15:07 Fairyhouse

Sunday 6 April 2025

All14:0014:3515:0715:3716:1216:4717:22

Fairyhouse Easter Festival, It's Tradition Novice Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:08 | Winning time: 4m 58.4s

Arctic Gale¹⁶²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-13| J: Donagh Meyler| T: E Mullins| OR: 111| C

12/1

Cheekpieces on for 1st time, below form sixth of 12 in novice hurdle at Galway (16.4f, good to soft, 4/1) 162 days ago. Back up in trip. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 422246

Pen To Paper¹²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Mark Walsh| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 108

15/2

Thrice-raced maiden. 20/1, seventeenth of 25 in novice hurdle at Navan (16f, soft) 120 days ago. Up in trip. Yard in good form. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Open to progress.

Form: 02-0

Lygon Lad²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-9| J: Sam Ewing| T: G Elliott| OR: 107

8/1

16/1, respectable fourth of 8 in handicap hurdle at Down Royal (20f, good) 20 days ago.

Form: 352004

Crescent Moon³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 106

7/4

Bit below form fourth of 17 in handicap hurdle (10/1) at Leopardstown (16f, good to soft) 35 days ago, unable to sustain effort. Back up in trip.

Form: 580204

Jeu De Pic¹⁹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Sean Flanagan| T: T Cooper| OR: 105

25/1

28/1, creditable fifth of 18 in novice hurdle at Listowel (22f, good). Off 6 months. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Could have more to offer in this sphere.

Form: P32455

Sticwiththeprocess²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: J S McGarvey| T: T M Walsh| OR: 105

5/1

Highly promising type. Eighth of 25 in novice hurdle at Naas (19.5f, soft, 25/1) 28 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Open to significant progress.

Form: 8-558

Aurea Fortuna^t1⁹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: D King| T: A J Martin| OR: 102

9/2

Good third of 23 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (19.8f, good, 17/2) 99 days ago. Tongue strap on 1st time. Should go well again.

Form: 865423

Leah's Contessa^h⁴³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Danny Gilligan| T: C Collins| OR: 102| CD

14/1

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. C&D winner. Winner in hurdle here in January. Hooded for 1st time, pulled up in handicap hurdle at this C&D (soft, 8/1) 43 days ago, pulled up before last.

Form: 5901P

Hangry⁹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Alex Harvey⁽⁵⁾| T: J C McConnell| OR: 95

16/1

11/1, thirteenth of 18 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (21f, soft) 99 days ago.

Form: U59550

Divilabother¹⁶⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-1| J: Conor Stone-Walsh⁽³⁾| T: Thomas Coyle| OR: 85

20/1

Good third at Galway in September but below par with cheekpieces added at Limerick the following month. Given a break since and returns minus the headgear.

Form: 442930

Non-Runners

Is Charlie Around³⁸

Weight: 11-10| Age: 6

T: Eamon Courtney J: Ricky Doyle

Pirate Island³⁶

Weight: 11-3| Age: 7

T: P Fenton J: Brian Hayes

Backfromtheraces²⁰

Weight: 10-5| Age: 6

T: P J Rothwell J: Tiernan Power Roche

Forecasts

Crescent Moon (7/4), Aurea Fortuna (9/2), Sticwiththeprocess (5/1), Pen To Paper (15/2), Lygon Lad (8/1), Is Charlie Around (10/1), Arctic Gale (12/1), Leah's Contessa (14/1), Hangry (16/1), Divilabother (20/1), Backfromtheraces (20/1), Jeu De Pic (25/1), Pirate Island (33/1)

STICWITHTHEPROCESS appeals as one who could take off in handicaps and gets the vote, with confidence in his chance increased should the betting vibes be strong. The other J P McManus runner Pen To Paper also appeals as a likely improver in handicaps, while Aurea Fortune is also much respected after placing in big-field handicap hurdles on his last 2 outings.