cakes (10/3), One And Only (9/2), Butchers Bill (5/1), King In Love (12/1), Ilbdare (18/1), Huscari (20/1), Annamaymurt (20/1), Esticky End (20/1), True Destiny (22/1), Our Uncle Jack (22/1), Smackwater Jack (28/1), Tom Kelly (40/1), Calypso Bluebird (50/1), Another Question (50/1), Kir Royal Blou (80/1)

MIGHTY SOLDIER took another step forward on his second start in a handicap when third here 4 weeks ago, faring best of those help up, and shades the vote over True Destiny, who's been knocking on the door of late. The in-form One And Only is another to consider.