17:00 Thurles

Thursday 6 March 2025

All14:3015:0015:3016:0016:3017:0017:35

BoyleSports Money Back On Every Race At Cheltenham Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 17:00 | Winning time: 5m 51.1s

Rushmount³³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Brian Hayes| T: Jonathan Sweeney| OR: 129| CD

5/6

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. Course winner. Good fourth of 25 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (24.1f, good to soft, 20/1) 33 days ago, running on.

Form: 2/21P-04

Machismo^p⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: F Brickley⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 120| D

8/1

Winner in hurdle at Tramore in January. Cheekpieces on for 1st time, creditable fourth of 18 in handicap hurdle at Gowran (24.3f, heavy, 10/1) 42 days ago. Stable in good form. Big player.

Form: 4-42514

Sequoiaspirit⁷⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-3| J: Liam Quinlan⁽³⁾| T: R Hackett| OR: 120| D

10/1

Winner in hurdle at Navan in November. Sixth of 9 in novice hurdle (11/2) at this course (23.2f, good) 75 days ago. Can give a good account without posing serious threat to principals.

Form: 694416

Crossing The Bar^p,t³⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 10-11| J: Danny Gilligan| T: C Collins| OR: 114

8/1

Career best when winning 8-runner handicap hurdle at Catterick (25.3f, good to soft, 4/1) 34 days ago, always holding on. Needs considering.

Form: 242421

Ad Caelum³²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-6| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: J P Ryan| OR: 109| C

22/1

Course winner. Latest win in hurdle at Limerick in December. Sixteenth of 19 in handicap hurdle (100/1) at Leopardstown (18f, good to soft) 32 days ago. Back up in trip.

Form: 315180

Betty Dutton^t³¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-1| J: M M McDonagh| T: E J O'Grady| OR: 104

13/2

One win from 22 NH runs. 10/1 and tongue strap on for 1st time, creditable second of 12 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (23.3f, soft) 31 days ago. Can make presence felt.

Form: 265522

Lady Of The Locke⁷⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-1| J: Phillip Enright| T: C Byrnes| OR: 104| BF| C

17/2

11/10, good fourth of 12 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (20f, soft) 70 days ago.

Form: 153-534

Non-Runners

Arion Soldier¹³⁰

Weight: 11-6| Age: 7

T: Eamon Courtney J: Ricky Doyle

Donkey Years⁶⁹

Weight: 11-5| Age: 11

T: E McNamara J: C P McNamara

Carrig Sam¹⁰

Weight: 11-0| Age: 9

T: P Croke J: H E Sexton

Forecasts

Rushmount (5/6), Betty Dutton (13/2), Machismo (8/1), Crossing The Bar (8/1), Lady Of The Locke (17/2), Sequoiaspirit (10/1), Donkey Years (14/1), Ad Caelum (22/1), Arion Soldier (25/1), Carrig Sam (25/1)

The one who appeals most is RUSHMOUNT, who performed with plenty of credit in a valuable Leopardstown handicap last time and this lightly-raced 8-y-o may well have more to offer. Betty Dutton has been knocking on the door and she is likely to deliver another bold show, while Machismo is third choice ahead of Crossing The Bar and Lady of The Locke.