15:00 Fairyhouse

Sunday 20 April 2025

All13:2213:5214:2215:0015:3516:1016:4517:20

Sherry Fitzgerald Sherry Rated Novice Chase

Off time: 15:00 | Winning time: 5m 30.00s

Ballysax Hank^h²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Kieren Buckley| T: G P Cromwell

12/1

Fairly useful chaser. 11/2, didn't need to improve to win 7-runner novice chase at Downpatrick (19.4f, good to soft) 21 days ago. Open to progress.

Form: 228PU1

Linden Arden²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Brian Hayes| T: P Fenton| OR: 130| D

9/1

Fairly useful chaser. First run since leaving Michael J. Bowe when 8/1, career best when winning 9-runner handicap chase at Limerick (19.6f, soft) 28 days ago, pushed out. Open to improvement.

Form: 634101

Gaelic Arc³⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-13| J: Mr D McGill⁽⁷⁾| T: J P Ryan| OR: 129

18/1

Useful hurdler. Sixteenth of 20 in handicap chase at Cheltenham (15.9f, good to soft, 100/1) 39 days ago. Back up in trip. Others make more appeal.

Form: 2626F0

Backmersackme²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: Donagh Meyler| T: E Mullins

8/1

Useful hurdler. 5/1, fourth of 8 in novice chase at Clonmel (20f, good to soft) on debut over fences 24 days ago. May well do better and he's worth a second look.

Form: 452784

Antrim Coast⁴⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 123| D

5/4

Highly promising type. Useful winner at 24f over hurdles. Fifth of 7 in minor event chase at Leopardstown (17f, good to soft, 7/1) 48 days ago. Very much of interest here given his considerable scope for improvement.

Form: 63-1605

Dutch Schultz^h¹⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: Conor Stone-Walsh⁽³⁾| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 123

22/1

Fairly useful hurdler. 14/1, 28¼ lengths seventh of 10 to Lightkeeper in handicap chase at Wexford (19.4f, soft) 16 days ago. Readily passed over.

Form: 7PU757

Kudasheva^t²⁰²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 119| BF

15/2

Fairly useful chaser. Winner in chase at Wexford in July. 9/4, respectable third of 10 in handicap chase at Roscommon (21.7f, soft). Should be firmly in the mix if raring to go following a 6-month break.

Form: 65-3513

Buachaillbocht^b1,t²⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-13| J: Mark Walsh| T: T M Walsh| OR: 113

7/2

Fairly useful hurdler. Ninth of 14 in handicap chase at Navan (23.6f, soft, 40/1) 29 days ago, going in snatches. Blinkered for 1st time.

Form: 856PU9

Non-Runners

Lightkeeper¹⁶

Weight: 12-0| Age: 7

T: G Elliott J: Jordan Gainford

Broomfield Bijou⁴⁹

Weight: 11-12| Age: 7

T: J P Dempsey J: J J Burke

Forecasts

Antrim Coast (5/4), Lightkeeper (3/1), Buachaillbocht (7/2), Broomfield Bijou (7/1), Kudasheva (15/2), Backmersackme (8/1), Linden Arden (9/1), Ballysax Hank (12/1), Gaelic Arc (18/1), Dutch Schultz (22/1)

ANTRIM COAST did well over hurdles last season and can be expected to leave his low-key maiden chase form well behind now pitched into a handicap off what could turn out to be a very favourable opening mark. There are dangers aplenty, headed by Linden Arden, who did the job well back from a break on debut for this yard at Limerick last month. The selection's stablemate Ballysax Hank also enters calculations, along with the hat-trick seeking Lightkeeper.